MARRIAGE AND THE CHURCH Article 4 - October, 2012
by Fay Bouknight
God knows marriage is so important that He compares it with His church. That’s serious and we need to take heed! We need to stop trying to change the word of God to fit our lifestyle. It will not work with God. We need to take His word seriously, or we may not make it to the heavenly home. God’s word is not mocked. “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:6-8).
Church and marriage are compared with each other in the word of God. Plainly and simply put, if you are married and your first spouse still lives, one of you must die before remarrying because you are under the law of marriage. Only death breaks that law; and before you become a Christian you are under the law of sin. You are actually married to the law of sin. There needs to be a death in both cases before there can be a new marriage. In other words, if a first spouse dies, you may remarry in God’s sight. If you die to your sins, you shall be married to another, Jesus Christ, so that you might bear fruit unto God. You are dead to the law by being saved from your sins. The Bible says you are crucified with Him. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The death of Christ upon the cross has wrought the extinction of our former corruption. We are now new in him through death. Through the death of a first spouse, we may have a new spouse.
“Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:1-6).
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or winkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherished it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (Ephesians 5:22-33).
Now notice these scriptures in Genesis: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:21-25). One could say that God was the first to give away His daughter. He actually took her to Adam. This is an awesome picture of marriage, but I also think it is a picture of the church. However, many ministers and others cannot see this. They ask, “where’s the ceremony”? God creates marriage, man creates a ceremony. Here’s the reason they cannot see this as marriage: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
You will notice in the scriptures where Paul, through the Holy Spirit, compared marriage and the church as being a great mystery. We may not totally understand while here on this earth, but one day we will understand it. However, we must accept it, because His word is true.
It is my belief that the first marriage (Adam and Eve) is picture of the church (one body). I believe this is how they are connected and I believed this is why scriptures parallel them. I also find another interesting parallel in marriage and the church. God gave Jesus the members. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 27-30). God also gave Adam a wife. “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man” Genesis 2:22).
It is my prayer that this article will be a blessing to you in understanding what marriage is and also in understanding how important it is to give your heart and life to the Lord. Jesus is truly our Savior. May God bless you!
by Fay Bouknight
God knows marriage is so important that He compares it with His church. That’s serious and we need to take heed! We need to stop trying to change the word of God to fit our lifestyle. It will not work with God. We need to take His word seriously, or we may not make it to the heavenly home. God’s word is not mocked. “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:6-8).
Church and marriage are compared with each other in the word of God. Plainly and simply put, if you are married and your first spouse still lives, one of you must die before remarrying because you are under the law of marriage. Only death breaks that law; and before you become a Christian you are under the law of sin. You are actually married to the law of sin. There needs to be a death in both cases before there can be a new marriage. In other words, if a first spouse dies, you may remarry in God’s sight. If you die to your sins, you shall be married to another, Jesus Christ, so that you might bear fruit unto God. You are dead to the law by being saved from your sins. The Bible says you are crucified with Him. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The death of Christ upon the cross has wrought the extinction of our former corruption. We are now new in him through death. Through the death of a first spouse, we may have a new spouse.
“Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:1-6).
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or winkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherished it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (Ephesians 5:22-33).
Now notice these scriptures in Genesis: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:21-25). One could say that God was the first to give away His daughter. He actually took her to Adam. This is an awesome picture of marriage, but I also think it is a picture of the church. However, many ministers and others cannot see this. They ask, “where’s the ceremony”? God creates marriage, man creates a ceremony. Here’s the reason they cannot see this as marriage: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
You will notice in the scriptures where Paul, through the Holy Spirit, compared marriage and the church as being a great mystery. We may not totally understand while here on this earth, but one day we will understand it. However, we must accept it, because His word is true.
It is my belief that the first marriage (Adam and Eve) is picture of the church (one body). I believe this is how they are connected and I believed this is why scriptures parallel them. I also find another interesting parallel in marriage and the church. God gave Jesus the members. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 27-30). God also gave Adam a wife. “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man” Genesis 2:22).
It is my prayer that this article will be a blessing to you in understanding what marriage is and also in understanding how important it is to give your heart and life to the Lord. Jesus is truly our Savior. May God bless you!
