THE VALUE OF MARRIAGE
EPHESIANS 5:21-34
I WANT TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE VALUE OF MARRIAGE. THE TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN FACING ATTACK FROM MANY FRONTS IN RECENT YEARS. SOME HOLLYWOOD MARRIAGES ONLY LAST A FEW HOURS AND THEY GET ALL THE PUBLICITY, BUT THE ONES THAT HAVE LASTED SEVERAL YEARS ARE OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE. I GUESS PEOPLE LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT TURMOIL.
I’VE KNOWN OF MARRIAGES THAT HAVE LASTED LESS THAN A YEAR, AND SOME COUPLES WHERE BREAK-UPS HAVE OCCURRED AFTER MORE THAN 20 YEARS. PRESENTLY THE DIVORCE RATE IS AT APPROXIMATELY 50%, AND WITH THE SECULARIZATION OF SOCIETY WILL GO HIGHER, SHOULD PEOPLE CHOOSE TO MARRY AT ALL. ALSO SIGNIFICANT IS THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF DIVORCE AMONG “CHRISTIANS” IS JUST AS HIGH AS WITH NON-CHRISTIANS.
I TOLD YOU THESE THINGS TO INDICATE TO YOU HOW IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT THE SERVICE IS THAT WE ARE HOLDING TODAY. WE LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS LOOKING FOR HOPE AND GOOD NEWS TODAY, BUT NON-CHRISTIANS ARE SEARCHING THE ONLY RESOURCES THEY KNOW OF.
TODAY WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE WHAT IS RIGHT AND OF VALUE IN MARRIAGE TODAY. THIS IS NOT A SERVICE ABOUT JACK AND VELMA, EVEN THOUGH THEY WILL BE THE MAIN PARTICIPANTS. THIS IS A SERVICE ABOUT CELEBRATING A TRADITIONAL, CHRIST-CENTERED INSTITUTION THAT JACK AND VELMA ENTERED INTO 50 YEARS AGO.
I WAS REMINDED OF THE WORDS OF RUTH GRAHAM WHEN ASKED ABOUT HER LONG MARRIAGE TO BILLY. SHE REPLIED THAT IT WAS A LIFELONG COMMITMENT. SHE SAID SHE HAD NEVER CONSIDERED DIVORCE, MURDER YES, DIVORCE NO.
THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP, NEXT TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, AND HIGHLY VALUED RELATIONSHIP THAT WE WILL EVER ENTER INTO. THE LATE REV.DR. PETER MARSHALL DESCRIBED MARRIAGE AS “THE HALLS OF HIGHEST HUMAN HAPPINESS.” JACK AND VELMA’S RENEWAL IS A PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION OF THIS.
A TRUE CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE HAS ONE GOAL AND ONE PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF THAT GOAL. THE PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF THE GOAL IS FOUND IN V. 31, “THAT THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE BODY.”
PAUL WAS PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT GENESIS 2:24-25 WHEN HE SAID THIS, AND WHILE THE MEANING IN GENESIS IS THOUGHT TO BE PRIMARILY SEXUAL, I BELIEVE PAUL USES IT HERE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. OVER THE YEARS MARRIED COUPLES CAN TELL WHAT THE OTHER IS THINKING JUST BY THE NOD OF THE HEAD OR A LOOK.
LESLIE IS SHOCKED AT TIMES WHEN WE SAY THE SAME THING AT THE SAME TIME OVER THE SAME ISSUE. I TELL HER I THINK SHE IS BLESSED TO BE THINKING MORE AND MORE LIKE ME. SHE SIMPLY RESPONDS THAT “IT’S SCARY, VERY VERY SCARY.”
SADLY, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN, AND INDEED WE HAVE WITNESSES THIS FROM FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, THAT ONE PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF A LONG AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIP, IS THAT WHEN ONE SPOUCE DIES, THE OTHER SPOUCE WILL PASS AWAY SOON AFTER.
IF THE EXPRESSION OF THE GOAL OF CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A “ONENESS” EXPRESSED BY THE COUPLE, THEN WE MUST NO2W AKS THE QUESTION, “WHAT IS THE GOAL OF MARRIAGE?”
