WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ
November 20, 2011
Number 64
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Marriage – Why Study It? Part 2
Another thing that is happening in this country is that of allowing
other institutions to take over the functions of the home. The church
should do all of the teaching it can do, but it is still the function of the
home – not of the church – to rear children. God has given parents the job
of raising the children. God expects parents to bring up their children in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:1-4). When two people
fall in love, get married, and bring children into the world – as they certainly
should do – then they have automatically brought upon
themselves a tremendous responsibility, a responsibility for which God
Himself shall hold them accountable (2 Cor. 5:10)…
Again, I suggest that marriage should be studied because so
many couples fail to go to the right source for information on how to
form, and build or continue their marriage. Many times couples planning
to marry go to uninformed people, people who claim to know – but do
not. Sometimes they go to magazines, or to newspapers. They use the
lives of people. Sometimes they draw their conclusions about marriage
from what they see in the movies. They use the lives of people whose
lives are rotten to the core. Young people, old people, let us hearken
ourselves back to the sacred will of Almighty God as the source of information
as to how to form and how to build our marriages. In our nation
today one out of every three marriages ends in divorce. Now this is
not as bad as it appears on the surface. It is terrible, but only one out of
every 14 women in this nation has been divorced and remarried. This indicates
that many of these divorces are occurring among those who have
already been divorced and remarried [as of 1962; Ed.]. This should serve
as a warning: when a person divorces once, he is likely to do so again
and again. We need to come back to the sacred scriptures to find the answer
to this problem: Who is eligible to be married? And to this problem:
after we are married, how should we live with one another? We must realize what was involved in the commitment we made when we said “I
do promise to do thus and so.” We must realize that it is not a temporary
arrangement to fit the whims and fancies of people who have never
grown up, but that it is a serious and solemn covenant made in the sight of God.
We need to study this subject because: there are such distorted
views as to how to choose a companion. Today, Hollywood seems to be
setting the standards for our nation to such an extent that our boys and
girls confuse mere physical attraction with being truly in love. If one
“loves” another only for the purpose of gaining purely selfish goals, this
is not the love which should motivate one to be married. Unselfish love
is the love that should develop and grow down through the years of every
married couple (1 Cor. 13). Some people marry for social advantage.
Others marry for financial advantage. There is a great need today for
people to go back to the Bible and study what it has to say about choosing
a companion and what it says about how husbands and wives should
live with one another.
Again, I suggest that we need to study this subject because: our
spiritual development depends upon it. The Apostle Peter taught that husbands
should dwell with their wives according to knowledge to the end
that their prayers be not hindered (1 Pet. 3:7). I am certain that one of
the greatest hindrances to spiritual development would be a marriage that
isn’t working out as God would have it work out. Can you picture a man
or woman whose companion is constantly criticizing, disgruntled, unhappy,
full of self pity, mistrust, jealousy and envy trying to develop
spiritually in that kind of atmosphere? It is possible, but highly improbable.
It is clear that Peter taught that the way we live with one another as
husband and wife has a great deal to do with the way we develop spiritually.
It has a great deal to do with how closely we can walk with God.
Young people, although I will say a lot more about it later in this series,
may I emphasize to you this morning that your choice of a life’s companion
may be the choice of a destiny. It will likely be the choice of a happy
life or an unhappy life here in this world. It may be the choice of an
eternity – whether you will spend it with God in heaven, or in hell prepared
for the devil and his angels.
This subject is important. It is worthy of most serious consideration
not only by these youngsters who are looking forward to being married,
not only by young people who have not been married very long, but
by those of us who have been married a long time. Some who are older
need help with their marriage. They are not happy in their marriage, and
they ought to be. God shows us how to be. I believe the Bible teaches
that they can be. I believe the Bible gives the answer as to how our marriage
can be an instrument to bring us happiness and joy, how it can be a
profound experience which is beyond adequate description, how it can
help us not only to be closer to one another but how it can help to draw
us closer to God. God intends for marriage to do that very thing. He intends
for us to learn in this relationship more of His love for us and of
our relationship to Him (Eph. 5:22-23).
– Thomas B. Warren. Marriage Is For Those Who Love God –
And One Another. Ramer, TN : National Christian Press, 1962. PDF file.
25-26, 30-32.