Marriage With A Divine Purpose

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

When God created marriage; He did so with a purpose and a plan. The plan is good and not evil, it is full of hope and a glorious posterity for His people. God instructs His people in the promise that this plan is good and He does so through His word. Since God manufactured marriage it would be wise for the married to take heed to His instructions, which are outlined in the Bible. These instructions don’t begin, however, with a man as a husband and a woman as a wife, it begins with men and women alike being children of God. That relationship is vital and without it, people are left with vanity. With it, however, all things are possible, including a blessed lasting marriage! That is the will of God for every married couple God joined together. Therefore, without further due; let us delve deep into God’s will for marriage.

For any successful marriage, and for any successful life at all, we need God. We need to receive the love of God. We also need God to be first place in our lives. Jesus said it this way, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” The “kingdom of God” is justice, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. “His righteousness” is explained like this, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Romans 3:21) and in another place it is written, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

Additionally, the word of God declares, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteousness act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5:17-18). Thus, when we make the justice, joy and peace of God and His righteousness a first priority in our lives we are doing what Jesus instructed us to do.

I know that often times in society we hear the concept of, “ladies first” but I will begin this discussion with men because when God was creating humanity; He created man first. God lovingly gives husbands instructions concerning their wives. God says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church” (Ephesians 5:25-29, Emphasis Mine). Notably, God doesn’t just say that husbands you are to love your wives, but rather He instructs husbands to love their wives “just as” Christ loved the church. This means, exactly how Jesus loves the church a husband by the grace of God should love his wife. Christ loved the church while the church was still imperfect and in sin, and He loved her so much just the way she was, flaws and all, that He died for her. This is unconditional sacrificial love. Husbands, by the grace of God you can love your wife just like Christ loved the church, because God would not tell you to do something that He didn’t first enable you to do. And when husbands love their wives like Christ loved the church, they see the results of the power of that love in her life.

God has given wives instructions as well regarding marriage. It is written, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:22-24, Emphasis Mine). Notably, God tell wives to submit to their husbands “as to the Lord.” Therefore, a wife who submits to her husband in this way will reflect like a mirror how she submits herself to the Lord. I imagine some wives may be afraid to submit to their husbands, because of decisions they have made, but in doing so you are following God’s lead and He won’t lead you wrong. Wives, if you have serious concerns about the consequence of submitting to your husband in this manner as God for His wisdom to obey His word and be divinely protected while He works on your husband.

When married couples follow God’s instructions they have a blessed marriage. This doesn’t mean that storms won’t come; it does mean however that when it does, your marriage is on a solid foundation, the Word of Almighty God, and it won’t fail or falter; it will only get stronger!