THE GOAL OF A CHRIST-CENTERED BIBLICAL MARRIAGE IS FOUND NEAR THE END OF THE PASSAGE, AND IT HELPS TO BRING THE SHOLE PASSAGE TOGETHER.
EPHESIANS 5:32: THIS IS A PROFOUND MYSTERY—BUT I AM TALKING ABOUT CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.
A CHRIST-CENTERED BIBLICAL MARRIAGE IS A LIFE-LONG DRAMA OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH.
THE BRIDE AND BRIDE-GROOM RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN A MAJOR ILLUSTRATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE CHURCH THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE. SOME PASSAGES REFER TO THE WEDDING DAY, OTHERS REFER TO THE MARRIAGE AS A WHOLE.
I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE PASSAGE SPECIFIES DIFFERENT ROLES FOR THE HUSBAND AND WIFE, BUT VERSE 21 SPEAKS OF MUTUAL SUBMISSION. HOW CAN THIS BE?
I BELIEVE THAT WHAT PAUL IS SAYING IS THAT WE SHOULD SUBMIT TO EACH OTHER AS WE PERFORM THE ROLES THAT ARE STATED FOR US. REMEMBER THE WORDS AT THE END OF VERSE 21 “OUT OF REVERENCE FOR CHRIST.”
THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE ROLES MENTIONED, BUT IF WE REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE A DRAMA OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH WE MAY SEE THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND I CHALLENGE YOU TO CONSIDER THIS TODAY.
IF CHRIST WERE TO WALK INTO OUR CHURCH TODAY WOULD WE NOT BOW BEFORE HIM? IF HE WERE TO GIVE US A TASK TO DO, WOULD WE NOT CONSIDER IT A PRIVILEGE TO PERFORM THE TASK, KNOWING THAT HE WOULD NOT HURT US IN ANY WAY. WE WOULD GLADLY SUBMIT BECAUSE WE KNOW JESUS ONLY WANTS THE BEST FOR US, AND HE KNOW THAT HE GAVE HIS ALL FOR US.
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER CHALLENGING CHRIST, SAYING THAT THE TASK ASSIGNED IS BENEATH YOU AND THAT YOU WON’T DO IT. I DARE SAY THAT SUCH CHALLENGES WOULDN’T ENTER YOUR MIND. YOU KNOW THAT CHRIST ONLY WANTS THE BEST FOR YOU.
THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE ROLES. WIVES CAN SUBMIT BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE HUSBAND IS GOING TO GIVE HIMSELF TO HER IN SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE. ANYTHING ELSE IS NOT CHRIST-CENTERED.
THE HUSBAND IS TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF FOR HIS WIFE.
HE IS TO BE A CONSTANT SOURCE OF SUPPORT AND LOVE TO HIS WIFE.
HE IS TO TAKE THE LEAD IN SPIRITUAL MATTERS.
THEY ARE TO LIVE THEIR MARRIED LIVES IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PRESENT EACH OTHER TO THE LORD HOLY AND BLAMELESS AND PURE.
THIS IS A LIFE-LONG PROCESS AND THE ONE THAT WE CELEBRATE TODAY.
A RENEWAL OF VOWS IS DONE FOR TWO PURPOSES.
THE FIRST IS AS AN ACT OF RECOMMITTMENT AFTER GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME, SUCH AS A SEPARATION. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY.
THE SECOND PURPOSE OF A RENEWAL OF VOWS IS TO CELEBRATE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY HAD WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH GOD IN THE PAST, AND TO RE-EMPHASIZE THEIR DESIRE TO WALK WITH GOD AND EACH OTHER IN A DEEPER WAY AS THEY LOOK TO THE FUTURE. THIS IS THE CELEBRATION WE SEEK TO HAVE TODAY.
THE RENEWAL THAT WE CELEBRATE IS A BLESSED WALKING TOGETHER FOR 50 YEARS, THROUGH JOY AND STRUGGLE, IN COMMITMENT WITH GOD AND EACH OTHER, AND THEIR DCESIRE TO TAKE THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO AN EVEN DEEPER LEVEL. WE ARE PRIVILEGED AND BLESSED TO BE A PART OF THIS RENEWAL TODAY.
