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Hymn: O Worship the King<\/p>\n
Text: Deuteronomy 7:1-6; Proverbs 19:14, 18:22, 3:5-6<\/p>\n
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Marriage, a time-honored institution that has blessed humanity, was instituted by God, Genesis 2:22-24, Matthew 19:4-5. In his sovereignty, God set the rules for ordering the institution of marriage, for one man and one woman.\u00a0 Christ also emphasized it in His comment on the law of Moses in Matthew 19:5.\u00a0 Anything outside this is an aberration and abomination to God.\u00a0 God\u2019s design and implementation of marriage relationship was intended for human family, to facilitate and environment of security, contentment and spiritual well-being for those who acknowledge God as Father.\u00a0 No matter how carelessly the modern world tries to flout it, God\u2019s purpose cannot be thwarted by man.\u00a0 Let those who honor their Creator respect His marital ordinances.<\/p>\n
In our series of studies on Christian marriage, we shall consider topics under this broad theme beginning with \u201cCHOOSING A LIFE PARTNER\u201d.<\/p>\n
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God instituted marriage for the following:<\/p>\n
-Companionship; because it is not good for man to be alone, Genesis 2:18, so He made a woman (the wife) for him to solve his problem of loneliness.<\/p>\n
-Procreation; for multiplication in order to replenish the earth, Genesis 1:28.<\/p>\n
-Mutual relationship and to satisfy their sexual desires.<\/p>\n
-To complement each other in times of life\u2019s challenges, \u201ctwo are better than one\u201d, Ecclesiastes 4:9.<\/p>\n
-To avoid fornication and sexual immorality, 1 Corinthians 7:2.<\/p>\n
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It may not be easy to state categorically at what age or stage a Christian should begin to look for a life partner. There are issues of individual peculiarities, but there is need to give a general counsel based on Biblical principles.\u00a0 From 1 Timothy 5:8, we discover that a man (husband) is expected to be able to carter for his own family, providing all family requirements.\u00a0 Marriage therefore is meant for matured adults, who are able to live independent of their parents\/guardians.\u00a0 The issue of age may not be taken seriously as we cannot state a particular age.\u00a0 Maturity cannot be determined by age alone.<\/p>\n
A healthy home remains the best possible training environment for children. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the requirement for establishing such environment is put in place before the children arrive.\u00a0 When a young Christian man begins to think of handling some family responsibilities, we can safely say the he is a matured man who should begin to look forward to establishing his own nuclear family.\u00a0 He should also be knowledgeable in the word of God concerning marriage relationship and be able to show a good level of responsibility in providing leadership and guidance.\u00a0 Ability to tolerate and forebear is an evidence of maturity and these should be evident in the life of anyone seeking to be married.<\/p>\n
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Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 urged Christians not to team up or enter into a relationship with unbelievers because it might corrupt their Christian commitment, integrity or standard. Believers should do everything within their power to avoid situations that could force them to compromise their faith.\u00a0 A warning against marrying an unbeliever is obviously an appropriate application.\u00a0 Christians should therefore, not enter into marriage relationship with unbelievers, as such marriage cannot have unity in commitment and obedience to God.\u00a0 As marriage involves two people becoming one, faith may become an issue in such union.\u00a0 Unequal yoking in marriage with an unbeliever amounts to putting coals of fire in one\u2019s bosom.\u00a0 It is therefore advisable for a Christian to choose a life partner form among his\/her fellow Christians.<\/p>\n
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The consequences are obvious. Amos 3:3 says, \u201cCan two work together except they be agreed?\u201d\u00a0 There will be not unity in such a union as there are differences in faith and beliefs.\u00a0 \u201cEvil communications corrupt good manners\u201d, 1 Corinthians 15:33.\u00a0 Keeping company or being in union with unbelievers would definitely affect the attitude of any Christian involved and this will cause his faith to waver.\u00a0 In addition he\/she may be led to serve idols or other gods and his commitment to God will be overthrown.\u00a0 Godly children cannot be raised from such family.<\/p>\n
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–The word of God:<\/span> The knowledge of the word of God is basic in the choice of a life partner.\u00a0 Psalm 119:105 says, \u201cThy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.\u201d\u00a0 God\u2019s word gives direction to a Christian.\u00a0 One needs the word for direction in the choice of a life partner.\u00a0 The purpose of God in instituting marriage is in His word.<\/p>\n –Love:<\/span> One cannot choose a person he\/she hates as a life partner. Considering the character of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, we can confidently state that any union without love cannot thrive.\u00a0 Whom you love, you cherish; whom you love you obey; whom you love you tolerate.\u00a0 Love therefore is a necessity in the choice of a life partner.<\/p>\n –Prayer:<\/span> Prayer is an avenue through which we communicate our desires and requests to God.\u00a0 We ask God for direction and leadership when we pray.\u00a0 Paul admonished the Philippian Christians not to worry about anything rather; they should ask God for everything they needed.