MARRIAGE THAT PREACHES THE GOSPEL

-

Priscilla and Aquila are the most prominent couple mentioned in the NT.
1.     They were noted together as being tentmakers (Acts 18:2-3)
2.     They accompanied Paul together on His journey from Corinth to Ephesus (Acts 18:18)
3.     Together they taught Apollo about Jesus beyond John’s baptism in their home (Acts 18:26)

 Why were they so as one body in everything? Would you like your marriage to be like theirs?

The closest illustration of the relationship between Christ and His Church is marriage. A good marriage therefore illustrates the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news that Christ died for us that He might show Himself in us.

 Paul teaches how a good marriage preaches the Gospel in Ephesians 5: 22-33

1.     Christ gave himself for the Church –husband surrenders independence to stick to one wife
2.     Christ continues to demonstrate His love to His Church by cleansing her with His word – husband continues to groom his wife by gently providing her direction (as unto a weaker vessel 1Peter 3:7)
3.     Christ did not prefer His own body to the Church – husbands should also not love themselves better than they love their wives
4.     The Church submits to Christ in all things – wives must submit to their husbands in all things
5.     Christ is honoured above all by the Church – wives must obey their husbands, not shying away from calling them lord, in faith (1 Peter 3:6)

 Conclusion

If our marriages succeed, it is a great illustration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The mindset of marriage should be mutual self sacrifice for the wellbeing of one as for the honour of the other. If our marriages fail, we miss a great opportunity to illustrate the Gospel with our lives. Let us marry with purpose.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WE CAME TO PREACH CHRIST

-
*WE CAME TO PREACH* We came to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of our hearers asked us, "What shall we do to be saved from the wrath of God reserved for sinners?" We told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and God will forgive them, give them power to serve Him and to fulfil the desires of the flesh no more. Before they could make a move one young guy shouted loudly, "Hell no! You've got it all wrong. Don't start with REPENT. How can these sinners stop sinning without the power of God transforming them FIRST?" We said, "But that is what the Lord Jesus preached in Matthew 4:17, and asked us in Luke 24:47 to preach". By this time, the people who asked what to do had started dispersing ... This guy continued, "By repent, Jesus didn't mean stop sinning, or regret whatever wrong you have done, because He knows you have no capacity to do that. He just meant change your mind about Him. In Greek it's cal
Read more

RELEASED TO LIVE

-
Image
My Galatians The letter is a kind of apogee of Paul’s gospel, when he could not refer to Peter and co. for authority to back his teaching that the gospel excels the law, and that it is self-defeating to hold the law as the standard when one comes to Christ. He traces the origin of his message to only his personal interaction with Christ, though at a point he returned to Jerusalem to present his message for verification (2:1-2).  He repudiated Peter’s ceremonial separation as contradictory to the gospel of Christ who embraces all nations without discrimination (2:18). Paul asserts that those to whom the law was given could not uphold it perfectly and are therefore under the “curse of the law” (3:10). Salvation has therefore always been by faith, and not by the law which came several years after God’s covenant promise to Abraham. The purpose of the law was therefore as caretaker until the empowerer came (3:18,21). If righteousness by the law could give life, there would
Read more

FOR BETTER FOR WORSE FOR GOOD

-
 FOR BETTER FOR WORSE FOR GOOD Your spouse isn't in your life simply to give you blissful days. He or she is in also to improve your character by stretching it to limits no one else can.  Just like change of lesson at school, couples regularly give each other bad days without even intending to. Those are all providential too. That is why every marriage looks nicer from the outside, at least soon as the honeymoon is over. Over time, after you've learnt to trust better and let some things go, you'll understand that you've been forged for greater things.  During the 'difficult lesson' periods, consider first which aspects of your own character is being dealt with, and try and make amends, otherwise, you'll have to do remedials several times over.  You focus also on God's overall goodness to you, and make room to thank Him. Don't let your grumbling steal His honor and praise. He is the one refining us, and though He passes us through fire, He is with us
Read more