Are They Legit In God's Eyes?
 

I work with a lady who had a marriage cermony officiated by a preacher. The couple did not get a marriage license. Reasons for not getting a marriage license are irrelevant, but the question is are they married or are they not? Would you consider this a legitimate marriage or are they living in sin?

The first question I would ask is why did they not get a marriage license??

Until they have one, they are not legally married, and something in me says that God is not pleased. Jesus said "render unto Caesar the thinks that belong to Caesar".

Married by a preacher is the same in God's eyes regardless of what the government says. The preacher does have the power granted by the state to do a marriage. After all, the marriage ceremony is a covenant made before the Lord.

Does a person need a baptismal certificate to validate his baptism?

Without a marriage license, the state really has no right to disperse the goods during a divorce. Same reason why people used to refuse social security numbers. Without the SSN, the government doesn't own your child.

Nevada recognizes Common-law marriage. Living together means 50% ownership. Other states like California forbid it, and require either a marriage license or Declaration of Co-habitation from the State.

If they are not Legally bound to ownership, no I do not think they were really married.

Not that they cannot get a license.

True..

Your post was in response to a concern that they weren't "legally married".

Indeed they are not. And all that means is that, in legal matters, they will not be recognized as married. It only means that they are not recongnized as married in the legal system.

It has no bearing whatsoever on their state of being married as they have made these vows before God. It only means that they have not subjected themselves to the negatives nor will they enjoy the positives of being recognized within the legal system as married.

On the "render unto Ceaser" statement that was made in another post...

Render unto Ceaser is to pay him what is demanded. For instance...if a tax is owed then you need to pay it.

Rendering unto Ceaser has nothing to do with registering your marriage with said government. The government does not REQUIRE you to register your marriage with them.

We, indeed, do so much "just because we're 'sposed to" without giving it any good thought.

In order to be considered married by the government, you do need to register your marriage. So God is happy with a person that has a ceremony, but leaves the authority over them looking at them as not legally married while they start living together?


I would still question why someone does not want to make their marriage legal.

Oops, I voted yes, but meant to vote no.

Let's say they are married by an Apostolic preacher in an Apostolic church ... they are ministering in various capacities... and also have 3 kids ... but they never registered because of negligence and then because they wanted to be able to collect welfare ... and reporting 2 incomes would be unbeneficial ....

Of course ... the latter act is condemnable but is their marriage not recognized by God ??? I say it is.