Honour Marriage

 Honour Marriage

Let brotherly love continue … Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Hebrews 13:4

There is no question or shadow of doubt that God has a very high view of marriage. And so God is telling us this morning that marriage is more precious than gold and rubies; it is more valuable than silver and pearls. Marriage is a favour from the Lord and so in Proverbs 18:22, we are instructed;

                    He who finds a wife finds a good thing

and obtains favor from the LORD.

The Lord very special favour to those in marriage, and thus it is necessary that we hold marriage with the honour that it deserves.

Therefore, here is a call to honour and respect it, for since it is so highly esteemed by God, shall we all not highly prize it as well? This verse spells out the sanctity and sacredness of marriage among all. 

We are at a time when families are disintegrating because of the rampart wickedness in the world, but it is my sincere prayer that this sermon will help one or more families to stay together.  Let us consider each of the words and phrases in verse 4 in three messages as follows:

1. Let Marriage be Held in Honour Among All
2. Let Marriage Bed be Undefiled
3. God will Judge the Sexually Immoral and the Adulterous

The first point is this;

1.    Let Marriage be held in honour among all

What is marriage? 

In the beginning God created man male and female in his own image. He then blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth . . . " Then we get the blueprint of marriage in this verse, "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24). This is the beauty and glory of the precious and honourable reality called marriage. 

Marriage is between one man and one woman, it is by definition heterosexual. This man and this woman leave their fathers and their mothers and hold fast or cleave to each other in a covenant commitment. And then God declares them ‘one-flesh’ in sexual union and covenant bond that last them their lifetime, that is, until death separates them.

How is marriage to be held in honour? 

Marriage is honoured when gender roles are taken seriously. Let married men prove themselves husbands and married women to demonstrate themselves as wives, before their own spouses and before everyone else. In Colossians 3:18–19, we read of the responsibilities of the wives and the husbands, which is well captured in Ephesians 5:22-33 and in 1 Peter 3:1-7. But let us consider the summary in Colossians.

            Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be                 harsh with them. 

Firstly, it is by the man, who is now called husband being the head of his family in love. It brings glory to God when the husband lovingly, leads his wife and leads in a godly manner (1 Corinthians 11:3). You don’t glorify God, nor fulfil your wife when you fail in leading her as her head. How do you live with your wife? Do you live with her with understanding, showing her honour as the weaker vessel (1Peter3:7)?  Do you love her realistically, exclusively, sacrificially and purposefully? Do you lead her lovingly spiritually, economically, and in all things? How do you demonstrate your love for her to your children? Children do you think daddy loves mommy?

Secondly, God is glorified when wives submit to their husbands in everything as to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-24. Peter exhorts wives to be subject to their own husbands and hopefully some of them may be saved without a word (1Peter 3:1). If you would not be subject, respect, and listen to your own husband whom you see, how will you submit to Christ? How do you live with your husband? There is nothing as tragic as a wife who will not follow the lead of her husband. 

Obviously, there is a problem between the two of them, but if your husband is going to follow you to a church of your choice, you show that you have not trusted the spiritual decisions that he has made and you are effectively leading. And this, my dear sister will come to haunt you in the future. Because there is nothing as awful as wife-led families… it shall not be long before you shall resent the scenario where you lead instead of submitting. Let me address one more problem amongst wives. There are sins that are especially peculiar to women like gossip. Wives watch out what you tell other people about your husband, because if you undermine his leadership, then it will soon come to bite you, and realize that in so doing you are not honouring marriage, or upholding its preciousness. As you evaluate your own marriage, do you think your own children can attest that you are submissive wife to their daddy?

Thirdly, marriage is not held in honour where gay, and lesbians are celebrated. Marriage is essentially heterosexual and monogamous. The western world has disdained marriage in the constant rant about gay rights. Homosexual relations are an upfront to the institution of marriage and it should be condemned with the strongest terms possible. This weapon of the devil continues to be used by various gov’ts and so thankful for President Uhuru Kenyatta who rejected the overtures of the former president of America, Barack Obama to entertain them. We need to teach and train our children to have high regard for marriage.

The Bible says, “Let marriage be held in honour among all…” that is whether married or not, whether men or women, whether young or old – let marriage be held in honour among all. All people should highly esteem marriage. Why? You are to hold marriage in honour, not because it does not have problems but because marriage is a God-ordained, God-blessed, God-propagated, and Gospel-pointing. Some of you may have been brought up in dysfunctional families or may have been abused in marriage by your husbands or by your wives, but still learn to hold marriage in honour, because this is what God calls you to do. Even those who are divorced are being called upon to hold marriage in honour because marriage is of God. It is God who said that it is not good that Adam should be alone. It is God who created Eve and brought her to Adam. It is God who blessed their marriage. 

Marriage should be held in honour among all because it is through marriage that true friendship and companionship can be cultivated and propagated. Marriage is divine antidote to loneliness. Biblical marriage is designed by God to bring fulfilment and joy and happiness. And it does bring much delight and satisfaction to those who faithfully use the Bible as their guide, trusting in Christ and depending on the Holy Spirit for help.

Marriage was ordained by God for continuity, and multiplication of human race. It is within bonds of marriage that children are given by God (Psalm 127:3), and hopefully it is in marriage where children are trained and disciplined to live and be useful in the society since family is the basic unit of the society. 

Marriage is a tool of holiness and sanctification. It was ordained by God to curb sexual immorality for God tells us in his Word, “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” (1 Cor. 7:2) Marriage is also for the sanctification of believers.

Marriage is Christ’s gospel tool. Marriage is not an end in itself. Christian marriage is a portrait of Christ and His church, and both husband and wife have specific roles to play in this portrait this is why Ephesians 5:32 calls it a profound mystery that refers to Christ and the church. And then we are told of the marriage supper of the lamb in Revelation 19:6-10 and we are told, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (19:9).

                            ... Next message is Let Marriage Bed be Undefiled