October 14 – LD 41, Day 7: Marriage Restored by Christ
by Pastor Steven Key
Ephesians 5:31-32: “For
this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto
his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak
concerning Christ and the church.”
Because our marriages are
all affected by sin, we must repeatedly be called before the mirror of God’s
Word, to repentance and a sanctified walk. It is imperative that we walk godly
as husbands and as wives. It is imperative as young people that we see marriage
in the light of Scripture, and preserve ourselves with a view to that holy
state. It is imperative as a church that we uphold the holiness of marriage in
our opposition to divorce and remarriage. We must walk in the light of God’s
Word, even if we have to do so alone!
But as we leave this
subject, we must also notice God’s wonderful preservation of this sanctified
bond. The sanctity of marriage has been restored by Christ. Having redeemed us
as His precious Bride, Christ has given us the motivation to honor marriage.
That motivation does not come from the terrible consequences of violating the
seventh commandment. Rather, because of our intimate fellowship with God
through Jesus Christ, we would not offend Him, but would live as before His
face, to glorify and praise Him whether in marriage or single life. So with
Joseph, we flee temptation, saying, “how then can
I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen 39:9b) God hates
all impurity. Because He is my Redeemer and my Friend, I hate all impurity too.
Is that your confession?
We say
this because our bodies as well as our souls have been redeemed by the precious
blood of Christ. We are not our own, but belong unto our faithful Savior Jesus
Christ. You do, don’t you? Therefore we serve not ourselves, but we walk
according to our Lord’s will. By that blessed gift of holy marriage, we see God
gathering His Church and giving us a reflection of that unbreakable, holy bond
— His own covenant love embracing us as His bride. “This is a great
mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” May we preserve
the purity of that mystery as reflected in our own marriages, and those of our
brothers and sisters in Christ.