The Mystery of Marriage
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
7/28/2019 AM
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Text:
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Ephesians 5:31,32
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Psalters: |
381, 332, 359, 275 |
Sacrament of Baptism |
- The beautiful picture.
- The great importance of the marriage bond is because it is the foundation of all of society.
- The Spirit guides Paul to begin by quoting Genesis 2:24 – a part of God’s institution of marriage.
- God created Eve for Adam, and then He “brought her to the man.”
- Adam responded in a song seeing her as bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, identifying their closeness/intimacy.
- Then God follows with His commentary emphasizing the closeness/intimacy of the couple.
- Jesus quoted this same verse in Matthew 19:5, also emphasizing the closeness, with two conclusions.
- The significance of this is that marriage is to be regarded with great spiritual respect as a live-long union (Mt. 19:6; Rom. 7:2,3)
- God created the institution of marriage to be a picture of the real marriage: Christ and His church.
- “This is a great mystery.”
- This refers to God’s eternal secret plan which is now revealed in Jesus.
- Every elect is in this perfect and eternal marriage, to be especially understood by young people, singles, widows/widowers.
- Marriage, as a symbol of the relationship of Christ and the church, is also a mystery.
- Unbelievers do not and cannot know this mystery; they cannot begin to understand the mystery/wonder of marriage.
- Only two believers can know the true beauty of marriage.
- This bond of God-made marriage must be constantly sought (like all obedience); it does not simply fall out of us.
- Faith must be exercised constantly in marriage.
- The mystery of marriage must be lived in order to understand the blessed union that a husband and wife share.
- This text, used by the Spirit, convicts daily of how much we fail, so we must confess - but not despair.