A Holy Estate

“‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the
Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will
leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become
one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined
together, let man not separate’” (Matthew 19:4-6).

The marriage service says that marriage is a “holy estate.” Christian
marriage is more than physical, economic cohabitating and child-bearing and
rearing. It is a spiritual fellowship; it is an earthly picture of Christ and
His body, the Church. 

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body,
of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives
should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just
as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy,
cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to
himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but
holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as
their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself” (Eph. 5:22-28).

In the last two years,* I have seen eight Christian
marriages break up after over twenty years of marriage. I am watching several
more in the process. Is there an attempt to stop it? Yes! However, there is
encouragement for divorce from counselors, attorneys, family members, and
Christian friends.

Intruding, teaching, and discipline may be in order, but
what is really needed is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Each of you
know friends of yours who are in this situation. Pray for the heavy hand of God
to be upon them until there is repentance. 

If there is any sign of trouble in your marriage, repent to
God and call for help from the saints. 

In case this all sounds too discouraging, we know of several
marriages that have been wonderfully saved through prayer.

*Written in 2004.

This post coordinates with today’s reading in the To
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