DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MARRIAGE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – MARRIAGE

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Ephesians 5:30-32).

There seems to be much confusion in our culture about marriage. Some have perverted it, some have dismissed it, some have abandoned it. But the Scripture remains firm: Marriage is a God-ordained relationship between a man and a woman as they become one in commitment, in heart, and in physical union. Inside that structure there is a paradigm of a man loving his wife and the wife respecting her husband. That seems pretty straightforward.

But for the Christian, there is another level of the relationship that goes beyond the physical union. It is a spiritual union, and it is a demonstration of Christ and His Church. Marriage illustrates the union of believers – the bride – and the Lord Jesus. So, in the same way that Jesus loved the Church, so a man is to love his wife, and nourish and protect her. This is agape love just that is not limited to emotional love, but is a love that will lay down his life for someone.

The word "respect" is the Greek word phobia which means fear or reverential respect, just as we are to fear God with reverential respect.

This is the picture of marriage: The husband loves the wife just as Christ loved the Church – willing to lay down His life for us. And the wife is love her husband just we are to fear God with reverential respect. When we disparage marriage, we are also disparaging the relationship of Christ and His church.

This is God's plan for the marriage relationship.

Love, Dad