Marriage

Matthew 19:3-6   Some Pharisees came to [Jesus] to test him.  They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”  “Haven’t your read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?  So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (NIV).

   Marriage was God’s plan in the beginning.  In this passage in Matthew, Jesus quotes Genesis!  Marriage has been carried out in most cultures throughout history.  Marriage was God’s intention from the start.
   But marriage has been frequently degraded at various times throughout history, and is being rapidly degraded in my country, the United States, now.  Just in my lifetime, marriage is less common and more frequently degraded.  Also the divorce rate is high.  Even in some Christian communities in my country, ministers are teaching it is fine to engage in sex outside of marriage, which is tragic.
   In my opinion, the disagreement within the Christian community and in society regarding the sanctity of marriage, tied in with the disagreement over same gender marriages, has been the most divisive dispute since the Civil War.
   Yet marriage between a man and a woman is good!  Now marriage is not a requirement.  Singleness being chaste is an option.  Personally I have accomplished much ministry work which probably would not have been possible or best had I been married.  Yet I still have the dream of being married.  And marriage is an opportunity for many.  Yet for continued happiness, a marriage needs both partners to live by the love of Jesus.  Why?  Because Jesus’ true love is needed by everyone, single or married.  His true love was manifested in that Jesus died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for the consequence of sins, which is spiritual death.  If you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life with Him.  And you will be changed throughout your life to be more and more loving.  Enabled by Jesus, you can even be more and more loving to a spouse, if you gain one.
Hunter