There seems to be some great confusion inside and outside the church. What is marriage and what is the purpose of marriage? As a married woman of 32 years, even I have to go back to the Bible and check from time to time so I don’t start believing all the lies about what marriage is and isn’t.
Let’s start at the beginning with the definition of marriage.
The Bible Defines Marriage as a Covenant. God sketched his original plan for marriage in Genesis 2:24 when one man (Adam) and one woman (Eve) united together to become one flesh: In Malachi 2:14, marriage is described as is a holy covenant before God.
What is a covenant?
It is an agreement ratified by blood by a God Who cannot lie and never abandons what He promises. It is the agreement between two parties, us and God, which is contained in the Scriptures which have been revealed to us.
Okay, let’s proceed to the BIG question…
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE?
- Glorify God This one gets left out quite frequently but it is the most important. Take a look at Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5: 31-32 Marriage is a holy endeavor that was ordained by God for his purpose. When done with a biblical mandate the lifelong commitment of marriage is to glorify God.
- Children This one seems to be consistently omitted as well. In Genesis 1:28 we see God commanding us to be fruitful and multiply. Why? The easy answer is because God said we should. However, having children is an effective form of evangelism and discipleship.
- Protection One of the ways God protects us is through marriage. Husbands are to protect wives (Ephesians 5:25) and wives are to protect the home (Titus 2:4-5) and they both are to protect their children.
- Covenant Marriage is to be the picture of the covenant between God’s people and the church. A witness if you will of the relationship between Jesus and his redeemed. A picture of the everlasting promise of God’s covenant.
- Enjoyment Yep, we all like this one! Hebrews 13:4 states that the marriage bed is not to be defiled but to provide enjoyment and help in the fulfillment of Genesis 1:28.
- Completeness In Genesis 2:23 we see how God finishes his creation by completing man with the creation of the woman. It is not good for a man to be alone so he completes him by providing a wife. As we see through Genesis 1-11, God is placing all of his creation into a specific order. Eve completed Adam and we see the same today in successful marriages.
Did you see the words romance, feelings, or self-fulfillment in any one of the purposes of marriage?
The ultimate thing we can say about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. That is, it exists to display God. Now we see how: Marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant relationship to His redeemed people, the church. And therefore, the highest meaning and the most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and His church on display. That is why marriage exists. If you are married, that is why you are married. If you hope to be, that should be your dream.
– John Piper
YOUR TURN…
How are you living out the purpose of marriage?
Blessings,
Absolutely fantastic article, people really need to hear this message!
Thank you so much for your encouraging words!