Power Point - March 29, 2007

March 29, 2007

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
--Ephesians 5:33

Perhaps the best way for Christian couples to have a strong testimony to the rest of the world is to have a strong, holy marriage. Marriage is meant to be a picture of what our relationship should be with Jesus Christ.

Christians are called the bride of Christ, and He is the head, or the groom, of this relationship. That’s why the Bible tells husbands to love their wives with every fiber of their being—even with their lives if necessary. That’s exactly how Christ loves us as His bride on earth!

We need to be reminded often that one major purpose of Christian marriage is to be a vibrant testimony to the outside world of the difference that Christ can make. Nothing shows the love of Jesus Christ to this world better than a committed Christian couple sacrificing for each other and lifting each other up.

Unfortunately, that’s also why a Christian marriage that fails is a disaster on many levels.  When Christian marriages fall prey to various problems and fall apart, the world wonders if Christ really makes any difference. This is on top of the damaged and destroyed lives that divorce causes among couples and families.

Of course, Christians aren’t immune to the problems that plague all human relationships. But we must remember that Christ designed Christian marriage to stand out and be pure in an impure world.

It’s easy to get discouraged by the fact that Christian marriages are failing just as frequently as secular ones. But there is something positive you and I can do about that. We can make sure our own marriages are Christ-honoring, and we can pray for and encourage the married couples in our families, churches, and neighborhoods.

Stand strong for marriage, by taking time to pray for your marriage…and for the marriage of someone you know.

THERE IS NO BETTER TESTIMONY OF CHRIST’S LOVE THAN A HEALTHY MARRIAGE. TODAY, PRAY FOR A MARRIED COUPLE YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WILL FOLLOW THE LORD.