The gift of a good and Godly family – Part 1

The truth about the family is a foundational teaching in God’s word. At the beginning, God created only Adam. “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” He made the woman, a companion that would be suitable for the man. He instituted marriage and brought the man and woman together.

The marriage union requires a man to leave his parents and “cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Christ also emphasised this truth when He was asked about marriage. He said: “What …God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Religious and cultural practices that contradict this fundamental injunction are unscriptural.

To get the best in our marriage and family, our purpose must align with God’s. When we make God’s purpose preeminent in our family, it gives us the help, strength and progress that the Lord intended when He instituted marriage. The purposes of marriage identified from the word of God include:

i. Purposeful Partnership (Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 11:8-12). God established the marriage union between a husband and a wife, so that, they could be of help to each other.

ii. Perpetual Purity (1 Corinthians 7:2,9; Malachi 2:15). The Lord wants the church, community and world to be pure and righteous. Therefore, He commands: “Every man (to) have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” to “avoid fornication” and adultery. Those who refuse to get married should understand that “it is better to marry than to burn.”

iii. Prevailing Power (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Matthew 18:18,19). Always, “two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” If there is any challenge or situation that can overwhelm a partner, the “two (of them) shall withstand” it. Marriage allows couples to think and plan together. When they agree together in all they do, it helps and gives them prevailing power in prayer.

iv. Pertinent Protection (Genesis 20:16; 1 Peter 3:7). God’s plan is to protect us through the institution of marriage. Through it, He gives us pertinent, present and perpetual protection.

v. Precious Procreation (Genesis 1:27, 28; 1 Timothy 5:14). At creation, the Lord blessed the man and woman, and proclaimed that they should be “fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…” This is procreation, which means the process of creation. Marriage, therefore, is designed to continue the process of creation, reproducing children who would carry on with our legacy.

vi. Parental Provision (1 Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 22:6). When children come into the world, they are helpless and cannot provide for themselves. It is parents’ responsibility to feed, clothe, shelter, train, fellowship with and bring them up in the way they should go. Thus, would-be couples must ensure they get married to someone who has the same idea, understanding and doctrine concerning child training.

vii. Participatory Pilgrimage (Hebrews 11:7-13,23,27; 1 Peter 2:11; 3:1,7). As pilgrims, walking alone sometimes could be frustrating. But if we walk with a partner, when one gets tired, there is encouragement from the other person. This is the strength of the marriage institution.