Covenant Relationship

Marriage is not simply a contract, but rather, a covenant relationship in which a man and a woman are united together as one in order to accomplish God's purpose for their lives.  That is why Genesis 2:24 states that a man becomes united to his wife "and they become one flesh."  Marriage is the only covenant in the Bible that allows two people to be perfectly joined in all areas of life, from the physical to the spiritual.

God designed the opposite sexes to complement each other.  He wanted a man and a woman to be joined in marriage so that they might each give to the other what each one lacked.

The daily parts and pieces of marriage do not automatically fall into place as loving and living with your partner takes daily determination and practice - and the giving of oneself for the good of the other.

Since God created man and woman for each other, it follows that the best advice on marriage is in the Bible.

Man was the only creature God created alone in the Garden; all the animals were made male and female and had mates.  However, human beings were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and given eternal soul (Genesis 2:7) and a mere mate was not sufficient for man's emotional and spiritual needs.  Thus, God planned a man and woman to be more than mates - to be helpmates.

Marriage is a joint venture between two people who lives as one.  It is not two distinct corporations doing business under the same roof.  

Children are such a source of enrichment and blessing in a family that young people should plan early on having them and work toward that date; otherwise you may cheat yourselves out of the blessing of parenthood and thus be disobedient to God's command that we  " ... be fruitful, and multiple, and replenish the earth ..." (Genesis 1:28) 

 

How can we conquer our sins?

John makes it clear that Christians do not have to sin.  "I am writing these things unto you that you may not sin" (1 John 2:1 NASB).

The secret of victory over sin is found in the phrase "walk in the light" (1 John 1:7)

To walk in the light means to be open and honest, to be sincere - with God, with ourselves, and with others.

But walking in the light also means obeying God's Word (1 John 2:3-4). "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).  To walk in the light means to spend time daily in God's Word, discovering His will: and the obeying what He has told us.  

Obedience to God's Word is proof of our love for Him.  There are three motives for obedience.  We can obey because we have to, because we need to, or because we want to.

A slave obeys because he has to.  If he doesn't obey he will be punished.  An employee obeys because he needs to.  He may not enjoy his work, but he does enjoy getting his paycheck!  He needs to obey because he has a family to feed and clothe.  But a Christian is to obey His heavenly Father because he wants to - for the relationship between him and God is one of love.  "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15)