MARRIAGE

From the beginning of time, God designed marriage for a purpose. That purpose was not fully revealed until Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead, and instituted the church. After all of this, the Bible looks back to the institution of marriage and asserts, “This mystery [of marriage] is profound, and . . . it refers to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32). When God made man, then woman, and then brought them together in a relationship called marriage, he wasn’t simply rolling dice, drawing straws, or flipping a coin. He was painting a picture. His intent from the start was to illustrate his love for people.

Unfortunately, this is not the picture of marriage that the world most often perceives. And the primary reason is not the laws in various states, or the decision of judicial bodies to redefine what marriage is. The primary reason the gospel is not clear in marriage in our culture is that the gospel has not been clear in marriage in the church. Surely personal, not political, action is the primary starting point to counter culture in this area.

It is altogether right to be grieved about the redefinition of marriage in our culture. So-called “same-sex marriage” is now recognized as a legitimate entity in the eyes of our government. Such a designation by a government, however, does not change the definition God has established. And as spiritual darkness engulfs the biblical picture of marriage in our culture, spiritual light will stand out even more starkly in the portrait of a husband who lays down his life for his wife and a wife who joyfully follows her husband’s loving leadership. Be sure of this: God’s design for marriage is far more breathtaking and much more satisfying than anything we could ever create on our own.

PRAY

Ask God to:

• Empower you to be pure, faithful, and selfless in your own marriage or in your singleness.
• Strengthen the church’s witness to the beauty of the gospel and to the biblical pattern of marriage.
• Change the hearts and minds of legislative and judicial bodies on the issue of so-called same-sex marriage.

PARTICIPATE

Prayerfully consider taking these steps:

• Humbly ask the leadership of your church to address the topic of marriage through the preaching and/or teaching ministries of the church.
• Offer to talk to, pray with, or meet with individuals you know (of the same gender) who are struggling in their marriage.
• Vote for political candidates who support a biblical view of marriage and actively encourage them to continue their support.

PROCLAIM

Consider the following truths from Scripture:

• Genesis 2:24: “A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
• Ephesians 5:22, 25: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. . . . Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
• Hebrews 13:4: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”

For more (and more specific) suggestions, visit CounterCultureBook.com/Marriage.