The Key to a Biblical Marriage is ...

Promise Keeping, Pastor Bernie Diaz

Americans have a literal love/hate relationship with marriage which I think somewhat parallels our relationship with God Himself. On the one-hand, the U.S. has the highest divorce rate in the world, and on the other hand, our rates of remarriage and multiple marriages contribute to those numbers and to the fact that American kids are more likely to live in a household with a revolving casts of parents than anyother child from any other developed country. As an example, Newsweek reports that 40% of American children born into a two-parent family experience a break-up of that family by the time they turn 15, compared to 30% for Swedes.

Why? What is the common denominator for our infidelity with marriage and with God? In a word- committment. Since everyone today is looking for the proverbial quick-fix, hence the phenomena of pills for whatever ails our bodies and minds, we should ask: 'Is there such a silver-bullet or magic pill to fix what ails the family today in general and its foundation -marriage in particular?' I would say yes. As we turn to the maker's manual- the Bible, as the blueprint for marriage and families, and as we began Sunday ('All in the Family') to consider that God is the maker of marriage and of it's methods (Genesis 2:18-24), we should remind ourselves that the key to a successful and godly marriage from a theological AND practical standpoint comes down to the word covenant, or if you prefer that synonym, committment.

A covenant biblically, is an agreement between two parties that involve promises on the part of each one. God has made such covenants or agreements in the past with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the new covenant (or testament) with mankind, which is based on the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, resulting in the formation of what we know as the church. And as Paul wrote the church in Ephesians 5, that covenant between Christ the bridegroom and His bride the church, is irrevocable - it cannot be broken. No matter how ugly, apathetic and unloving His church might be, Christ is always faithful to her, sanctifying her and preparing her for a grand reunion. Guess what? Marriage between men and women on earth are to serve as the illustration or picture of what Paul calls that same "great mystery (Eph. 5:32)," the wedding between Christ and His church. Covenant and committment - the taking seriously and keeping of wedding vows and promises is actually the magic pill- the key to lasting and biblical marriages.

If you're born-again and married, think twice the next time you're frustrated by your spouse and plan on leaving or splitting your family. Think about whether or not your Lord and Savior would leave you high and dry and without His family every time we hurt Him, reject Him and are unworthy of His forgiveness and then think about whether or not we should do the same. Such a mind-set could revolutionize marriages and families.