Amen!!! God bless you!!!

In Nigeria, there are three legitimate ways of getting married: (1) Statutory marriage under the Marriage Act (with Laws of Matrimonial Causes applicable); (2) Customary Marriage (governed by the customary law applicable to the tribe of the couple); and (3) Muslim marriage (governed by Sharia and is relevant only to muslims)

A marriage contracted under any of these is legitimate. legal and binding. The difference is that if issues arise within the marriage, the laws that will be applied depends on which of the 3 types, the marriage was contracted: Customary law applies in the case of one contracted under customary law; Shari'a to that contracted under muslim law and statutory laws to that contracted under statutory marriage (marriage Act and the Laws of Matrimonial causes)

Christians living in Nigeria are advised to opt for statutory law because the applicable laws are very comprehensive and specific on all issues that may arise within the marriage.

By the way, Church solemnization in a registered place of worship is a component of the process for contracting a statutory marriage. A couple has the option of also finalizing process at the marriage registry instead of the church.

Prospective couples ought to discuss and agree. If you want your customs to govern your marriage (in case issues arise), then that process of marriage completes when the dowry is paid. But if not, please follow the process stipulated by the Marriage Act. Go to any marriage registry nearest to you and the Registrar of marriages will tell you what to do. But if you decide on customary marriage, nothing stops the couple, all the same, from presenting themselves to their Pastor for blessing and prayers.

If you organize a Church wedding ceremony without fulfilling the other components of the process for statutory marriage, to enable you obtain a marriage certificate, the High courts cannot help you when issues arise and the union will still be treated as under the jurisdiction of the customary courts, if issues arise.

Apart from human processes, please know that in the eyes of God, a marriage contracted between an unmarried man and unmarried woman - whether contracted under statutory law or customary law, remains a valid marriage; subject of course to God's position on divorce and polygamy (please check the Bible on this)

At the same time, the Bible says:
(Romans 6:1-2):
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:14:
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

IT IS LUST! THE BIBLE CALLS LUST SIN.

Please read the multiple verses of scripture shared on this subject. In the course of reading responses, I had to check up the meaning of masturbation and it clearly tallies with the same description you are giving here about masturbation. It is lust!

Proverbs 3:5-6
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Amen!

God's instruction is to focus on HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness and not on finding a good man. God says when we focus on HIS Kingdom and HIS righteousness, He will add to us, all that we need! See Matthew 6:33(reproduced below):

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Also, please find time to meditate on the following scripture verses:

Proverbs 6:32
He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.

2 Thessalonians 4:3
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Romans 12:2:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Ephesians 5:3:
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

Galatians 5:19
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,


The good LORD be with you and sustain you. Amen!

Hello. I do not think you are weird.

But seek holiness in all perspectives; not just in one aspect. God wants to be in control of EVERYTHING! That's why Jesus is called LORD. Also, it is important to know that temptations always keep hanging around the Christian. What the Bible says to do is to overcome the temptations. The Bible says to resist the devil and when we resist, he will flee from us. Each time a temptation to do wrong comes your way, think quickly - RESIST!

It is God's will for the unmarried to stay away from sex until marriage. Marriage is the institution that HE established for sex and for family life.

God bless you.

ROMANS 6
1What should we say, then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2Of course not! How can we who died as far as sin is concerned go on living in it?

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiah Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore, through baptism we were buried with him into his death so that, just as the Messiah was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too may live an entirely new life. 5For if we have become united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old natures were crucified with him so that our sin-laden bodies might be rendered powerless and we might no longer be slaves to sin. 7For the person who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we have died with the Messiah, we believe that we will also live with him, 9for we know that the Messiah, who was raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God. 11In the same way, you too must continuously consider yourselves dead as far as sin is concerned, but living for God through the Messiah Jesus.

12Therefore, do not let sin rule your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. 13Stop offering the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace.

1What should we say, then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2Of course not! How can we who died as far as sin is concerned go on living in it?

3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiaha Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore, through baptism we were buried with him into his death so that, just as the Messiahb was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too may live an entirely new life. 5For if we have become united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old natures were crucified with him so that our sin-laden bodies might be rendered powerless and we might no longer be slaves to sin. 7For the person who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we have died with the Messiah,c we believe that we will also live with him, 9for we know that the Messiah,d who was raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God. 11In the same way, you too must continuously consider yourselves dead as far as sin is concerned, but living for God through the Messiahe Jesus.f

12Therefore, do not let sin rule your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. 13Stop offeringg the parts of your bodyh to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your bodyi as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace.

1What should we say, then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2Of course not! How can we who died as far as sin is concerned go on living in it?

