One Flesh
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
The word 'sanctity' means ultimate importance, holiness... And we want to talk about the sanctity of marriage.
This was never man’s idea or invention. This was a God-idea, therefore we need to look after our marriages with our very lives if necessary and never take them for granted.
“Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one - I could never have farmed effectively without my wife Jill. She is still undoubtedly my chief adviser and my confidante and by the way and most importantly, she is my best friend.
For newly-married couples, there is no such thing as a perfect or flawless marriage. We have to work things out. Remember you come from two different backgrounds, maybe even two different cultures. You have to give and take - That is the secret.
But the secret of a long and happy marriage is the three-fold cord, it is not easily broken, that is what Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” The third part of that cord is Jesus Christ.
When we might disagree, we ask ourselves a simple question. What does the Bible say - And that settles it straight away. That is why it is vital, I am talking to young people now, that you do not become unevenly yoked with an unbeliever. What has darkness got to do with light? Can oil and water mix? Of course not. You need to make sure that the person you marry is a follower of Jesus Christ because if you don’t, you will continually be at loggerheads.
The finest day of my life, next to giving my life to Jesus Christ, was my wedding day.
Spoil each other today.