October 10 – LD 41, Day 3: Honourable
Marriage
by Pastor Steven Key
Hebrews 13:4: "Marriage
is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but
whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
Scripture tells us that
marriage is honourable in all, a good gift of God.
Even in the realm of those who are unbelieving, we may find husbands and wives
who are entirely committed to each other, who show that the marriage bond is an
honourable institution and who are faithful one to
another. In fact, there are those among the children of the world who, to the
shame of some church members, show a higher regard for loving and caring for
their wives, or for submitting to their husbands, than do some believers. But
the question for Christians is different and deeper than the matter of
appearance and outward behaviour — even though that
is part of it. For us the question is this: is Christ is
present in our marriages, and do our marriages conform to His Word as
expressions of thankfulness to Him? That, really, is what lies at the root of
the seventh commandment.
Only when husband and
wife are faithful as members of Christ, only when Christ exercises dominion
over this relationship, is that marriage found in His eyes a bond that reflects
the beauty of His grace. And only when we as members of His Church uphold and
defend that holy institution, is there obedience to the seventh commandment.
We sometimes think that
we honour God when we refrain from certain wicked
activities. But love is the fulfillment of the law. We are not finished with
the seventh commandment when we guard ourselves against the physical pursuit of
the neighbour’s wife, and preserve ourselves from
adultery and fornication. We are obedient only when love so dwells in our
hearts and lives that it crowds out all sinful thoughts, words and deeds. Love
for God and for the neighbour comes to expression by
holding marriage in holy esteem, and consecrating our marriages and our bodies
to the Lord as His temple. So it comes to this: Is Christ present in my
marriage? Is Christ present in my perspective of marriage? Is Christ present in
my view of single life? Is Christ present in my perspective of my neighbour’s wife or daughter? Or, from the viewpoint of the
woman, is Christ present in my perspective of my neighbour’s
husband or son?