Marriage & The Gospel Revisited

This blog entry was from March of this year:
I was driving home last night listening to a Focus on the Family broadcast. I was unable to catch the names of people involved or the location, but the discussion that I heard on marriage is worth sharing. To put it plainly: If the gospel doesn't work in your marriage then you have deceived yourself.

I have no doubt that many people will question this statement. However, when we consider the power of the gospel in our lives, how can I marriages not be affected? Is there any other relationship in the world where we need to offer forgiveness, grace, mercy, and truth? Is there any other area of our lives where we are required to love in such a way? Folks, if we love Jesus then we will love our spouse. If we have been forgiven then we can offer it to others. If God has shown us mercy then we should be doing the same.

I was talking with a friend of mine about this very issue. He shared with me an incredible quote: "There should never be irreconcilable differences in a Christian marriage. For a Christian to make that statement is to tell the world that the gospel is impotent." WOW!!! It's one thing to look out in the world and wonder why marriages don't seem to stay together, but it's quite another to look into the church and see that we aren't doing any better.

What are some core truths of the gospel?
Sacrificial Love
Grace
Mercy
Forgiveness
Most of us would agree with this but I wonder how many of us are living them out. If Jesus has changed my life through sacrificial love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness; then I should be offering these same things to others. I should definitely be offering these things to my spouse.

One of the other topics discussed on the broadcast was the idea of a "soul mate." The popularity of this type of thinking has lead people to believe that there is one person out there who can fulfill their every desire and need. This is not a biblical concept. Plato (Greek Philosopher)surmised that a perfect human being was tragically split in two, resulting in a race of creatures sentenced to spend the rest of their lives searching for that missing other who can complete them. However, this thought process is not found in the Bible. Here's how a believer should approach marriage: When we say "I Do" then that person is the one. We are to devote our entire lives to this one individual. We have chosen to be bound to them in the continual pursuit of love.

It's time for believers to get a stomach for the fight. Marriage is to be a picture of Christ and His Bride. Jesus has never given up and will never give up in His pursuit. His love knows no end. His mercy is everlasting. His grace is amazing. We must root out all selfishness in our lives because love doesn't seek its own. We are to die to ourselves daily according to the gospel. Have we done this in our marriage?

I'm praying for a revival in the church...a revival of marriages. May God bring back to life this sacred institution. We need nothing less than the Spirit of God to breathe upon us in this area. May the church, once again, be a safe place for marriages. May we never relent in the continual pursuit.

Still chasing...