So, let’s review the three purposes for marriage that we’ve looked at so far. They are sanctification, illustration, and procreation. What I want to do now is look these in a broader way and show you how they are connected and how each of them impacts the others.
We began our study a few weeks ago by acknowledging that there are millions of pages of Christian literature addressing the subject of marriage. Just browse the “Marriage and Family” section of an online bookstore and you’ll see what I mean. We also noted that most of that vast collection of literature offers help on how to save, improve, protect, grow, or even end a marriage, but it’s very difficult to find many pages that address God’s purposes for marriage.
The importance of understanding God’s purposes for marriage cannot be overstated. Unless we understand why God designed and instituted marriage in the first place, we will not be able to give wise, godly counsel to those with questions about marriage. I stated in the opening of our study, “Until we answer the question of purpose, we have no foundation upon which to build the structure of marriage. Only as God’s people understand and embrace His purposes in instituting the marriage covenant can we become more unified in our teaching about what a godly marriage looks like.”
As we begin this review, I will read from Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:18-25.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25
In the first portion of this study, I stated my belief that the primary purpose of marriage is sanctification. I based that on the record of Genesis 1:26 to 28. God created mankind, male and female, in His own image and likeness. God originally designed human beings to be LIKE Him, not in the role of a usurper, like Lucifer, son of the morning, but in the role of reflector or messenger. Humans were (and are) to be a tangible expression of God’s person and character.
By virtue of our creation, we are obligated to be holy, to be set apart; that is, to be like God. The requirement of holiness is stressed throughout the Scriptures from beginning to end. Though that original Godlikeness was marred by the sin of our first parents, sanctification was so important to the representation of God’s image that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son to restore that image. Therefore, holiness becomes God’s supreme goal for every individual He creates.
We should note that holiness isn’t simply moral improvement. Instead, it’s transformation. We don’t merely live differently than others, we have a completely different principle of life. We could say that holiness is not a lifestyle, but rather a life.
And for the disciple of Christ, it isn’t optional. Hebrews 12:14 informs that “without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” So, even though holiness is given to us as a gift through Christ, there is a need for pursuing it or striving to develop its qualities in our daily lives. Marriage is one of the tools God uses in this process.
Now it’s true that not every person will marry. But in God’s plan for the human family marriage is normative. That means, it is God’s design and plan that most people will marry and produce children so the human race continues and God’s purposes in the world can be fulfilled. Therefore, marriage becomes a valuable tool in God’s hands to continue the work of sanctification in our lives. To paraphrase the words of Gary Thomas, “God designed marriage to make us HOLY more than to make us happy.” Understanding this primary purpose of marriage will impact the answer you give to ANY question about the marriage relationship.
The second purpose we looked at was illustration. We find...
