We hear a lot and read a lot about the broken marriages not just in Hollywood but in evangelical Christians circles. I talked some months ago with a Canadian pastor who had learned of four marriages where adultery occurred. This in his mid-size church and all within just a few months. I learned last week of a small evangelical church in Germany where the pastor's marriage as well as several others was in the process of being broken.
Our spiritual enemy and great enemy of God, Satan, does not want us to enjoy faithfulness and intimacy in our life with God. Scripture teaches that faithfulness, love and intimacy in marriage is a picture of our relationship with Christ. (Ephesians 5) Therefore it should not surprise us that Satan attacks Christian marriages. Add to that our own sinfulness with all of its potential for causing pain to others that is most exposed and experienced within the intimacy of marriage.
Yet the Bible calls us to faithfulness, love and purity within marriage. It is (perhaps) a difficult calling, but one that is not only possible, but lived out by a large majority of Christians. Millions have experienced that a committed, long lasting marriage brings great reward. It cannot match the excitement and drama of extra marital affairs. It does not work well as the story line of movies. But it brings huge rewards. But especially in the early years of marriage and when the going is rather rough, you must take it by faith that God's way is the best: one man, one woman, one marriage for life.
It is only as the years and decades roll by, where both have made the investment of love, servanthood, sacrifice and faithfulness that husband and wife enjoy the dividends. It does pay to follow Christ. It does pay to obey Scripture. It does pay to love God most of all and within His love to love your spouse exclusively.
Jan and I can affirm this not only by faith but by decades of experience. We celebrated our 44th anniversary yesterday. (Yup, we are that old.) We talked about several of the very special years in our married life. We looked back with pleasure, enjoyed thinking together about the present and anticipate the future, enjoying the fruit in marriage of simply believing and obeying the revealed wisdom of God.
Our spiritual enemy and great enemy of God, Satan, does not want us to enjoy faithfulness and intimacy in our life with God. Scripture teaches that faithfulness, love and intimacy in marriage is a picture of our relationship with Christ. (Ephesians 5) Therefore it should not surprise us that Satan attacks Christian marriages. Add to that our own sinfulness with all of its potential for causing pain to others that is most exposed and experienced within the intimacy of marriage.
Yet the Bible calls us to faithfulness, love and purity within marriage. It is (perhaps) a difficult calling, but one that is not only possible, but lived out by a large majority of Christians. Millions have experienced that a committed, long lasting marriage brings great reward. It cannot match the excitement and drama of extra marital affairs. It does not work well as the story line of movies. But it brings huge rewards. But especially in the early years of marriage and when the going is rather rough, you must take it by faith that God's way is the best: one man, one woman, one marriage for life.
It is only as the years and decades roll by, where both have made the investment of love, servanthood, sacrifice and faithfulness that husband and wife enjoy the dividends. It does pay to follow Christ. It does pay to obey Scripture. It does pay to love God most of all and within His love to love your spouse exclusively.
Jan and I can affirm this not only by faith but by decades of experience. We celebrated our 44th anniversary yesterday. (Yup, we are that old.) We talked about several of the very special years in our married life. We looked back with pleasure, enjoyed thinking together about the present and anticipate the future, enjoying the fruit in marriage of simply believing and obeying the revealed wisdom of God.
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