Marriage is a covenant of a lifetime. It is the foundation of
a family, and a family is a small church of Christ. It is the family that is
the meaning and purpose of marriage.
Marriage between a man and woman is the specific design and
plan of God.
God created the man and all the animals. Adam names them and realizes that there is none among them that will fill his longing for relationship and love. So, the Lord creates Eve out of the body of Adam. Then the Lord tells this husband and wife to hold the image of him together and be His representatives to "fill the earth and subdue it, and to rule over it." They are given a job to do and will work together as a team to fulfill it. All is good, and then comes sin. Sin has been the problem of marriages ever since. Genesis 3 tell us that sin brought fear to relationships, blaming, lying, blame-shifting, a distorted view of God and that's not all. Women would now have pain in childbirth and an unholy longing for their husband. The husband would now rule over his wife as a despot. We see this scenario played out throughout the ages and across societal lines.
God created the man and all the animals. Adam names them and realizes that there is none among them that will fill his longing for relationship and love. So, the Lord creates Eve out of the body of Adam. Then the Lord tells this husband and wife to hold the image of him together and be His representatives to "fill the earth and subdue it, and to rule over it." They are given a job to do and will work together as a team to fulfill it. All is good, and then comes sin. Sin has been the problem of marriages ever since. Genesis 3 tell us that sin brought fear to relationships, blaming, lying, blame-shifting, a distorted view of God and that's not all. Women would now have pain in childbirth and an unholy longing for their husband. The husband would now rule over his wife as a despot. We see this scenario played out throughout the ages and across societal lines.
Genesis 3: 16
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy
sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shall bring forth children; and THY
DESIRE SHALL BE TO THY HUSBAND, AND HE SHALL RULE OVER THEE”
And then came Christ.
Christ is bringing reconciliation to all things and that includes Christian marriages. With Christ as the center of marriage, both partners can submit to one another and help each other. They can get back to the business of representing the Lord on earth and working as a team, learn to love one another as the Lord would and to build communication and conflict skills to deal with the issues that arise from living in a fallen world and having a sin nature still intact.
And then came Christ.
Christ is bringing reconciliation to all things and that includes Christian marriages. With Christ as the center of marriage, both partners can submit to one another and help each other. They can get back to the business of representing the Lord on earth and working as a team, learn to love one another as the Lord would and to build communication and conflict skills to deal with the issues that arise from living in a fallen world and having a sin nature still intact.
2 Corinthians 5: 15
“And that He died for all, that they which live should
not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose
again”
Ephesians 5: 21
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God”
Epesians4: 29
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto
the hearers”
For
anyone to have a successful marriage the person must first grow in the
knowledge of God, His Son and the Holy Spirit and all of His ways before
entering into marriage relationship. And the only way to grow in God’s
knowledge is to first be saved by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and
be filled with the Holy Spirit. And secondly, by reading and studying the Bible
because in it, God has put all of the spiritual knowledge that we will ever
need about Him.
John 15: 5
“I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing”
2 Timothy 2: 15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
Colossians 3: 16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord”
1 Samuel 2 : 9b
“…………………..; for by strength shall no man prevail”
Many
people believe that to survive in the world a person must be tough, strong,
unbending and harsh. But God said it is not by our strength or by force but His
Spirit. It is only through God’s Spirit that anything of lasting values can be
accomplished.
As you
live for God, determine not to trust in your own strength or abilities.
Instead, depend on God and work in the power of His spirit.