\u00a0 Prayer is paramount in choosing a life partner.<\/p>\n –Dreams, Visions and Revelations:<\/span> These are good.\u00a0 God sometimes speaks to His children in dreams, through visions and revelations, Acts 9:10-15, but we must be very careful about them.\u00a0 Sometimes Satan capitalizes on them to deceive believers.\u00a0 The scripture tells us that Satan and his ministers transform themselves into angels of light and ministers of righteousness, 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.\u00a0 Native doctors and diviners see visions and revelations; so any dream, vision or revelation that is not in consonance with the word of God should not be accepted.<\/p>\n -Tribe<\/span>: We often hear of parents rejecting their children\u2019s choice of life partner for the reason that the person is not from their tribe or community.\u00a0 Some have referred to the instruction of Abraham to his servant when he commanded him to marry a wife for his son Isaac, Genesis 24:2-4.\u00a0 This should not be misunderstood.\u00a0 Abraham was living among Canaanites who were unbelievers, so he sent his servant to \u2018his kindred\u2019, to people of God.\u00a0 When a person is born again, he or she becomes a new creation who is granted the power to become a child of God.\u00a0 He\/she automatically becomes a member of a new family where there is neither Jew nor gentile, Galatians 3:27-28; this new family becomes first in his\/her scale of preference.\u00a0 It if pleases God to give a young Christian a life partner from among his\/her earthly tribe so be it, but is should not be a determinant in choosing a life partner.<\/p>\n –Advice from wise matured Christian brethren and leaders:<\/span> \u201cWhere no counsel is, people fall; in the multitude of counselors there is safety\u201d, Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 24:6.\u00a0 The importance of counsel is emphasized in the before noted Scriptures.\u00a0 The experience of matured brethren in any congregation should not be despised because they have been taught wisdom by the multitude of years, Job 32:7.\u00a0 So, advice\/counsel from matured and wise Christians is helpful in choosing a life partner.<\/p>\n –Beauty and Wealth<\/span>: These are among the things that make life on earth worth living, but they should not be considered as a basis for choosing a life partner because of their uncertainty.\u00a0 Proverbs 31:30 says, \u201cBeauty is vain, but a woman (man) that feareth the Lord shall be praised\u201d, \u201cWill thou set they eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings: they fly away as an eagle towards heaven\u201d, Proverbs 23:5.\u00a0 \u201cFor riches are not forever, and doth the crown endure to every generation?\u201d, Proverbs 27:24<\/p>\n –Difference in age:<\/span> Age is a question of numbers.\u00a0 It does not really have any significant role in marriage.\u00a0 It depends on individuals.\u00a0 What is important is understanding between a man and his wife.\u00a0 Each of the spouses\u2019 has God given roles in marriage, if and when these are well understood by them, age difference becomes irrelevant.<\/p>\n –Compatibility spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, etc. Amos 3:3; Genesis 5:22, 6:9, 24:40:\u00a0<\/span> Compatibility simply means being able to agree together, blend with another, having the same quality, standard, vision, aims and objectives.\u00a0 Two people cannot walk together unless they are walking towards the same direction.\u00a0 Light and darkness cannot blend.\u00a0 In general, it is safer to seriously consider the issue of compatibility in choosing a life partner.<\/p>\n Spiritually, a believer and an unbeliever cannot agree together on issues of faith and commitment. A new wine is incompatible with an old wine-skin, Matthew 9:17, just as oil and water can never blend.\u00a0 Biologically, the issue of genotype should be considered knowing the problem associated with it.\u00a0 Intellectually, we need the wisdom of God in dealing with the issue of intellectualism.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marriage being an institution of God should be considered very important in the life of Christian. It can adversely affect a Christian\u2019s relationship with his\/her God as we saw in the Garden of Eden.\u00a0 Any marriage that does not conform to the purpose of god for marriage is bound to fail.\u00a0 Marriage is an honorable estate before God, and this is the reason at wedding ceremonies, the officiating minster exhorts that marriage is not to be enterprised, or entered into unadvisedly and must not be taken lightly, but reverently, discretely, soberly and in the fear of God, duly considering the cause for which matrimony was ordained.\u00a0 It is important that intending couples should seriously consider this exhortation before making up their minds.\u00a0 For those who are already married.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good reminder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Proverbs 3:5-6 \u2013 \u201cTrust in the Lord with all thy heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Christian Marriage Part1, Choosing a Life Partner Central Thought: Uphold God\u2019s principles and standards in marriage. Hymn: O Worship the King Text: Deuteronomy 7:1-6; Proverbs 19:14, 18:22, 3:5-6 Marriage, a time-honored institution that has blessed humanity, was instituted by God, Genesis 2:22-24, Matthew 19:4-5. In his sovereignty, God set the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sundayschool"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1077"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1078,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1077\/revisions\/1078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Daily Living Application:<\/h3>\n
Memory Verse:<\/h3>\n