Sermon # 35 - The Sanctity Of Marriage Series

We read in Matthew 22:2, “The kingdom of heaven is like to a certain king, who made a marriage for his son..”(Webster)

Have you ever wondered why the kingdom of heaven is likened to the marriage of a king’s son? Often we consider marriage to be a normal part of our lives, but fail to realize that in God’s prospect, marriage holds a prominent place. First and foremost marriage is not man’s idea, but God’s initiative. God perceived that it was not good for man to be alone, and He created Eve as a suitable help meet for Adam.

Since marriage is God’s divine plan, Satan is all-out to destroy this beautiful design of God. More than ever before, we are living in a day and age, where marriages all around us are falling apart. As the enemy is fully aware that God’s great plans can be fulfilled through a godly marriage, his aim is to sabotage God’s purpose and plan for every marriage.

On the basis of God’s word, we will study to understand what marriage is, and what God really intended for it to be.

Marriage is not man’s idea, but God’s idea

We read in Genesis 2:18, “Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." (GNB)

We read in Genesis 2:20, “So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him.” (GNB)

God in his wisdom knew that it was not good for man to be alone. When God created all of the birds and animals He brought them to Adam, so that Adam could name all of them. As Adam observed all the animals and birds in pairs, he must have felt a sense of aloneness, and the need for a companion. At the end of the naming of all the animals and birds, there was still not one which could be a suitable companion for Adam. The climax of God’s creation was Eve, making Adam and Eve the crowning glory of all God’s creation.

Some young people today for various reasons are opting to not get married, and choosing to live single. What they fail to understand is that marriage was God’s initiative, because He considered it not good for man and woman to be alone. However, a person should get married only when they come to a point of realizing that they do need a spouse, so that together they can live a victorious life in this world to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. One should not enter marriage because of pressure from society, or as a formality that they are expected to perform.

Many consider their spouses to be a burden, and when any little misunderstanding crops up, they want to leave their spouse, and return to their parents. Often this causes a major rift between the spouses, who do not realize that God has given them their spouse, with whom He expects them to live in oneness and harmony.

The word of God in 1 Peter 3:7, refers to women as the weaker vessel, but isn’t it amazing that it was to women that God gave the ability and strength to conceive and bring forth children. Man would have found it impossible to have the patience or fortitude to bear a child, and that stamina God granted to woman, though she was the weaker vessel.

Men and women are quite different in their personalities, and it is important to accept this fact. In general men have more physical strength, and woman are strong emotionally, but we do realize that there are exceptions. As women are generally emotionally strong they have more of the ability to love, show affection and compassion.

Whom do we take our problems to in marriage?

When there is an issue or misunderstanding between the spouses, many couples make the grave mistake of taking the matter up to their in-laws or others which does not solve their problems in any way, but often makes it worse. Let me explain this with an illustration. If we purchased a new washing machine, and found that it was defective, would we take it to the local bakery and ask the baker to set it right? Sounds hilarious, but in order to get it fixed we have to take it to the manufacturer of the washing machine to get it in order. Many couples who encounter challenges in their marriages, are taking their matters to various people and messing up their relationships further, instead of going to God, who is the author and initiator of marriage. When someone approaches us for counsel in marriage, we should circumspect to not be instrumental in separating them, for God’s word cautions us that ‘what God has joined together, let no man separate’.