Mutual Disciples in Marriage

I.  God’s design of marriage

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock
and over all the earth and over everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind.’
And God saw that it was good.

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
Male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,
and have dominion . . .” (Genesis 1:26-28).

•  Praise—to display His glory.
•  Procreate—to reproduce image bearers.
•  Pleasure—to enjoy God’s gift of sexuality.
•  Protect—to protect our purity.
•  Purpose—for our holiness.

II.  The wife helps her husband to be all God calls him to be

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you
eat of it you shall surely die.’Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him a helperfit for him’” (Genesis 2:16-18).

•  The context of the creation of woman is God’s commandment in the Garden to overcome spiritual challenges.
•  “Helper” (‘ezer) refers most frequently to the Lord: “My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth”
    (Ps. 121:1-2). Our“Lord is their help and shield” (Ps. 115:9-11).

III.  The husband loves and serveshis wife for her holiness

“Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
that he might sanctify her . . .” (Ephesians 5:25-26a).

•  The model of love is Christ
•  The manner of love is sacrifice and service
•  The motive of love is her holiness

Application

•  Focus on being who God calls you to be.
•  Be thankful for God’s gift of your spouse to help you be a devoted disciple of Christ.
•  “Submit to one another” in love and respect out of reverence for Christ.

“According to God’s design, therefore, the man and the woman, the husband and wife have been
designed by God to stand together and help each other fight the battles of life.”William D. Mounce

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From Series: "Discipleship "

Making Disciples Who Make Disciples