GOD'S ORDER FOR CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE

This article deals with the important subject of Christian marriage. The best preparation for marriage consists of two important commitments: first, to love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind, and, second, to keep His commandments.

God's Word states that marriage is a holy estate that should be honored by all. It was instituted by God at the beginning of man's history (Gen. 2:18-24; Matthew 19:5). It is not an institution created and designed by man or state and is therefore not subject to the whims of society and its customs. Marriage was sanctioned and adorned by Christ's presence at the marriage in Cana of Galilee.

The Bible (Romans 7:1-4) teaches that marriage is for life. It is regulated by the teachings of Jesus-Christ in the New Testament. Husband and wife are therefore responsible to God to conform to His revealed will.

Christian marriage is an institution at risk. Many end in conflict and divorce. This could be avoided in many cases by harmonious conformity on the part of husband and wife to the biblical teachings concerning their respective roles. However, to speak of this today is not well received. When God, Who instituted marriage, teaches the specifics of the roles He has assigned to the man and woman, initiating a form of hierarchy in the human race by giving to the man the headship of the woman, it is interpreted by some as promoting a sexist attitude. But the Bible is not sexist. God gives the reasons for this order. In Genesis two we read that the man, Adam, was created first, and the Lord God put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. Later, God said: "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him," which He did, and brought her to the man. Therefore, based on man's priority in creation, and the fact that the woman was later created as a helper for him, man is "the head of the woman", as we read in I Cor. 11: 2: "... the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."

However, in the Holy Scriptures God shows His love and care for the woman by the directives He gives to the husband concerning his treatment of his wife.

THE DUTIES OF THE HUSBAND

The Husband Is To:

v Love his wife, giving himself for her well-being, "even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it." (Eph. 5:25)

v "Nourish and cherish" her, "even as the Lord the church" (Eph.5:29).

v Treat her with benevolence, according her the physical and emotional attention of which she has need. (I Cor. 7:2-5).

v Treat her tenderly as tithe weaker vessell1, as for a precious vase of fine porcelain of great value (I Peter 3:7).

v Honor her, in view of the fact that, in addition to being his wife, she is also a sister in Christ, heir with him of the grace of life (I Peter 3:7), an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. (Rom.8:l7)

v Praise her, as praise is due, in recognition of her qualities and gifts (Prov. 31:28) and never to subject her to ridicule.

v Allow her to use her talents, labor, artifacts, etc., to generate income. (Prov. 31:24).

THE DUTIES OF THE WIFE

The wife Is To:

v Submit to her husband, as unto the Lord. (Eph. 5:22)

This is asked of the wife by the Lord as a service unto Him, even as He submits Himself unto God ("land the head of Christ is God." (I Cor. 11:3).

Submission does not mean inferiority. Although the modern feminist woman depreciates greatly the thought of submission, it characterizes the life of the Christian indwelt by the Spirit of God, whether in relation to God (James 4:7), to Governments (I Peter 2:13-15); to masters (Eph. 6:5-8); to church leaders (Heb. 13:17); the younger to the elder (I Peter 5:5).

Submission for the wife means that she recognizes that her husband is the head of the house and responds to him accordingly without usurping his authority to herself.

v Manage the home, as a homemaker, seeking to promote loving, harmonious family relations, and, in each member of the family, a sense of well-being. (Titus 2:5)

v Guide the house in such a way as to give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. (I Tim. 5:14)

v Fulfill her marital duty to her husband, as he to her. (I Cor.7:2-5).

v The younger married women are expected to bear children. (I Tim. 5:14)

IN CONCLUSION
Whoever believes that God has spoken and that His Word is perfect must believe that the roles taught therein for husbands and wives by God Who is love, Who is wisdom personified, have been ordered for the good and satisfaction of His creatures. Each member, responding with faith in God's love and goodness, contributes to the family's happiness by fulfilling the role assigned to it in God's Word. In I Cor. 11:11 we read: "In the Lord, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman." God created both for each other. Man and woman together in mutual interdependence, complementing each other, bring glory to God.

This article was contributed by justin Bravoure