MARRIAGE:    What does the Bible say?
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GOD'S WORD SAYS MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE


 Hebrews 13:4 
  4  Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but
 whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.


MARRIAGE IS A PERMANENT BOND BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE


 Matthew 19:5 
  5  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother,
 and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
  6  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore
 God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

 1 Corinthians 7:10 
  10. And unto the married I command, [yet] not I, but the Lord, Let
 not the wife depart from [her] husband:
  11  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be
 reconciled to [her] husband: and let not the husband put away [his]
 wife.


MARRIAGE IS DISSOLVED BY DEATH


 Romans 7:2 
  2  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to
 [her] husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she
 is loosed from the law of [her] husband.


THE HUSBAND'S DUTY


 Ephesians 5:25 
  25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
 church, and gave himself for it;
  26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
 water by the word,
  27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not
 having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
 holy and without blemish.
  28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that
 loveth his wife loveth himself.
  29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and
 cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

 Colossians 3:19 
  19  Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.

 1 Peter 3:7 
  7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to
 knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,
 and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers
 be not hindered.


THE WIFE'S DUTY


 Ephesians 5:21 
  21. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
  22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the
 Lord.
  23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the
 head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

 Colossians 3:18 
  18. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit
 in the Lord.

 Proverbs 14:1 
  1. Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh
 it down with her hands.

 Proverbs 31:10 
  10. Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above
 rubies.
  11  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he
 shall have no need of spoil.
  12  She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

 Proverbs 31:30 
  30  Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman
 [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.


LOVE, COMMITMENT, AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND HIS WORD IS
NECESSARY IN MARRIAGE


 Ephesians 4:31 
  31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and
 evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
  32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
 another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 James 1:22 
  22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
 your own selves.

                     PRAYER OF COMMITMENT

     Lord Jesus, I confess I have not been the kind of (Husband, wife) 
You want me to be.  I now invite You into my life and marriage and ask 
that You build a strong love relationship between my (husband, wife) and 
me.


                                  by A. Yusko and E. Prior
                                  The Seed Sowers
                                  P.O. Box 2513, Station F
                                  Scarborough, Ontario, M1W 3P2
                                  BBS (416) 498-5259/5962