3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiaha Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore, through baptism we were buried with him into his death so that, just as the Messiahb was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too may live an entirely new life. 5For if we have become united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old natures were crucified with him so that our sin-laden bodies might be rendered powerless and we might no longer be slaves to sin. 7For the person who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we have died with the Messiah,c we believe that we will also live with him, 9for we know that the Messiah,d who was raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God. 11In the same way, you too must continuously consider yourselves dead as far as sin is concerned, but living for God through the Messiahe Jesus.f

12Therefore, do not let sin rule your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. 13Stop offeringg the parts of your bodyh to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your bodyi as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace.

15What, then, does this mean? Should we go on sinning because we are not under Law but under grace? Of course not! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey-either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thank God that, though you were once slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching with which you were entrusted! 18And since you have been freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.

19I am speaking in simple terms because of the frailty of your human nature. Just as you once offered the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater disobedience, so now, in the same way, you must offer the parts of your body as slaves to righteousness that leads to sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were "free" as far as righteousness was concerned. 21What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and have become God's slaves, the benefit you reap is sanctification, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiah Jesus our Lord.

19I am speaking in simplek terms because of the frailty of your human nature.l Just as you once offered the parts of your bodym as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater disobedience, so now, in the same way, you must offer the parts of your bodyn as slaves to righteousness that leads to sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were “free” as far as righteousness was concerned. 21What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and have become God’s slaves, the benefit you reap is sanctification, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiaho Jesus our Lord.

19I am speaking in simplek terms because of the frailty of your human nature.l Just as you once offered the parts of your bodym as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater disobedience, so now, in the same way, you must offer the parts of your bodyn as slaves to righteousness that leads to sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were “free” as far as righteousness was concerned. 21What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and have become God’s slaves, the benefit you reap is sanctification, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiaho Jesus our Lord.

Revelation 20:12:
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.


Hebrews 10:26 - 31:
26For if we choose to go on sinning after we have learned the full truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but only a terrifying prospect of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who violates the Law of Moses dies without mercy "on the testimony of two or three witnesses". 29How much more severe a punishment do you think that person deserves who tramples on God's Son, treats as common the blood of the covenant by which it was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace? 30For we know the one who said, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will pay them back", and again, "The Lord will judge his people". 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

Revelation 20:12:
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.


Hebrews 10: 26- 31:
26For if we choose to go on sinning after we have learned the full truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but only a terrifying prospect of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who violates the Law of Moses dies without mercy "on the testimony of two or three witnesses." 29How much more severe a punishment do you think that person deserves who tramples on God's Son, treats as common the blood of the covenant by which it was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace? 30For we know the one who said, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will pay them back," and again, "The Lord will judge his people". 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (below):
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

1Corrinthians 7:9, which I reproduce below:
"But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion".

I decided to check up the meaning of masturbation/what it means to masturbate. Below is what I found:
1. "stimulate one's genitals with one's hand for sexual pleasure.

2. "stimulate the genitals of (someone) to give them sexual pleasure.

3. "Masturbation is when people touch their own bodies for sexual pleasure".

4. "The touching of one's own body, especially the genitals, for sexual pleasure"

I would like to ask the question, what may have happened in a person's mind and thoughts and feelings before getting into masturbation?

Masturbation is lust. The bible calls lust a sin.

If this was a response to my post, I actually thought the bit I was responding to was posted by SassyEuro...

I did remember reading a post from her to the guy who initiated the thread on Bible alteration attempt...maybe that was in general religion forum. But that's what I meant!

And yes in a previous post on another thread, I did ask a guy who was more or less advertising free sex and saying nobody knows except the two, to provide Bible support.

This is a Christian forum and if you are asking me to do anything as a Christian, I would ask you to support your guidance with scripture. And yes, I still do think, the Bible is the basis for Christian fellowship and Christian interaction! And also, yes...if there is something about the Bible that is the basis for my faith, I should like to know!

Okay...now reading this ...that the thread was deleted, I have a better understanding: I actually was asking myself what happened to the other posts I had read before on this thread...I do remember you apologizing.

I think it is critical information for Bible believers (this is a Christian forum and Bible is relevant here): it is important to have information on what's going on!

And for your information, the following verses of the Bible are relevant:

Luke 8:17:
"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open".

Ecclesiastes 12:14:
"God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad".

Maybe it will help if you explain what you mean by "bless a marriage in the church". Do you mean already married couple going to Church to bless an already existing union or do you mean an unmarried pair getting married in Church as a way to get blessing? Your post sounds like the former but I wanted to ask to be sure!

Says what verse of the Bible???

This is a Christian forum!