Marriage Was God's Idea
Marriage began in a garden, before there was any sin in the world, when God brought a woman to a man. No government invented it, and no culture voted it in. Because God made it, God gets to define it, and His design is better than anything we could have drawn up ourselves.
A lifelong covenant, made before God, in which one man and one woman leave their parents, are joined to each other, and become one flesh, to love and serve one another for the glory of God.
Many people today think of marriage as a romance, a legal status, or a private arrangement that two adults can shape however they like. Others think it has simply run its course. Scripture speaks differently: Marriage is honourable in all (Hebrews 13:4).
Marriage has always been under attack. Within the first pages of Genesis we read of polygamy, adultery, and every kind of sexual sin, so none of this is new. What may be new is how many people have never seen the pattern lived out. Many of us grew up in broken homes, and some of us are hurting in our own marriages right now. God did not give this design to shame anyone. He gave it as a gift, and He gives grace to sinners who are learning to live in it.
Married, single, divorced, or widowed, this study is for you. Marriage is one of God's good gifts, but it is not required for a full life in Christ (see Singleness and Choosing a Spouse). If your marriage has been broken, the Gospel still speaks to you (see Divorce and Remarriage). If you are not safe at home, please go first to Hurting Homes.
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For Deeper Study
- God, Marriage, and FamilyAmazon Andreas J. Köstenberger with David W. JonesA thorough survey of what the whole Bible teaches about marriage and the home, by Baptist seminary professors.
- This Momentary MarriageAmazon John PiperA rich treatment of marriage as a picture of Christ and the church. Piper is Reformed, and he holds a stricter view of remarriage than we do.
- Sacred MarriageAmazon Gary L. ThomasA popular, devotional book on how God uses marriage to make us holy.
- Strengthening Your MarriageAmazon Wayne A. MackA practical workbook for couples from a biblical counselor in the Reformed tradition.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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Husbands and Wives
Husbands and wives are equal in worth and different in role: a husband leads by laying down his life as Christ did, and a wife willingly honors that leadership as unto the Lord, never by joining in sin or tolerating abuse.
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