Love DefinedSample

God’s Master Plan

When God brought Adam and Eve together, he had a spectacular plan in mind. A plan much bigger than marriage itself. God knew Adam and Eve were going to sin. God knew humanity would be corrupted. God knew the world would need a Savior. In God’s omniscient power, He created marriage to tell an incredible story. A story about Himself.

I (Kristen) have a beautiful hand-painted picture of a mountainous scene hanging in my house. This picture is a magnificent representation of the mountains I love. However, as much as I love this picture, it’s only a representation of the real thing. 

God created marriage to work exactly the same way. Marriage, as lovely as it is, is only a picture of something greater. God placed the institution of marriage on the wall of this world as a representation of the gospel. God’s greatest purpose for creating marriage is to show the world an earthly representation of what Christ’s covenant relationship looks like with His Church. 

As Ephesians 5 shows us, the husband’s role is to reflect a picture of Christ Himself and the wife’s role is to reflect a picture of the Church. Christ (our heavenly groom) came to this earth, pursued His bride (the Church), sacrificed His life for her, made a lasting covenant with her (a promise that cannot be broken), and gave her a new name (child of God). Just as Christ loved, pursued, and sacrificed for His bride, husbands are called to do the same for their brides. 

In marriage, the man is called to love his wife selflessly. To lead her in wisdom. To sacrifice himself for her good. The woman is called to respond to her husband’s leadership as the Church responds to Christ. To partner with him in the work of the kingdom.

Understanding marriage through a gospel lens is essential for us as Christian women. When a man and a woman live out their unique gender roles within the marriage covenant, they put the glory of the gospel on display as God intended. We show our lost and broken world a picture of Christ and His love for His bride (the Church). As Christian women, our primary purpose for getting married should be to glorify God. 

Describe a marriage you know that shows the world Christ-like love.