Articles
“Are You Committed to Marriage? Gerald Barr”
Categories: Are You Committed?Marriage is one of the greatest institutions that GOD has created, only second to the Church. Interestingly enough, in Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul compares marriage to the institution of the Church pointing out keys things in order for us to understand our role in both more perfectly:
vs. 22 “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
vs. 23 “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.”
vs. 25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.“
In these passages God points out the hierarchy of both institutions and the similarities between them; Jesus being the head of the Church, the husband being head of the wife and the husband loving his wife enough to lay down his life down for her just as Christ did for the church.
This kind of commitment is not one that can or should be taken haphazardly. Someone who you are willing to die for is someone you are 100% committed to. A great example of this is a soldier during the revolutionary war. Those soldiers and founding fathers were 100% committed to their cause willing to give everything including their lives. Husbands, with that kind of commitment to our wives and our marriage it seems impossible to think we could ever disregard them.
In keeping with the comparison found in Ephesians, Christ would never give up on the Church and we should never give up on our marriage! Paul points out in Titus 2:2-8 that women should be encouraged to “love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.” Women, to love your husband and to love your children is one of the most important things you can do, realizing that neither will be perfect and none of us are. Being committed to your marriage by helping and loving your husbands is one of the most important things you can do as a wife and giving your children an example of parents who truly love and respect one another, is one of the greatest gifts you can ever give your children.
Loving your husband or wife can be difficult, at times, but remember what Paul says concerning love in 1 Cor 13:4-8, “4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails.” How does Christ love you? How do you love your husband or wife?
Being committed to each other, and only each other, in your marriage is of the utmost importance. In Hebrews 13:4 the writer says, 4”Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. “ If thoughts ever come into your mind about sharing your bed with another you need remember two things: The commitment Jesus made to the Church and the commitment you made to GOD and your spouse on the day of your marriage.
My marriage has been the greatest blessing I have ever had, with the exception of Jesus dying for my sins. I have a wonderful wife and cherish her more than anything. Being committed to someone in marrriage is hard work, and if you are truly committed you will put the time and effort into to making it the wonderful blessing that God intended it to be.
Christ devoted his life to the Church and then gave His life for it. That is the kind of commitment we should have to Him and our marriages. Is your marriage a reflection of Christ and His Church? Are you committed to your marriage?
