The Responsibility of Marriage

TEXT: Ephesians 5:22-32; Matthew 19:3-6

“I do,” is the beginning of the closest of all human relationships—marriage. Marriage was instituted by God in the Garden of Eden. God’s plan is that man should leave his father and mother and be as one with his wife. This makes a wife the closest companion a man has, and the closest companion that a woman has is her husband. Together they can enjoy the pleasures of life, share hardships and sorrows, and can be a comfort and strength to each other.

QUESTIONS

1. A Christian marriage is a total commitment of two people to the person of Jesus Christ and then to each other, a commitment in which nothing is withheld. It is also a pledge of mutual fidelity, and a union which helps both parties become all that God intends for them to be. Along with the commitment of marriage comes responsibilities. List some of the responsibilities that marriage places upon a couple. In addition to the text given, use Deuteronomy 6:6-7 and 1 Timothy 5:8.
2. God can and will use a Christian marriage for His purpose. He will mold and refine the parties involved for their own spiritual benefit and for His glory. However, this can occur only when both husband and wife determine to fulfill the directives God has outlined for their marriage. How should a husband and wife meet the spiritual responsibilities of marriage?
3. After a man and a woman take the wedding vows, they are married for life. Explain what Jesus meant by the phrase, “let not man put asunder.”
4. Clarifying the husband-wife roles in a marriage can eliminate one of the major causes of marital disruption. The Word of God has specific directives regarding this. The Biblical assignment of authority and responsibility does not create a rigid relationship, but rather, it promotes order and understanding. Explain what Paul the Apostle meant when he stated that “the husband is the head of the wife.”
5. In a God-directed marriage, each person is a complement to the other. Man realizes that woman was created for him; woman realizes that man is incomplete without her. Each cherishes the other as an extension and completion of himself. Amplify this thought using the words, “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh.”
6. The bond of love in marriage is used as an illustration of the much closer tie that binds the Church (the Bride) to Jesus Christ (the Bridegroom). List the similarities.
7. Why is it so important in a Christian marriage that the couple show love, honor, and preference to each other? See 1 Peter 3:5-7.
8. How can a couple be assured that their marriage will be blessed of the Lord, and that they will continue to be happy together?