{"id":8786,"date":"2024-02-05T15:29:35","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T16:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=8786"},"modified":"2024-02-05T16:59:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T16:59:48","slug":"celebrating-gods-plan-for-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=8786","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating God\u2019s Plan for Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/wifamilycouncil.org\/radio\/celebrating-gods-plan-for-marriage\/<\/a><\/p>\n

2024 | Week of February 5 | Radio Transcript #1552<\/h3>\n

Do you celebrate God\u2019s plan for marriage? Does your family? Does your church? I certainly hope the answer to all three of those questions is a resounding, enthusiastic, \u201cYes!\u201d because every marriage that reflects God\u2019s design of one man and one woman should be celebrated because God\u2019s plan for marriage is universally good and well worth celebrating.<\/p>\n

Because we have so much biblical illiteracy both outside our churches and sadly within, I\u2019m going to rehearse what the Word of God says about marriage. The opening chapter of the first book of the Bible, the book of beginnings, Genesis, tells us, \u201cSo God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, \u2018Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it\u2019\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Genesis 2, God gives more details about the creation of woman in particular and in verse 24 of this chapter we have the first use of the word wife<\/em>: \u201cTherefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined [or cling] to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.\u201d Clearly God created marriage when He created Adam and then saw the need for Adam to have a helper exactly suited to and for him and made woman using a rib from Adam.<\/p>\n

In the New Testament, Matthew 19:4-5, Jesus reiterates these truths of a binary creation and of one-man and one-woman marriage, \u201cAnd He answered and said to them, \u2018Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning \u2018made them male and female,\u2019 and said, \u2018For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh\u2019? \u201c<\/p>\n

I believe one of the most important biblical teachings on marriage is the New Testament analogy we have of Christ being the bridegroom and His Church being the bride, a holy union to be sure, and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, where of course the Lamb is the bridegroom Christ. Both human marriage, an earthly picture of this spiritual marriage, and the spiritual marriage itself are God\u2019s plan and design.<\/p>\n

I believe God will not allow His divine plan to be sullied and blasphemed without ultimate judgment. God\u2019s Word allows for no deviation from one man and one woman uniting in a monogamous, lifelong relationship. Any other relationship configuration called marriage is wrong and outside of God\u2019s plan and blessing.<\/p>\n

Importantly, God\u2019s institution of marriage, designed for mankind\u2019s good and God\u2019s glory, comes with unparalleled blessings\u2014blessings that God in His unfathomable goodness allows to extend to those who do not believe in Him and even to those who blaspheme Him. That\u2019s God\u2019s common grace.<\/p>\n

The blessings of marriage include, typically, natural procreation\u2014the bringing of new life into this world through the unique contributions of both the male husband and female wife. Children born to or adopted by men and women in a God-designed marriage are, on average, better off in every way than children in any other kind of family structure\u2014including being considerably more likely to avoid poverty, poor health, abuse of all sorts, educational difficulties, crime, substance addictions, and more.<\/p>\n

Men and women in one-man, one-woman marriages also enjoy great\u2014again, on average\u2014benefits, such as better health, especially for men, higher income (even when only one spouse is working), more savings, avoidance of poverty, in particular for women, and more.<\/p>\n

All of these benefits have been verified thousands of times by social science research not just in the United States but around the world. And we should not be surprised by that. God\u2019s plan for marriage and family works. When we deviate from that plan, the problems begin\u2014and not only continue but expand. When individual God-designed marriages are numerous and are strong and healthy, the entire society is better off.<\/p>\n

February 7th<\/sup> through the 14th<\/sup> is designated as National Marriage Week. It\u2019s a great time for families and churches in particular to rehearse God\u2019s teaching on marriage and to champion this divinely ordained institution that is good for all people, at all times, in all places.<\/p>\n

This is Julaine Appling for Wisconsin Family Council reminding you that God, through the Prophet Hosea, said, \u201cMy people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more at WIFamilyCouncil.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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