A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Ephesians 5:31

Our world has completely lost sight of what marriage was intended to be. Somewhere between Adam and Eve and Adam and Steve, marriage became a matter of paper instead of purpose. What we forget is that since humans did not invent marriage, humans don’t have the power to redefine it. We can’t tinker with what we don’t own. God invented marriage and defined its parameters because He wanted us to experience the kind of intimacy the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enjoy. He did this by creating the concept of covenant. A covenant is not a contract. Contracts can be renegotiated. Covenants are unbreakable.

Malachi 2:13-16 says that God was our witness when two lives became one. He molded a man and a woman into a new unit called US. He gave them the gift of sexual union to seal that covenant. Sex between husband and wife is to be the final act of becoming one. It is a sacred gift with bonding power. When we violate that bonding through any form of sexual expression outside of God-ordained marriage, we are defiling God’s covenant. Imagine gluing two pieces of paper together, letting them dry, and then trying to pull them apart. It’s impossible for either page to leave that union fully intact. When God binds a man and woman together in covenant of marriage, sealing it with sexual enjoyment, it is a bond that only death should break.

Final Thought:  Which parts of God’s covenantal definition of marriage are new to you? How well are you cooperating?

Prayer: Father, I want your best for my life in every way, including marriage. Help me grow in knowledge and understanding of how much you value covenantal marriage. May my sexual and relationship choices reflect your design. In Jesus’ name, Amen.