The power of faith and belief in marriage

The words “faith” and “belief” are similar in meaning.

Nelson’s Bible Dictionary defines faith as a belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving obligation to His will for one’s life. Regarding “belief,” the same publication says it is to place one’s trust in God’s truth. A person who believes is one who takes God at His word and trusts in Him for their rescue.

Faith and belief are like a coin with two sides. They are the head and tail, so to speak, of the same coin, even though they are distinctly different in appearance from each other. There are at least four Greek words for faith. For the sake of this column, we will refer to the one used as “pisteuo,” which means persuasion. The root word is “peitho,” which means to convince.

Belief, in Greek, is “pistis,” which means confidence or trust. In principle, the two words (faith and belief) are one and the same. When people have faith or a belief, it simply means they are influenced by the details of the truths revealed. We all have faith in some form or another. We are convinced by things like, the specifics of life, our own personal experiences, the knowledge we’ve gained through education, or perhaps, we’re convinced by what we’ve heard from others. There are countless people who “believe” Jesus Christ really exists.

But in and of itself, that’s not biblical faith. It’s just mental assent—an acceptance of the truth. The Bible lets us know that even demons “believe” in this way (James 2:19). But while demons believe, they don’t love, worship, or honor Christ. Biblical faith is much deeper than just knowing God exists. It is trusting at a level that ignites each of us to put our eternal destiny in the hands of Jesus who is the only Savior of the world.

How does this relate to marriage? Keep reading, and let’s tie it all together. The Word of God, in Mark 10:9 (AMP) records these words concerning marriage: “Therefore, what God has united and joined together, man must not separate [by divorce].” This means that when we know that God has joined us together as one, we must not be the reason or cause—directly or indirectly—of our marriage’s demise.

This is one of many reasons why our obedience to the Word of God is so vital to our faith and belief even in the very institution of marriage. There is a divine assignment when God joins together two individuals. Like the previous coin illustration, the husband and the wife are two parts of one unit. Their joining together has been ordained by God, for God and to be a reflection of God in some way, shape, or form.

Apostle Paul affirms Jesus as “the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). In other words, to see Jesus is to see God, to hear Jesus is to hear God, to know Jesus is to know God. You and I were created after the image and likeness of God; therefore, we are called for the very same purpose, and that is to glorify God through our marriages.

Colossians 1:16 (AMP) states: “For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him.”

In John 5:24, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

One who believes in this manner is trusting Jesus Christ with his or her eternal destiny. This truth should lead us to wonder, “How much faith is lacking regarding our marriages?” What is it, perhaps, that we are failing to believe God for? Certainly, there are all kinds of good ideas and marriage-building perceptions on Christian websites just like ours. But the foundation for a healthy marriage must begin with our faith in God. He is our foundation.

Having faith begins with a reverence for the immense, unrestrained power of the one true living God who is personally concerned with each of us. God loves you, and He is for your marriage! Jesus Christ wants you and your spouse to be one with the same unity that the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) possesses.

Drs. Michael & Kendra Holmes are the pastors of Deliverance Revival Church in Warner Robins, Ga., the founders of Royalty Relationship Coaching, LLC, the authors of the 31-day devotional, “Cross-Fire: Igniting Passionate, Purposeful, and Powerful Relationships” and the founders of the faith-based newspaper, The Royal Trumpet. 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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