When you read God’s word, you will notice that God refers to us as His bride on several occasions. From the beginning of time, God has set out for us to be in a covenant with Him, where we are pursued by Him as our Bridegroom, and we pursue Him as His Bride.
He says that husbands should love their wives like Christ loves the church and wives should serve their husband like the church serves Christ.
So what does the enemy accomplish through dividing marriages?
•He distorts our image of marriage so that we have a distorted view of God and the relationship He desires to have with us.
•Marriage is a reflection and foreshadowing of our eternal relationship with Christ.
Due to the fact that many marriages are often filled with selfish ambition, are self-seeking, envious and filled with easily angered spouses, we have no idea how to fathom the extravagant and marvelous way God loves and pursues us.
We have no idea of the position we hold as the bride of Christ because the foreshadowing God desired to set out for us has become broken, brittle and fragile as we move further and further away from His original design.
God’s idea for marriage extends far beyond our personal happiness and enjoyment.
“If happiness is our primary goal, we'll get a divorce as soon as happiness seems to wane.
If receiving love is our primary goal, we'll dump our spouse as soon as they seem to be less attentive. But if we marry for the glory of God, to model His love and commitment to our children, and to reveal His witness to the world, divorce makes no sense." Gary Thomas
The purpose of marriage:
•God created marriage as a loyal partnership between one man and one woman.
•Marriage is the firmest foundation for building a family.
•God designed sexual expression to help married couples build intimacy.
•Marriage mirrors God's covenant relationship with His people.
If we seek God in the way we love our spouse, in the way we seek to meet their needs and in the way we intentionally and consistently pursue them, our marriages will be happy, healthy and whole. The journey in covenant will never be without difficulties, hiccups and hurts - but if we will eagerly lean into the grit and grace God extends to us in marriage - we will be surprised and in awe at the beauty and breakthrough that occur in our marriages