As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. Ephesians 5:31-32
Is there a godly couple whose marriage that you admire? What stands out to you about their marriage? Perhaps the way they sacrifice for each other's needs stands out. Maybe you are struck by the way they serve together in the church. Perhaps the way they speak so highly of each other stands out to you. Godly marriages have an impact that reaches far beyond their family. Godly marriages point the people around them to Christ.
The apostle Paul teaches us about marriage in Ephesians 5. In this passage of Scripture, he wrote about the importance of unity in marriages. He explained that husbands and wives are to live unified as if they are one person, not two. Next, he explained, "As the Scriptures say, 'A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to His wife and the two are united into one.' This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one" (verses 31-32). Paul explained in this passage of Scripture that godly marriages are meant to point others to Christ's relationship with the church. You see, if we claim to be followers of Christ, people are watching us. They are watching our relationships, especially our marriages. When people observe our marriages, we have the opportunity to point them straight to Christ and His love for the church. When we love our spouses and the people around us, we are showing others Christ's love for His people, which is sacrificial, forgiving, generous, and so much more. How remarkable that we get to point people to Christ simply by the way we treat those around us, especially our spouses.
People are watching us and the way we love and serve the people around us, especially those of us who are married. When we love, care for, and serve our spouses and the people around us, people see a tangible example of Christ. And His love for the world. May people look at our marriages and other relationships and see a tangible example of Christ's love for them.
As Christ followers, our calling is to point others to Christ. How are you doing when it comes to pointing others to Christ? Are you talking about Him, loving others well in the name of Jesus, serving those around you? What can you do today to point others around you to Him? If you are married, how are you and your spouse pointing the people around you to Christ? Talk today about how you can point people to Jesus by the way you care for each other and the people around you.
Ephesians 5:25-33.
25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[a] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.
31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”[b] 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
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