God’s divine will for marriage

What is the purpose of marriage from a biblical perspective? The marriage relationship was the first human institution established by God (Genesis 2:24). This permanent relationship was complete and full through one man and one woman—God’s masterpiece.

Why is marriage important to God?

The principal reason marriage is significant to God is because it is part of His ordained plan to provide the world with a picture of His love for men and women. Marriage becomes the way for covenant couples—like us—to express our love for God and each other. Marriage is a means of fulfillment and of glorifying God.

God designed it so that marriage would be a blessed state of public service to Him. That’s right. Our marriages should be a public service announcement of the love of Jesus Christ. This is one of the reasons why the two of us CHOOSE to love out loud. We mutually share public displays of affection. We post about it on social media. We speak about it over the pulpit at church. We share it in relationship seminars. It’s intentional, but it’s not ingenuine. Our expressions are authentic. We want our bond to be a billboard that advertises what marriage looks like when God is allowed to be Lord and leader. Our marriage serves as a tribute to honor our heavenly Father for the privilege and chance to be salt and light to other couples and an ever-watching humanity.

The world (and even some professed Christians) wants us to tone it down and lower our shout to a whisper, but NOT SO! God will be glorified in our marriage whether the devil likes it or not (which he never will). This sinful world in which we live does not dim its salacious thirsts. It does not downplay its sinful desires. We literally see it on billboards alongside our highways. We hear it in music lyrics. We see it in magazines. We view it on theatre big screens, on television shows and even in commercials. Advertisements, that, on the surface, appear to be endorsing perfumes, toothpastes, clothing and automobiles, are really sending not-so-subtle messages of an erogenous nature. The enemy uses every channel of the airwaves as a vehicle through which to promote the lusts of the flesh. Why on earth should we hide a love that is ordained, honored and blessed of God?

The marriage covenant between a man and a woman is a thorough and permanent commitment not to be entered into haphazardly. This type of marriage covenant was ordained by God to provide believers and unbelievers with a picture of Christ’s love and relationship to His church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Both husbands and wives must engage in love as described in Ephesians 5:25-30 … a sacrificial, liberating and steadfast love.

Once a couple embraces the fullness of God’s primary purpose for marriage, they will be presented with various opportunities for blessings from the Christ-honoring relationship that they establish and share. One such blessing is true companionship: the affection, love, and true companionship which grow out of a oneness of spirit as each partner models Christ’s unconditional love. Another is a level of enjoyment beyond what has ever been experienced. It’s a physical relationship, yes, but we’re talking about one that is the expression of the devotion and fondness shared among marriage partners who have become “one flesh.”

Sustaining a godly point of view of the purpose of marriage provides for a sure foundation and a successful covenant relationship. Marriage becomes far more than a physical endeavor; it becomes a spiritual one. Having God as head and having a biblically based bond does not hamper a marriage. Instead, it makes the wonders of it limitless. Why? Because we serve a God that has no limits! Being able to fulfill God’s intended pattern and purpose for marriage should excite a couple. It should motivate a husband and a wife to want to develop a Christlike character.

Clearly, God intended for the marriage relationship to be the trademark of a Christian home. Christ-centered marriages become examples to the children they produce, and because of those examples, the children have a roadmap to follow so that they, too, can grow up to do the same. The best legacy that we can leave our children is God!

The love relationship between husband and wife should provide the brightest picture of Christ’s love. The model it provides for our children, the church, and the world would effectively draw others to the love of Christ. The Bible says that marriage is honorable among all (Hebrews 13:4). By putting God at the center of our marriages, we can enlist His help to love.

Husbands and wives, please know this one thing: own our own—no matter how hard we try—we cannot love the way God calls us to love. As a matter of fact, He doesn’t even expect us to. It is His will and His divine plan that we trust and depend on Him. He wants us to come to Him, lean on Him and learn to let His power course through our sinful hearts and minds so that we can have the kind of marriage that will excel in love; so much so that others take notice.

Here is a small tip that we hope will be a blessing to you. Ask more of our God and less of our spouse. If we do that, we would all have happier marriages. By nature, it seems, we often do the reverse, don’t we? Spouses spend so much time arguing with each other. When we do finally go to God, it is often as a last resort.

When a husband applies himself to love and serve his wife as God’s daughter, God makes Himself more real to that husband every day. God answers that man’s prayers. He gives that man His strength. He offers that man His perspective. He gives that man hope, conviction, encouragement and counsel. When a wife loves and serves her husband as God’s son, God does the same for her. She will experience what it is to be treated like royalty; to be honored and adored. The more a man and woman invites and allows God into their life and marriage, the more genuine He becomes to them. God was there all along, of course, but now the couple’s eyes are open to Him wider than ever before. They see Him more clearly.

Our prayer today and always is this: Dear God, please bless marriages everywhere. Even in this troubling time in our nation and our world, let your divine will be done in and through marriages so that the world—in spite of the darkness— can see the light and the love of Christ in a brilliant and beautiful way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Drs. Michael & Kendra Holmes are the senior pastors of Deliverance Revival Church in Houston County, the founders of Royalty Relationship Coaching, LLC, the authors of the 31-day devotional, “Cross-Fire: Igniting Passionate, Purposeful, and Powerful Relationships,” and guest hosts of the television talk show, “The Marriage Circle Connection.” W.A.R. is an acronym for “We Are Royalty,” the official slogan of Royalty Relationship Coaching, LLC. Visit the website at www.RoyaltyRelationshipCoaching.com.

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