Leave one’s father and mother
An important aspect of marriage is
leaving “father and mother,” as God
instructed, to establish a new family unit. Adam and Eve did not
have
physical parents to leave, but future
generations would need to apply this
instruction. Honoring parents and
seeking their advice is advisable, but
newlyweds need to remember that they
are a new family unit. Just because
things were done a particular way in
your family does not mean your spouse
will want to do things the same way.
Two people must learn to work together in marriage, showing
respect
and love to each other. Such an approach follows the biblical
principles
of wives submitting to their husbands and husbands loving and
honoring their wives (Ephesians 5:22, 25; 1 Peter 3:1, 7). Establishing family
guidelines and traditions in an atmosphere of love and respect
gives the
newly married couple a foundation on which to build their lives.
Be
joined together
Another principle from Genesis 2:24 is that a husband should be
“joined” to his wife. Other translations say he should “cling”
or “cleave”
to her. Today we would say he should bond with her. Other than
God, she should be his highest commitment.
The biblical text is clear that a man should build this special,
close
relationship with his wife. The idea of clinging to multiple
partners is
foreign to this account.
An important aspect of marriage is leaving “father and
Also, since about a third of married men and a fourth of married
women in the United States admit to having indulged in
adulterous
affairs, we shouldn’t be surprised that approximately half of
American
marriages end in divorce. These are all part of the vicious and
destructive cycle that ensues when we ignore God’s direction regarding sex and
marriage.
The way to reverse the trend of broken marriages and safeguard
one’s
own relationship is simple: Accept and practice God’s
instruction to
restrict sex to marriage. Such an approach shows honor and
respect for
the sexuality God has given us.
In this approach, sex is not cheapened or lowered to a common
animal behavior. Instead it is an honorable act reserved for the
most
intimate human relationship of all, entered into with the most
honorable
intentions. Not ashamed
The last principle from God’s first guidelines for marriage
reveals
that Adam and Eve were naked but not embarrassed by their nakedness
(Genesis 2:25). Since they were the only two people on the
planet,
privacy was not an issue. Sexuality was not and is not
intrinsically dirty
or shameful.
Within marriage a husband and wife should feel comfortable with
each
other’s masculinity or femininity. But revealing too much of
one’s body
to other members of the opposite sex outside of marriage invites
the
breaking of God’s commands against lust and unlawful sexual
relations.
Jesus warned that “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has
already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew
5:28). Men
and women alike need to control their minds and dress modestly
to
discourage sexual arousal and temptation outside of marriage.
Again, these actions show respect for our sexuality, respect for
others
and respect for God—the Author of these instructions. People who
live
by these guidelines are not prudish nor so mentally constricted
that they
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