Be Faithful

It is estimated that 50% of marriages in the U.S. will end in divorce.

The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%

The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%

The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

76% of Americans identify themselves as Christian, so statistically, roughly 76% of marriages are by “Christians”, and half of those will divorce.

God has a perfect plan for marriage, and it works! Unfortunately it is misunderstood or just plain ignored, even by Christians.

God’s perfect plan has been abandoned in favor of secular plans that have destroyed God’s holy institution of marriage.

When Christian couples try to imitate the world there will be trouble in the home.

But if both partners will imitate Jesus Christ in His submission and obedience, and His desire to serve others, then there will be triumph and joy in the home.

Marriage is a covenant relationship, that means that is is based on a promise. As God unites a couple in that promise, it will take love (real, God type love) to keep and fulfill the promise.

This commandment is for marital fidelity. God created one man and one woman for that man.

Genesis 2:18

Genesis 2:18 NKJV

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

This can only be accomplished through true love.

The type of love that should define a marriage is found in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NKJV

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Love is much more than just a warm fuzzy feeling. 

Love is an attitude which is characterized by one's actions.

Love is a verb, it requires that you DO!

PATIENCE:

There is probably nothing harder in today's instant, microwave society. But, it is essential!

Impatience causes bad decisions, and stress on your spouse, and. . . it is a contagious attitude.

NOT BOASTFUL OR ARROGANT:

Where true love exists, no one has to prove himself to the other. For one to be boastful and arrogant only serves to demean the other.

NOT RUDE:

Each spouse should always be treated with dignity and respect by the other.

NOT SELFISH:

You won't always get your own way, its not all about you. True love will put the interest of the other first. True love will be willing to sacrifice. When this happens, everyone wins!

NOT PROVOKED:

If every little thing irritates you and makes you mad, you have a problem, there is some resentment somewhere. True love does not behave this way.

THINKS NO EVIL:

True love won't think bad things or wish bad things on his spouse. True love will want only whats best for the other.

DOES NOT REJOICE IN SIN, BUT IN TRUTH:

True love will not laugh when the other falls or stumbles, instead, true love will help them up.

BEARS, BELIEVES, HOPES, ENDURES ALL THINGS:

True love will share the burdens, believe the promise, share the hope of the future, and endure trials together.

Thus, marriage should be a place of patience, humility, joy, truth, peace, affirmation, and hope.

Where impatience, arrogance, rudeness, selfishness, provocation, evil thoughts, and a love of sin exists, it will likely drive a spouse to look elswhere.

The perfect model for marital love is Jesus Christ. We wouldn't know what love is if it weren't for Him.

1 John 4:19

1 John 4:19 NKJV

We love Him because He first loved us.

This is just one of many reasons why a marriage must be Christ centered, because without Christ, true love would not exist. 

God's plan for marriage flies in the face of modern culture, it sets up a hierarchy of leadership and accountability.

The majority of Americans (even Christians) have abandoned God's plan.

They see it as old fashioned and irrelevant in today's evolved society.

God made men and women different so that we could compliment each other. Man has weaknesses that women make up for, and vice versa.

Men and women tend to think differently, and approach problems in different ways. This can be a very good thing.

God has taken those differences, those strengths and weaknesses, and told us how to best utilize them through the gender roles which He has defined.

The world says that this "patriarchal, male dominated" view is demeaning to women, and has no place in today's society.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

God's plan for marriage honors both the man one the woman.

The world says that they have a better way. Well, we've tried their way, and it doesn't work. Remember the divorce statistics?

We never saw numbers like that when Biblical marriage was widely observed.

God's plan for marriage is orderly, it removes confusion and uncertainty, and it promotes faithfullness.

With God's plan for marriage, there is no power struggle, there are clear lines drawn. 

No marriage is stress free, but God's plan removes unnecessary stress.

God’s plan promotes the sanctity of marriage.

Adam recognized the sanctity of marriage.

Genesis 2:23-25

Genesis 2:23–25 NKJV

And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Christ verified and reaffirmed the sanctity of marriage.

Matthew 5:27

Matthew 5:27 NKJV

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

Matthew 19:4-6

Matthew 19:4–6 NKJV

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘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 purpose of these restrictions in the Law is to set a clear distinction between God’s people and the rest of the nations.

The Lord Jesus even equated lust with adultery.

Matthew 5:28

Matthew 5:28 NKJV

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Unfortunately, we are surrounded by an overt promotion of such behavior, enticing all to engage freely.

It is distributed to us through books, movies, TV, Internet, music, fashion, and associations.

It is clear that the Christian must conform to biblical standards, not the world’s tolerance or permission.

1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:15–17 NKJV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Faithfulness is a product of true love, and Jesus demonstrates His love for us through His faithfulness.