Marriage is viewed differently by different people. However, God established the biblical covenant of marriage from the beginning of time. This three-day study guides you through the meaning and biblical points of marriage, guiding principles, and the divine intent behind it while encouraging you to regard God even as you strive to love your spouse.
Evans Francis
Day 1
Scriptures: Genesis 2:23-24, Mark 10:9, Ecclesiastes 4:12
Meaning and Biblical Points of Marriage
The divine institution of marriage is recorded in Genesis. Then said Adam, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called woman because, from the man, she was taken.” He established marriage as a very special union between a man and a woman to serve as the foundation for the family (Genesis 1:27, 28; 2:18).
“Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24). God created man and then made woman to complement him. In the Bible, marriage is God’s solution to the fact that “it is not good for man to be alone”(Genesis 2:18). Also, through marriage, God prevents humanity from becoming a confused multitude of scattered individuals; it is thus organized on the basis of the family.
To God, marriage is a permanent union. When a man and a woman marry, they promise to be loyal to each other and to be together as long as they live. God expects every Christian to keep that promise (Mark 10:9). Eve was created to be by Adam’s side as his “other half,” to be his aid and help. A man and a woman, when they marry, become “one flesh.” This unity is most fully manifested in the physical union of sexual intimacy. The New Testament adds a caveat to this unity: “So, they are no longer two, but one flesh; therefore, what God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6).
However, marriage was not only invented by God but also belongs to Him. He has sole rights to its design, purpose, and goals. In fact, there is more to Him than you, me, and our spouses. That’s how it is. Marriage is not about my partner or me first. Obviously, the man and the woman are an essential part, but at the same time, they are secondary. God is the most important character in a marriage. Marriage is for our good, but first, it is for the glory of God.
It may sound strange or surprising, or difficult for you to accept, but it is a vital truth for every married Christian couple. A church ceremony may inject religious formalities into a wedding, but making God the authority in marriage is a daily reality.
I pray we all see marriage to be for the glory of God, even as husbands and wives grow in love daily.
Day 2
Scriptures: Ephesians 4:26, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 15:17, Luke 6:37
Principles of Marriage
We cannot ignore that God views marriage as a highly exalted and sacred relationship! As Christians, we’ll quickly see that the Bible contains some very important truths and principles that will lead us in the right direction. Whether we are single or married, God has endowed all people with the capacity to flourish and enjoy life! For those of us who have decided to get married, do we not hope for a happy life that will inspire us to commit to loving and caring for each other “until death do us part”?
The Bible shows us some principles that we can incorporate into marriage to improve it day by day and to achieve marital success:
·Sometimes it is better to take time, breathe, and let the anger go. The word of God encourages us to resolve the conflict before going to sleep angry. Never go to sleep without resolving an argument. Don’t let anger get the better of you (Ephesians 4.26).
·A quiet tongue is a tree of life, but perversity is a broken spirit. (Proverbs 15.4). Try to say something positive to your partner every day. It will be a joy to the soul and maintain a friendly relationship between you.
·Thank God for your partner daily and support each other when adversity knocks on your door. Be happy in the good times and the bad (Proverbs 15.17). “Better is a meal of vegetables where there is love, than a fattened ox where there is hatred.”
·Forgive each other and commit to not making the same mistakes. It is useless to bring up any grudges from the past, especially if any of them affects the present. “Forgive others, and you will be forgiven,” Jesus said in Luke 6:37.
·Let the deepest love you have for each other be the main guide that leads you to a wonderful and prosperous future in marriage. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its way, says Corinthians 13:13.
·The path of marriage tests our limits, but it teaches us to be better people every day and to feel that we can overcome every possible obstacle if we walk hand in hand. After all, who can deny that love is the most powerful force in the universe? And if that love follows the path of God, it will always be invincible. I pray that married couples live according to the principles of marriage in their everyday life.
Day 3
Scriptures: Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:18, 1 Corinthians 11:11, Matthew 28:18-20
God’s Purpose for Marriage
What is the purpose of marriage? The Bible has a lot to say about it. Marriage was instituted in the dispensation of innocence and is therefore a holy institution. However, there are three major purposes for marriage which will give your marriage a sense of direction, inner stability, and the stamp of God’s design, making your marriage far above the ordinary. It will stand out from other relationships, and be on a higher spiritual plane.
First Purpose: After God created the earth and the animals, He said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). And God created man in His image; in the image of God, a male and a female were created. The Hebrew word “mirror” means to magnify, exalt, and glorify God. Your marriage should reflect God’s image to this world that so badly needs to see who He is. And since we are created in His image, the people who do not know who God is can know Him through us.
Second Purpose: Complete each other and experience fellowship. The Scriptures point to a second purpose for marriage: mutual completion. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). Adam felt isolated in the Garden, so God created woman to remove his loneliness. Paul refers to what he learned in Genesis 2 by writing, “But neither is man without woman, nor woman without man, in the Lord;” (1 Corinthians 11:11). You need each other. You recognize that now.
Third Purpose: To multiply the legacy of God. A line of Christian descendants, in this case, your children, will carry a reflection of God’s character to the next generation. Your plans to have children may still be in the future, but if He gives you a child, you will have a wonderful adventure. Jesus Christ commands us to preach the gospel to all nations in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. Many couples today seem to be raising their children without a sense of direction and any mission in life.
Your marriage is much more important than you may have imagined because it affects God’s reputation on this planet. That is why you must choose Jesus Christ as the builder of your home. The advice of the word of God is the most effective.