What is it?

Oxford:

The legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship (historically and in some jurisdictions specifically a union between a man and a woman). A combination or mixture of two or more elements.

Most of our focus now-a-days is on the big event. I was stunned to find that the average wedding in the United States costs $30,000.00. Everything must be just right and all things must be perfect. In 2022 the marriage industry brought in $70.5 billion. I was shocked to see this number!

In the United States if you decide after getting “married,” you’ve made a mistake and need to get out of it… Don’t worry, we have that covered too. The average divorce costs for a couple without children is $14,000.00, $21,000.00 if children are involved.

After getting divorced you can then try the whole process again. Both those doing the marrying, and those doing the divorcing welcome your attempts at this institution.

How Does God Define Marriage?

Gen 2:22–25 NLT

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

• God made a woman for Adam, who was a man.
  • God’s first intention for marriage is between an man and a woman.
• This union is autonomous from all family
  • A man leaves his father and mother
  • And is joined to his wife
  • and the two are united (married) into one.

Mat 10:6–9 NLT

But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

• In the words of Jesus
• God made them male and female from the beginning. (There are no other genders, no other God sanctioned marriages.)
• Again an autonomous relationship
  • This explains why a man leaves his father and mother
  • and is joined to his wife
  • and the two are united into one
• Since they are no longer two but one
  • Let no on split apart what God has joined together.

So now we can say that according to the book of Genesis, and to the words of Jesus, that a marriage is between a man and a woman, and that it is permanent because God has put it together.

How does God put the marriage together?

The pastor, the priest, the JP?

In our western culture we mostly look to the church for guidance in theses affairs. There are however many “professionals” piling in. Like I mentioned before this is a $big industry.

For the west, most if not all of the traditions we associate with a christian wedding are in fact not christian at all. It is all Celtic tradition, the idea of an authority giving a blessing to marry, the white dress, the rings. All of it is Celtic! You can find no part of it in the scriptures.

Since we go to an authority for a blessing to be married. Whether the pastor, or a councilor, or a priest, they now become the authority for the idea of marriage. We make our vows before witnesses, human witnesses, all the while forgetting that God misses nothing. We are pushing Him out of the way, and out of consideration.

God puts it together!

The question then is how.

Gen 24:67 NLT

And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.

• Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother’s tent
• and she became his wife

Where was the ceremony? Where was the priest?

Ex 2:21 NLT

Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife.

• Reuel gave Moses his daughter

No ceremony? No priest?

1 Cor 6:15–16 NLT

Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.”

• A man who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her.
  • God sees them as married.
• So God sees sex as marriage!
  • When an man and woman join in sex they are one body.
  • This is a permanent thing.
  • It has spiritual implications.
  • It has physical implications.
  • It has phycological implications.

The cheapening of sex

The cheapening of sex is a plan of Satan, who is seeking the destruction of us all. He has done an excellent job of making sex a trite affair. A little escapade.

1 Cor 6:18–20

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

• Run from sexual sin!
• Sexual sin clearly affects the body
• The body of believers is the temple of the Holy Spirit
• As believers we don’t belong to ourselves
• We must live for Christ
  • Jesus said “whoever loves me will keep my commandments.”

Since God sees marriage as sex, there is no such thing as pre-marital sex. There is no such thing as sowing your wild oats! There is no such thing as trying it out to see if you like it.

Yes there is forgiveness, we must repent of our casual indifferent attitude toward sex. We must be pure.

Eph 5:15–20 NLT

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The times are short. We must return to the simple truths of scripture. We must put aside traditions that cheapen and even ignored God’s will for our lives.

Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ.