On Marriage

 

Marriage has been on my mind a lot lately because I have been seeing a lot of my friends get married and the desire is rooted in my heart. I wanted to write about this topic because it means a lot to me and I want to share the biblical view. The world has distorted the covenant and made it merely into a legal action when in reality it is becoming one flesh with the spouse. 

Genesis 2:24 

"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."

The covenant of marriage is a life long commitment that allows the two to grow in patience, holiness, love, and forgiveness. It trains us to show the love of Christ to the other partner regardless of their flaws or shortcomings. It's living, suffering, growing, and worshiping the One True God together. It represents the relationship between Christ and the Church. As Christ cherished the church, married couples should do the same for each other. 

Ephesians 5:25-27

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

How do we honor marriage? We do this by waiting until marriage before enjoying the pleasure of the marriage bed. It is simply not worth giving your body away for temporary pleasure because that pleasure is better spent with someone you love and someone who you are in a covenant with. It is a shame that hookup culture is such a norm in this society when it destroys those who partake in it. 

Hebrews 13:4 

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Luther's Large Catechism: 

 "Therefore He also wishes us to honor it, and to maintain and conduct it as a divine and blessed estate; because, in the first place, He has instituted it before all others, and therefore created man and woman separately (as is evident), not for lewdness, but that they should [legitimately] live together, be fruitful, beget children, and nourish and train them to the honor of God."

"Married life is therefore no jest or presumption; but it is an excellent thing and a matter of divine seriousness. For it is of the highest importance to Him that persons be raised who may serve the world and promote the knowledge of God, godly living, and all virtues, to fight against wickedness and the devil."