Good Morning Friends,
“Jesus replied. ‘But at the beginning of creation God “made
them male and female.” “For this reason
a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two
will become one flesh.” So they are no
longer two, but one. Therefore what God
has joined together, let man not separate.’” (Mark 10:5-9)
Marriage originated in God’s mind. It was God’s plan that a man and a woman were
designed to live together in a lifelong relationship of commitment,
partnership, and love.
Problems in marriage relationships go all the
way back into the Garden of Eden. In the
first marriage, Eve tempted Adam to follow her in straying from obedience to
God and Adam failed to warn and protect Eve from the serpent. They ended up hurting each other instead of
standing together to help each other follow the Lord.
Marriage problems have continued from that
day until this. In the Old Testament
there was polygamy, adultery, and divorce.
These are just some of the horrendous problems that existed in some of
the marriages recorded in that era. In
the New Testament we still read of divorce, adultery and other marriage
problems -- even in letters written to those who had come into relationship
with Jesus.
Where do all of these problems come
from? The Bible teaches that they arise
from sin, selfishness, and hardness of heart.
Jesus is calling His followers back to God’s
original design for marriage.
He is calling us to purity – expressed in the
concept of being one flesh, not allowing anything or anyone to mar the marriage
relationship.
He is calling us to commitment – expressed in
the statement that nothing should be able to separate a husband and wife.
He is calling us to unity – a bond so
complete that a husband and wife always stand with each other, helping each
other in every way possible – physically, emotionally, spiritually – helping
each other become more like God wants us to be.
That is God’s design for marriage. That was God’s plan for how marriage should
work when He created it. That is still
how marriage will work best to accomplish what God wants to accomplish through
it in our lives.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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