4 Important Truths About Marriage

Here are four important truths about marriage that every couple should know.

Like Christ and the Church

The Apostle Paul declared that the relationship between Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, and the church, the Bride of Christ, is like that of a marriage between a man and a woman. It is a profound mystery in many ways, but in other ways, it is crystal clear. Jesus as the Bridegroom is Head over His Bride, the church; even so, He loved His Bride so much that He willing gave His life for her (Mark 10:45), so Paul tells husbands, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25) and “let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph 5:33b).

A Threefold Cord

The Bible says that it was not good for man to be alone (Gen 2:18), so “the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man” (Gen 2:22). This proves that “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil” (Eccl 4:9), “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl 4:12). If you and your spouse put God first, then that is a threefold cord that is not easily broken, however a twofold cord is broken very easily.

Leaving and Cleaving

When God brought Eve to Adam, He told them, “a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). If a man doesn’t leave his father and mother, meaning if he doesn’t leave them out of his new family, then he has not really left his “father and mother” and won’t be able to hold “fast to his wife.” Of course, the same thing applies to the woman. They are to leave their families and cleave to their spouse as they are now “one flesh” (Mark 10:8).

Learn to Forgive

One elderly couple sitting together, holding hands at an airport were asked by a young couple, “What is your secret to a long marriage?” The man stopped and thought for a moment, but his wife immediately spoke up and said, “Learn to forgive.” If we don’t learn to forgive our spouses, as they must do for us, then we’re going to be holding grudges and that will never prosper any marriage. Learn to forgive, because we have been forgiven so much more.

Conclusion

If men and women will understand that the marital relationship is very much like that between Christ and His church; if you make certain God is that “third cord’ in your marriage; if you remember to leave and then to cleave; and if you learn to forgive, then you’ve already learned four important truths about marriage. May God richly bless every Christian marriage for everyone reading this.