Marriage: the original covenant of God and Us

 

Marriage

theoretical vs practical

Empathy track is the gateway – time to build – draw out – learning time – patience, understanding – fix it track is near the conclusion

John 14:15 – if you love me, obey me

Start complete – finish the session with God at the center. This is church counseling – not clinical psychology. So, pray! (yeah, I remember the instructor was adamant about opening and closing every counseling session with prayer)

Marriage – mind body spirit – our trinity. Our action is first – the word.

Marriage is the first human institution given to us by God

Genesis 2:18-23 (man/woman are equal, their roles in the relationship compliment each other) God ‘married’ (joined together or bound) Adam to Eve (man to woman). It was not created by man. It was created by God. We were created for relationship.

God created marriage for His glory – togetherness, oneness in love is God’s view of His relationship to us. Ephesians 5 -  ¹ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

There is a marriage between the church of God and Jesus Christ – (metaphor, yes. Again, to ‘marry’ means to join or bond in union for purpose. It is clear and evident that yes, the join and bond of the redeemed and the Savior in one union for the New World is for the purpose of furthering God’s Kingdom on Earth as well as other reasons laid out before the foundation of the Earth. https://www.gotquestions.org/bride-of-Christ.html - go on)

Hardship to greatness; it is all done in marriage. It is intentional. Extensional; purposeful. Revelation 19:7-10 Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

¹⁰ At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

God’s marriage relationship will last – Genesis 2:24 – what He joins, no one can separate (again, referring to the His Church to Christ. Humans get divorced every day. Sad but true. We took a beautiful biblical practice of love and purpose and completely shredded it into little nano pieces of death and destruction. We truly just can’t have nice things) – selfishness can and very clearly shadows this spiritual foundation. Self-serving destroys the ability to serve.

Matthew 19:5 The marriage comes first before your other relationships. God is orderly. (Clean. Simple. Direct. Order of responsibility in the household:

1.       God 2. Man 3. Woman 4. Child. Each sibling in the order of birth by age thereafter and so on. Each accountable to the other and most importantly, accountable to Head of Household – GOD. This is now a power play. This is a clean clear order of roles and responsibility to each other – each according to their strengths. This hierarchy builds a foundation on solid rock that cannot easily be moved. And yes, this, all coming from a man who is never married or had children but I can read and the Bible is clear on this and we ruin it by putting ourselves first before the biblical union and structure put before us by God. Anyway, I’m preaching to the air. (sigh) Go on…)

Parents are the primary unit – children are the impact unit

Marriage is a covenant relationship – sew the definition into your heart. Abuse of ANY kind will damage the covenant. Selfishness has no place in a marriage. Change is constant. Healthy communication is key. It is binding. You are committing yourself to this institution. It is not a contract on paper (the secular world did that, not God). It is a covenant of the heart.

(Covenant definition: formal solid binding agreement between two or more persons with God and each other to honestly and truthfully fulfill promise and keep your word in honor and glory for the betterment of God’s Kingdom and the preservation of our place in it. everything we do in that marriage should be to His glory and His liking and for the greater accomplishment of our journey with the Lord. This is why He is so adamant about keeping the marriage bond clean. Do not soil it with immoral unethical impure violations. It will tear at the walls of the covenant brick by brick until the foundation is so weak, the house falls into quicksand. Just as the Ten Commandments keep that marriage foundation between God and His Church on earth strong and free from cracks, leaks, breaks and crumble, so do they apply the same strengths in a marriage to each other. Yes, there will be daily attacks at the walls and windows or your marriage, the world hates a holy union because it is broken and falling and misery loves company. But what God joins together, let no one put asunder. Mark 10:9 😊