Love, Honor and Cherish: A Christian Couple's Guide to Building a God-centered Marriage

By Carmen Wilde

Love, Honor, and Cherish: A Christian Couple's Guide to Building a God-centered Marriage is a comprehensive guide to building a strong and fulfilling marriage rooted in God's love and grace.

Drawing from the wisdom of the Bible and the experiences of real couples, this book offers practical advice and guidance on a range of topics, includi

• Language: English
• Publisher: RWG Publishing
• Release date: May 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088135495

Book preview

Chapter 1: The Foundation of Love: Understanding God's Design for Marriage

God chose to establish marriage as an institution from the very beginning of human history. Marriage is a divine institution. According to Genesis 2:24, a man is commanded to therefore leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. The biblical concept of marriage is built on top of this verse, making it an extremely important passage. It describes in detail the way that God intends for a man and a woman to be joined together in marriage, and it outlines the proper way for a couple to conduct themselves in their romantic partnership.

Love is at the center of the union that God intended for marriage to be. Love is not merely an emotion or a feeling; rather, it is a decision and a commitment to honor and cherish one's spouse, and this is what distinguishes love from other relationships. The following are some of the characteristics of love that are described in the Bible in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verses 4-7: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on having its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rather it rejoices with the truth. Love is patient and kind; it never gives up. It always believes, always has hope, and never gives up.

These characteristics of love are fundamental to grasping how God fashioned the institution of marriage. It is necessary for married couples who want to build their marriage around God to first gain an understanding of the nature of love and how it relates to their relationship. They have to make the conscious decision to love one another in a selfless and unconditional manner, even when it's challenging.

In addition, the commitment of a husband and wife to one another for their entire lives is part of the plan that God has for marriage. Jesus confirms this in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 19 verses 4-6 when he asks his disciples, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' Therefore, the two of them have merged into a single being. Therefore, what God has joined together, man should not separate."

Marriage is not a short-term partnership, but rather a commitment between two people that is meant to last for the rest of their lives together. This covenant is made in front of God and should only be broken in the most extreme of circumstances, such as when there has been physical or sexual abuse or when there has been adultery.

And finally, the purpose that God has in mind for marriage is to satisfy our most fundamental psychological and spiritual requirements. The relationship between a husband and wife is compared in the Bible to Christ's relationship with the church in Ephesians 5:22-33. This passage of scripture is located in Ephesians 5. In the same way that Christ loved the church and sacrificed himself for her, a husband is expected to love his wife in the same selfless manner, and a wife is expected to respect her husband. This kind of selfless love and respect cultivates a level of closeness and intimacy between a husband and wife that goes far beyond the merely sexual attraction they feel for one another.

To summarize, having an understanding of God's design for marriage is essential for constructing a marriage that is centered on God. It begins with a pledge to love in a selfless and unconditional manner, and it includes a lifelong commitment between a husband and wife, which is made in front of God. In addition, the institution of marriage was designed by God to provide for the satisfaction of our most fundamental psychological and spiritual requirements. This is accomplished when we love and respect our spouse in a manner that is analogous to how Christ loves the church. Couples can have a satisfying, intimate, and God-honoring relationship with one another by following the blueprint that God has provided for marriage in the Bible.

Chapter 2: Pursuing God's Purpose for Your Marriage

The institution of marriage was designed by God with a specific goal in mind. It is essential for Christians to comprehend the purpose of marriage and work toward fulfilling that purpose in their own marriages. In this chapter, we will discuss what the purpose of marriage is according to God and how we can work toward fulfilling that purpose in our own relationships.

The primary reason that God created marriage is for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself. The Bible makes this point clear in Ephesians 5:31-32: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a profound mystery, and I am saying that it is connected to Christ and the church. According to what we learn from this passage, marriage is a metaphor for the relationship that exists between Christ and the church. In the same way that Christ laid down his life for the church, a husband's love for his wife ought to involve self-sacrifice.

Because of this, if we want to fulfill the purpose that God has for our marriage, we need to make Christ the focal point of our connection. It means making an effort to bring glory to Him through the love that we have for one another and through the grace and love that we show to the rest of the world. When we conduct our lives in a manner that brings honor to God, our marriage is transformed into a testimony of God's goodness and reliability.

Second, according to the Bible, God created marriage so that two people can be each other's companions and sources of support. In the book of Genesis, verse 18, God says, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. Eve was created by God to assist Adam and to be his companion in life. In the same vein, when we get married, we take on the responsibility of providing our spouse with love, support, and companionship.

This indicates that putting our spouse first and making an effort to strengthen our bond is necessary if we want to fulfill the purpose that God has for our marriage. It means making the effort to communicate with our partners, to show them affection, and to develop a strong emotional connection with them. When we make our marriage a higher priority in this way, we establish a solid foundation that is able to withstand the tests that life throws at us.

Thirdly, the purpose of marriage in the eyes of God is to bring forth godly offspring. The Bible asks this question in Malachi chapter 2 verse 15: "Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And who or what was it that God