Honor Marriage

Scripture: Hebrews 13:4

Day 1: Honor Marriage Because God Honors It

We live in a time when marriage is dishonored in several ways. From the beginning, Satan has tried to destroy and redefine this holy institution ordained by God. But he has not succeeded and will never be able to if we, as a body of Christ, continue to honor God’s design for marriage.

The triune God – The Father, Jesus & The Holy Spirit teach us to honor marriage through their example.

• God honors marriage – Yes, God the Father honored marriage by creating both man & woman in His image and declaring them as husband & wife. God also gave them the blueprint for marriage and blessed them. In Malachi 2:14, we read that God honors marriage by being the Witness at the wedding (Genesis 1:27; Malachi 2:14)
• Jesus Christ honored marriage – Jesus was present at a wedding in Cana. When His mother informed him about the lack of wine, He performed His first miracle there – turning water into wine (John 2). Jesus honored marriage by using the wedding picture in quite a few parables to teach the profound truth about the Kingdom of God. Even when Jesus was questioned about marriage & divorce, He quoted scriptures honoring God’s design for marriage.
• The Holy Spirit honors marriage – The Spirit of God has an active role in our marriage since God has put a remnant of His Spirit in making the man and the woman one. (Malachi 2:14)

To honor means to regard something as priceless or valuable. In his epistle to the Church at Ephesus, Paul gives a greater meaning and value to marriage by saying that marriage is a mystery that reveals the love relationship between Christ & His bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:22-29). We, as the bride of Jesus, are called to honor marriage.

As a body of Christ, we can honor marriage by aligning ourselves with God’s heart for marriage and rejecting the world’s view of marriage. God’s blueprint for marriage has lasted thousands of years and will last until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for blessing mankind with the gift of marriage. Forgive us for taking marriage lightly by assuming it to be just a relationship between two people. Help us, Spirit of God, to honor marriage by aligning ourselves to what Your Word says about it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture: Proverbs 2:17

Day 2: Honor Marriage Because It Is A COVENANT

We see in the Old Testament God making several Covenants with a man of His choice or a people of His choice. God always initiated the Covenant with His promises. We see God as both a Covenant-making God & a Covenant-keeping God.

Marriage is also a Covenant. God expects the man & the woman who are entering into the Marriage Covenant to not just be Covenant makers but also Covenant keepers just like Him. In both ways, we honor marriage and the God of the Covenant Marriage.

Marriage Covenant can be represented as a triangle, with the man and the woman in the two base corners and God at the apex. The two lines on the sides can represent the Covenant relationship that the man & woman have with God – this relationship begins when they accept Jesus as their personal Savior. The baseline represents the Marriage Covenant they enter on their wedding day, with God, family & friends as witnesses. Therefore, the marriage union is first a spiritual union.

In Malachi 2:11, God calls marriage a sanctuary. Sanctuary means the dwelling place of God. When both husband & wife are believers, their marriage becomes the dwelling place of God. Many of us do not acknowledge or realize that God is present in our marriage union. Ecclesiastes 4:12 reads, ‘a threefold cord is not quickly broken.’ And the Holy Spirit is the strand that strengthens the union between the husband and wife.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for being part of our marriage. Help us to make our marriage Your dwelling place. Jesus, we enthrone You as the head of our home and seek Your guidance in all we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture: Malachi 2:11, Matthew 19:6, Malachi 2:16, Luke 16:18, Hebrews 13:4, Malachi 2:15, Romans 11:36

Day 3: The ‘5 – P’ Explanation of a Marriage Covenant

The Marriage Covenant encompass five key principles. Let us examine them in the light of our own marriage.

1. Presence of God – God in the marriage. Marriage is not just the union of a man & a woman – God becomes part of the marriage covenant (Malachi 2:14). Therefore, He is present in the marriage. In Malachi 2:11, God calls marriage a sanctuary. Sanctuary means the dwelling place of God. When both husband & wife are believers, their marriage becomes the dwelling place of God.
2. Permanent union – Jesus, while answering the Pharisees on their question about divorce, went on to say that marriage is a union that God brings about, so man has no right to break it (Matthew 19:6). Moreover, in Malachi 2:16, we read that God hates divorce and marrying someone else when the spouse is alive is adultery – Luke 16:18.
3. Pure & Holy – Marriage is holy – (Hebrews 13:4). Keeping the marriage bed undefiled is the duty of both husband & wife. Unfaithfulness/adultery of a husband or wife defiles the marriage bed & dishonors it. Self-gratification, in various ways, defiles and dishonors God’s holy institution – marriage.
4. Purpose – Marriage has a purpose. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever.” Romans 11:36. Marriage also should therefore be through Him and for Him and reflect His glory.
5. Powerful – The Presence of the Holy Spirit in marriage makes the marriage powerful (Malachi 2:15). Holy Spirit is the Counsellor, Guide, healing power & supernatural power at work in the marriage.

