The Sunday Mail
GOD is a God of purpose. Purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. God is the creator of all that exists. In Revelation 4:11 the Bible says, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for you have created all things.”
Pastors Davison & Gwen Kanokanga
Marriage is not man’s idea. It is not any church or government’s idea. Marriage is God’s idea. It is God who instituted marriage in the garden of Eden. Genesis 2:18 says,“And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.”
Pursuant to this, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep during which he took one of his ribs and made a woman. God brought the woman to the man.
Genesis 2:23 says when Adam saw her he 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.”
That was the beginning of marriage. It started with God in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve being the first couple. The New Living Translation in Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord has made everything for his own purposes.”
The Message Bible puts it this way, “God made everything with a place and purpose”. So when God made marriage, He had a purpose in mind.
What was the purpose and why is it important for us to know it?
It is important to know the purpose of a thing so as to avoid misuse or abuse. Unless we know the purpose of marriage we will abuse the institution of marriage. In order for us to understand the purpose of marriage, we must ask ourselves the question; “What was in God’s mind when He instituted marriage? In other words, “Why did God institute marriage?”
Here are the reasons why God instituted marriage. Firstly, He wanted marriage to be an earthly picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ and his church. This is evidenced by Ephesians 5:22 which says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”
And Ephesians 5:25 which says, “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”.
Second, God instituted marriage for companionship. We see this in Genesis 2:18. The message Bible puts it this way,
“God said – It’s not good for the man to be alone, 1:11 make him a helper, a companion”.
A companion is a close friend. Companionship provides fellowship, encouragement, strength and comfort during times of distress.
Third, God instituted marriage so that sexual intercourse could take place within the bounds of a legitimate marriage. The Message Bible in 1 Corinthians 7:2-3 says,
“ . . . It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality – the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband.”
Fornication, masturbation, bestiality and adultery are not God’s idea.
Fourth, God instituted marriage for procreation. The Message Bible in Malachi 2:15 says, “God, not you, made marriage. His spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what.”
In Genesis 1:28 the Bible says, “Then God blessed them, saying – Be fruitful and multiply . . . ”
Fifth, God instituted marriage as a school of learning. In marriage God wants us to learn to love one another, to serve one another, to care for each other, to accept each other, to work together, to be patient with each other, to share life, meet each other’s basic needs and to live with someone who is your exact opposite.
God’s purpose for marriage can only be fully realised when God is at the centre of one’s marriage. The word of God makes this clear in at least two portions of scripture. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.”
In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.”
In order to fully realise God’s purpose for marriage, couples need to follow God’s blueprint for marriage. A husband and wife must become one flesh and work as a one flesh team. Genesis 2:24 captures this well by saying,
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”.
While Matthew 12:25 says, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
Pastors Davison and Gwendoline Kanokanga are the founders of The Impact Christian Centre and The Marriage Centre. Email feedback at [email protected]
