Articles
Marriage and Our Relationship with God
Is God’s standard of lifelong fidelity in marriage unreasonable (Mt. 19.4-6, 9)? Society laments this expectation, and it is heartbreaking to listen to them say so. The truth is, there is something wonderful in God’s marriage standard that helps us learn a great spiritual lesson!
Marriage is not meant to be an end in itself. In fact, there is a symbiotic relationship between the marriage covenant and God’s covenant with His people. Marriage informs us about God’s relationship with His people, and God’s relationship with His people helps us better understand marriage.
Paul shares with us this dual message in Eph. 5.21-23 as he instructs about the husband and wife union while at the same time provides significant teaching about Christ and His church.
Understanding that the marriage relationship is the closest of any on earth: “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2.24), it serves as an example to help us see just how close He is with us!
It is here that we then understand the importance of a husband and wife’s lifelong commitment to each other: marriage between two people is a mirror reflection of just how faithful God is to us!
It is so important to Him that we recognize this, He created that lifelong standard of marriage - it serves a purpose not only in our own faithfulness to each other, but also as the example of His faithfulness to us all.
“What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mk. 10.9).
