Marriage Helps #9
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Hebrews 13:4).
Marriage must be held in honor. It must be prized, because it is precious; and Pastor identified 5 reasons for its preciousness–the first two summarized below. Marriage is precious in its origin, its design, its character, its commitment and its picture.
Marriage is precious in its origin.
Not the product of social evolution, human culture or governmental invention, marriage is a God-designed, God-defined relationship, a holy institution. It is pre-political in its origin, instituted by the Governor of the universe and the Maker of man in Eden when man was still undefiled by sin, ordained by God’s wisdom, ordered by God’s goodness. It is to be governed by His will and requires a husband and wife to depend entirely on His grace in Christ. Marriage is held precious, when its Creator, His wisdom and His grace are held precious.
Marriage is precious in its design to be a beneficial companionship.
God designed marriage for the mutual help and comfort of husband and wife. “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord “(Proverbs 18:22). Marriage is beneficial companionship with a harmony worked out in different roles: the man working, tending, leading, and the woman helping (Hamiliton), the man oriented to his calling, the woman oriented to the man. Marriage is given to bless, to make joyful and to complete. “It is a mercy to have a faithful friend that loves you entirely . . . to whom you may open your mind and communicate your affairs . . . And it is a mercy to have so near a friend to be a helper to your soul and . . . to stir up in you the grace of God” (Baxter). Martin Luther wrote, “There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.” We esteem marriage as precious when, by God’s grace, we live so as to be a benefit to our spouse and as a couple to be a blessing to this world. We esteem God’s design for marriage, when we embrace and exercise, by God’s grace, our God-ordained roles as husband and wife.
