Marriage as God IntendedSample

The 5 Ps of Marriage

To understand more deeply what God had in mind when He designed the wondrous, lifelong partnership between a man and woman, it’s helpful to consider the five Ps of marriage.

The first P of marriage is partnership, as we’ve already read over the past couple of days. Adam had some really good things going for him in the Garden of Eden, before Eve arrived. Still, it wasn’t good for him to remain alone. Whether or not he realised it, he needed a helper and an equal-yet-different companion.

The second P of marriage is procreation. God blessed Adam and Eve, telling them to have children, who would go on to have more children, and so populate the earth. For various reasons, not every married couple has children, but marriage and family are God’s ideal design for the creation of human beings.

The third P of marriage is proclamation. Marriage is a living, breathing symbol of Christ and the Church. Permanence, unity, and intimacy are thus so important in marriage, as we consider the calling we have to display Jesus’ love and commitment to the world through our marriages.

The fourth P of marriage is purity. God’s wonderful gift of sex was designed to only ever be unwrapped within the safety and sanctity of marriage. Marriage is the avenue God has provided to protect us from impurity and sexual immorality.

The fifth P of marriage is pleasure (which links to purity). One of the magnificent blessings of marriage is the privilege of enjoying physical union in a safe, secure, and stable context. You will never be as open and as known as you are when you have sex with someone, and marriage provides that in a trusting and loving environment. This is why unfaithfulness cuts so deep. It is to betray the person with whom you have been most intimate.

Marriage is a profoundly wonderful gift because it comes from our Creator who overflows with goodness. We should all find ways to honour marriage – how we speak of it, how we pursue it, how we live in it, and how we encourage those who are in it. We are to do this because marriage comes from God, and it speaks of God. It’s also the one avenue for a life-long commitment to one person in faithfulness and love – a picture of Christ’s love for, and commitment to, His Church. To God be the glory, a great gift He has given.

This plan was adapted from the series, Marriage as God Intended, on RightNow Media. To find out more, visit: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/af/get-access