Living Together Before Marriage a Statistical Risk – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=27699

“Does living together before marriage increase the chances for a successful marriage? The answer may surprise some. Between 50 and 60 percent of all marriages begin with the two partners cohabitating, and many of those couples no doubt believe they are making a wise move up front. But living together before marriage actually increases the chances of divorce in a first marriage -- 67 percent of cohabitating couples who marry eventually divorce, compared to 45 percent of all first marriages.”

Commentary

While we do not need statistics to affirm the truth of Scripture as we accept it on faith, such statistics do point out that the world does not have the answers. Everything is an issue of worldview. All worldviews that seek answers to life’s issues apart from God will always get it wrong as all such thinking is an act of rebellious independence from God and futile (Rom. 1:18f). God must be brought into the equation to provide a reasonable explanation for our experience and to supply answers for the problems we experience.

Couples do have problems. The world focuses on compatibility, living together to see if things are going to work out, prenuptial agreements, and “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch my back” scenarios for marriage improvement (which is actually nothing more than a focus on self). The bible focuses on a covenant grounded in God’s covenant; compatibility derived from complementary dynamics brought to the marriage combined with the putting off of selfish sin; sacrificial, service-oriented, and other-focused love; and a life-long commitment adherent in such things with an acknowledgement throughout that we self-centered individuals need a power outside of ourselves to accomplish this in our lives.

In the process, the gospel of redeeming and reconciling grace is put on display. It is the power and grace of God alone that can prevent us from finding ourselves on the wrong side of the statistical chart.