Entering the Covenant Marriage entitles us to every Covenant Blessing mentioned in the Bible.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for being part of the Covenant Marriage. Help us to honor marriage by keeping it holy. Beautify our marriage with Your presence and enrich our marriage with Your power. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Scripture: Romans 12:10

Day 4: Honor Marriage as Husband and Wife

Husband and wife honor marriage by recognizing that their Marriage relationship is precious in the sight of God. They must be willing to protect, respect, and treasure it as a precious gift from God. Especially when there is a kind of dryness in marriage or when things are not how they used to be, both husband and wife, without waiting for the other, should be willing to remind one another about their invaluable Covenant relationship. Today many allow apathy to settle in marriage and assume that it is natural to feel that way. No – this is a lie of the enemy, which has driven many to say goodbye to the one they had promised to live with until death do them part.

Husband and wife honor marriage when they believe God created both man & woman as equal in Christ. We do not have to feel threatened by the differences we have. Our differences are there to complement & complete each other. Hence, we do not compete with each other.

Husband and wife honor marriage when they leave their parents & cleave one to another, thus becoming “ONE FLESH.” This process of leaving requires both husband and wife to step out of their parental covering and come under the covering of God (1 Corinthians 11:3). The process of becoming One-flesh is initiated by God on the day of the wedding – “who therefore God has joined together” and must be intentionally worked on thereafter.

Husband and wife honor marriage when they keep their marriage bed undefiled – Hebrews 13:4. Marriage is a sanctuary of God (Malachi 2:11 NIV); therefore, keeping it holy is of great importance. Any intimate friendship /relationship with the opposite or same sex is emotional adultery and marital unfaithfulness – Matthew 5:28. Such relationships may begin as an innocent, casual friendship but soon becomes a foothold for the enemy to defile the marriage bed and destroy the marriage (John 10:10a). Husband and wife must also remember that self-gratification is adultery (with oneself) and an act of unfaithfulness toward your spouse.

Finally honoring marriage means honoring one another. Your spouse is God’s gift to you – “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22. When did you last thank God for your spouse? We tend to take each other for granted, especially after the children arrive. But we must remember that our children will fly off the nest soon. Our investment in our marriage relationship would help us live a life of contentment and peace even in our old age.

Let us decide to honor marriage by not just staying in it but by actively honoring the relationship. Remember, by doing so, we are honoring the God of our marriage. Through our God–honoring marriage, God will be glorified.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for my spouse, a precious and good gift from You. Forgive me for taking her/him for granted. Forgive me for defiling my marriage bed, Precious Jesus. I pray You would cleanse me and my marriage bed with Your precious blood and make it holy. I thank You, Lord, for sanctifying me and my marriage. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:22, Ephesians 5:25

Day 5: Husband and Wife Taking Up Their God-Given Roles Honors Marriage

Today the world and culture are deciding what men and women should do in marriage. But the role and responsibilities that God’s word teaches hold good universally. Therefore, we need to know what God’s word says.

In Genesis, God calls Adam to tend and protect the garden of Eden. When God created Eve, He did not give her Eden Garden #2 to care for but asked her only to be a helper suitable for Adam. Since the first marriage failed because of sin, marriage lost its originality. But the Last Adam – Jesus not only redeemed and restored the fallen man, but He also redeemed and restored what the enemy had stolen from the marriage. In his epistles, Paul clarifies the role and responsibility of husband and wife in marriage.

Role of Husband: He is to demonstrate the love of Jesus toward his wife.

He can do so in the following ways:

• Provider – The husband is called to provide for his wife and children (1 Timothy 5:8). He can’t afford to babysit and ask his wife to provide for the family. The world calls it role reversal – when did God reverse it?
• Protector – The husband is called to protect his wife emotionally (1 Peter 3:7), physically and spiritually. He must be careful not to abuse her through words or actions. He should not abdicate his responsibilities to his wife and make her feel stressed and insecure.
• Priest– The husband is called to be a spiritual leader of his family (Ephesians 5:26,27). He should initiate and care for the spiritual atmosphere in the home. He must be willing to set boundaries and correct ungodly actions.
• Lover– The husband’s ministry of love & service begins at home. He should demonstrate the love of Jesus by being a true lover.

Role of Wife: She is called to submit as to Jesus.

• Submit – Some women get offended when they hear the word submit. Men and women think that submission makes women inferior to men. No, submission is basically acknowledging and accepting the God-given headship role of her husband (Ephesians 5:22, 23). It also means that the wife organizes herself under the leadership of her husband.
• Respect & Honor – This means that she considers her husband important and gives importance to what he says. It also means she values and admires him (Ephesians 5:33; 1 Peter 3:1,2). She must honor him with her words as well. Respect and honor begin in the heart.
• Helper suitable – She stands with him, supports him, and helps him become what God intended. She gives him Godly wisdom and counsel through her daily walk with God. She runs the home wisely, being a good steward of what God provides for the family through her husband (Proverbs 31:10-27)
• Lover – Her ministry of love & service begins at home (Titus 2:4)

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I can’t fulfil my role without Your help. I need Your wisdom to be a Godly husband/wife. Holy Spirit of God, grant me discernment to know what is right and best for my family. In Jesus’ name, I ask. Amen.