CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE
Prov. 18:22
"He who finds a
wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD."
It is almost Valentine’s Day, so
it seems like an appropriate time to take a moment to think about relationships
between husbands and wives. Now the reader needs to understand from the outset,
I am going to write about Christian marriages. Not all marriages are Christian,
you know. Having the wedding ceremony in a church doesn’t make a marriage
Christian. Having a pastor rather than a judge perform the ceremony doesn’t
make a marriage Christian either. No, a man and a woman united by their love
for Christ and committed to love and serve each other with His help - that is a
Christian marriage.
Christian marriages can begin when Christians marry, or when a
married couple begins to trust and serve the Lord Jesus. Here’s the thing;
being a Christian means that we relate to God - we have fellowship with Him and
we find acceptance from Him - through Jesus Christ. Jesus said: "I am
the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me” (Jn. 24:6). You see, a right relationship with God is available ONLY
through faith in Christ. A Christian marriage follows the same pattern in that
it depends upon the centrality of Christ. The husband and wife have fellowship
with one another and find acceptance from one another THROUGH THEIR FAITH IN THE
LORD JESUS.
God has two fundamental purposes for uniting believers in marriage.
The first is so that they can be helpers and encouragers to one another.
Remember, everything in creation was pronounced “good” until man was
created alone. Of this God said, “It is not good” (Gen. 2:18). His
solution “I will create a helper for him.” God’s second purpose for
marriage is found in Mal. 2:15: “Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh
and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring.”
It is in the greenhouse of the Christian family that a godly next generation is
best nurtured.
FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICES FOR CHRISTIAN COUPLES (adapted from The Complete Marriages Workbook)
· Commit fully to Christ and to one another
· Go to church together weekly
· Pray out loud together daily
· Be faithful
· Don’t leave conflicts unresolved
· Love unselfishly
· Speak honestly but lovingly
· Be best friends
· Cultivate mutual interests / follow mutual dreams
· Work together toward financial security
Pastor Keith Andrews