Marriage God’s Way

Marriage God’s Way

            Marriage is not just a legal contract between a man and a woman, but is a spiritual contract between two born again believers and God.  The Noah Webster 1828 dictionary defines marriage as the act of joining a man and a woman for life.  This is a similar joining as in 1 Corinthians 6:17, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”  The word joined means to be connected, to couple, united, set, or fasten together.  God ordained marriage to be prosperous and successful, but many marriages never experience what God intended for them. 

We know that in Genesis 1:26 God said, “let us make man in our image.”  The Bible goes on to say that God created male and female, and in Genesis 2:18, “the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.”  Complimentary is defined in the Noah Webster 1828 dictionary as one who is skilled in compliments.  In verse 28 God told them to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.”  That means to have authority over it.  In fact, the devil can only have power and authority over marriages if it is given to him.  Ephesians 4:27 says to give no place to the devil.  The devil would love to come in and break up the union that God has ordained to subdue the earth.

One key ingredient to having a Godly marriage is submission.  When a husband and a wife unite in marriage, they become heirs together of the grace of life.  The word “together” means to be in or enter into a union.  Many people believe in this union that husbands should rule over their wives.  But, in Ephesians 5:21 we are told to submit ourselves to one another in the fear of God.  The Living Bible says to honor Christ by submitting to each other.  We’ll talk more about honor in just a moment, but as we read on, verse 22 says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”  Then, according to verse 25, the husband must be willing to give his life for his wife the same way that Christ gave his life for the church.  A marriage is not supposed to be a fight of dominion between the husband and wife.  It is meant to be a husband and wife yielding and submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Let’s talk about that word “honor” now.  Jesus said in John 8:54, “if I honor myself, my honor is nothing.”  Along with submitting to each other, husbands and wives must also honor each other.  Look at what 1 Peter 3:7 says:   “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”  The Noah Webster 1828 definition of the word “honor” is to treat with great consideration and to regard highly.  When husbands treat their wives with great consideration and regard them highly, his prayers will have a great impact on the kingdom of heaven.

There is also a spiritual power of agreement in the union of marriage.  Deuteronomy 32:30 says that “One can put a thousand to flight, but two can put 10,000 to flight.”  The power of agreement seen here is ten times as powerful as standing alone.  We see a similar thing in Matthew 18:18-20:  “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”  When husbands and wives come into agreement, Jesus is right in the middle of their marriage.