God has given us a user's manual for how to have a successful relationship. A user's manual for how to live your life, and it's called the bible. And so we need to go back to what God says in his word, because he tells us how to have a marriage that will last a lifetime. To have a successful marriage two things must happen there must be a leaving ans a cleaving.
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| Marriage rings |
Remember that statement in the book of genesis for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined unto his wife, and the two shall become one flash.
Then we read later and God called their name Adam, so God saw Adam and Eve as one person, and when a man and a woman come together in marriage they become one flash in the sight of God. So now what you want to do is leave and cleave, and that's something to do for the rest of your life first you leave, leave what? you leave all other relationship and by that I mean, I'm not saying you're no longer a son or a daughter to your parents or a sibling , but I'm saying now there's a number one relationship in your life.
And that number one relationship is that with you spouse whose bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh, so I leave all other relationship and I make this my number one priority second only to my relationship with God. Number two there is a cleaving now the word cleave, means to be permanently glued together. Actually the word implies there'll be irreparable damage if the two are separated so it doesn't mean i'm stuck to that person.
But i'm glued to that person, big deference. In other words I'm holding on to the person so I leave other relationship I'm holding on to my wife or my husband. Ephesians, chapter 5 verse 31
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother. And be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless lead each one of you in particular love his own wife as himself and the wife see the she respects her husband".
So much I say can say, let me just riff for a moment on those statements. If you would just do that it would transform your marriage, do what? Love your wife as Christ loves the church. If you would just do that, by the way that's a tall order. Men are the initiators, men need to take point, men need to lead spiritually and men need to love their wife as Jesus loves his church, putting her needs above his own.
Wives respect your husband, respect him isn't it interesting that it says respect him should you not love him, yes you're told to do that elsewhere but in particular it says respect. Women need love, men need respect. That's not to say women don't need respect, and men don't need love but it is to say passage says husbands love your wives and it says wives respect your husband. Are you respecting your husband? Don't ever tear your husband down in front of other people.
Denigrate him, make him the brunt of a joke. When's the last time you thanked him for what he does for you, the sacrifices he makes for you. And how are we to love our wives men. Were to love her as Christ love the church. And how did Christ show his love for the church. He died on the cross for the church, he died on the cross for the world. He died on the cross for all of humanity.
No greater love do we have than this and a man lay down his life for his friends, and Jesus laid his life down for us and he sacrificed his life for us , so we could come into a relationship with him, and we could be forgiven of all of our sin.
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