Marriage
FAITH FIRE CHRISTIAN CENTER
MARRIAGE COUNSELLING
INTRODUCTION
Man is the highest of God’s creation. God instituted marriage for man hence it is one of the earliest and oldest institution ordained by God Almighty. Gen. 2:23-25. The book of Genesis tells us that after God has made man Gen. 2:7 he found that it was not good for man to live alone, so he made helpmeet or companion suitable for him. Gen. 2:18. Gen. 1:27 testifies that God created human beings male and female. And that is why man and woman leave their parents and unite together as husband and wife. Gen. 2:24. From the foregoing we can conclude that marriage is certainly a divine institution and thus Almighty God places high premium on marriage and family life.
During the time of the great flood, it was Noah’s righteousness in the presence of God that saved him, his wife, his three sons and their wives from destruction. To secure this point firmly, our Lord Jesus Christ started his earthly ministry with a miracle at the marriage ceremony in Canaan of Galilee. At every Christian marriage, God himself almighty acts as witness to the covenant. Christian husbands and wives should realize this and take heed. The witness i.e. God Almighty says in Mat. 2:13-14 that he hates divorce (in marriage, there is no reverse gear).
Marriage is not a covenant to be entered into by fancy. Full maturity i.e. physical, financial, emotional and spiritual must be attained before contemplating marriage. The reverential importance of marriage is emphasized in the context of the relationship between Jehovah and the nation of Isreal (i.e. today’s church), as that between husband and his wife.
What is more? John the revelator prophesized about the marriage of the Lamb of God at which Jesus Christ will be joined to the new Jerusalem (i.e. the Church triumphant) in marriage forever and what a blessing to be present at that assembly!. May everyone of us be present there in Jesus precious name. Amen.
LESSON ONE
WHAT IS MARRIAGE?
Marriage is still the oldest institution in the world and has its roots in divinity. God instituted marriage for man from the inception of creation, all the other beings were created male and female. Its only man that God created male until God felt man should not be alone Gen. 2:18.
Marriage is the union or the coming together of two opposite sexes with a view of building a God centered home. Marriage is an honourable institution (with bed undefiled) which requires prayerful handling Heb. 13:4. Scripturally, this union is throughout a lifetime and as such a child of God should start praying for his/her at anytime his/her mind peeps into the future, even when he or she is not planning for it yet. However, it advisable that at anytime he or she is convinced that the time is up for marriage he or she is advised to go to God in prayers for assistance in setting up definite goals for the envisioned home and which way to achieve them, totality of which is a miniature heaven on earth!
WHAT IS MARRIAGE DESIRABLE?
The main reasons why God brought man and woman together to live as husband and wife are:
1a. BIBLICAL: Marriage is recommended by God for a man and woman. God intentionally created the two sexes Gen. 1:27 to achieve this purpose. In Gen. 2:18 God emphasized the need for both sexes coming as husband and wife in order to assist each other
1b. SPIRITUAL REINFORCEMENT: To reinforcement
To support Prov. 27:17
To uphold
- TO AVOID SIN: In the book of Matt. 5:28 our Lord says lustfully looking at a woman makes a man to have committed adultery in his heart. In the book of I Cor. 7:1-2 “it is said that it is good for a man not to marry but since there is so much sexual immorality among you each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband”.
- COMPANIONSHIP: God Almighty says in Gen. 2:18 that it is not for a man to be alone, I will make him a help meet (suitable companion) for him. Eccl. 4:9-12 tells us that two are better than one because they have a better return for their work..
Realize the importance of the phrase or phrases “helpmeet or companion” in which ever way these words are translated what is glaring here is the fact of a male and female staying together permanently as husband and wife, supporting and helping each other in all that appertains to their marriage, and somebody you can associate with in all areas of human endeavor. God, by creating a woman for the man ( a wife as a companion), put a wife as somebody who will share with the man all his joys and sufferings, know his innermost recesses, all his secrets and all his overt actions. Similarly, the man has to know everything about he wife too. Nothing hidden, not even a shadow of the least human thinking.
- PROCREATION: (To Multiply); After creating human beings in Gen. 1:28, God blessed them in these words “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it”. God’s blessings of multiplication of Noah and his three sons is seen in Gen. 9:1 from the foregoing it is worthy of note that the power of procreate or to produce after their kinds was transformed to the man and the woman. This power however can be rightfully exercised ONLY in marriage.
- SOCIETY: Makes for honour and respect in the society. Prov. 31:23.
LESSON TWO
CHOICE OR PARTNER
The choice of a life partner is certainly one of the most crucial steps in the marriage act. It is a lifetime decision in which God’s intervention is highly indispensable. Exo. 34:15-16; II Cor. 6:14. A child of God should not rely on his/her own wisdom to pick his/her life partner. Only God knows tomorrow and sees the end before the beginning Is. 46:9-10; Prov. 19:14 says: House and wealth are an inheritance from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. James 1:17. A true Christian (Brother or Sister) has to commit the choice or his/her life partner unto the Lord with confidence.
Surely as you commit the choice unto God, the miracle will happen – yours is to find, His is to guide. Prov. 3:6, Prov. 18:22. No true Christian would enter into any relationship until he/she is convinced of God’s will. Is. 37:5 enjoins Christians to put their trust in God in order to get the best.
God’s will for a couple may be revealed in any of these ways:…
