There are laws of nature such as the law of gravity and Campus Crusade for Christ has made known the Four Spiritual Laws. Today I talk about the Four Marriage Laws. These are taken mostly from Jimmy Evans in his book Marriage on the Rock: God's Design for Your Dream Marriage
Gen 2:24 NKJV - Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
1) The law of Priority
- gen 2:24 leave literally means “to loosen bands” The idea is that a man is to be released from his primary obligation and association.
- Only ones relationship with God should be superior to the marriage relationship
- newly wed were released from many Jewish obligations
- Deu 24:5 NKJV - "When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.
- Challenges
- Inlaws (hasn’t properly left)
- kids
- church
- work
- hobbies
- Set priorities and protect priorities
- Make time for what is important
- Don’t give the leftovers to what is important
- Sgs 2:15 NKJV - [Her Brothers] Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines [have] tender grapes.
2) The Law of Pursuit
- gen 2:24 ....and shall cleave to his wife. cleave “to adhere to” As glue adheres one thing to another. “pursue after to overtake in order to be with”
- work at it
- pursue as you did while dating (example of riding across town to slip a note under Joanna’s door)
- women after divorce going to the gymn everyday to loose weight.
- guy who used to do kind things for the wife and had his attention on her now can’t get his attention away from ESPN
- A woman who always dressed to impress but then after marriage always wears sweats and frumpy clothes.
- why do we work so hard to impress and please complete strangers but put little work into pleasing our spouses.
- It is taking them for granted.
- feelings follow activity
- story of the two employees who were going to quit but on the last day they gave it their all and learned that they really like what they did and did not quit.
- If we would work at pursuing our spouses with intensity even if we don’t feel like it we will probably end up feeling like it.
- Rev 2:5
- Remember
- Repent
- Redo
3) The law of Possession
- Gen 2:24 and they shall become one flesh
- obviously in intercourse literally they become one flesh but more is meant in this.
- Generally it is the concept of integration. combine (one thing) with another so that they become a whole (Online Dictionary)
- God owns everything
- When you become married you know longer have the option of acting alone or
- No separate lives
- different checking accounts
- your money and my money
- My kids (in a blended family)
- 1 person singular pronouns need to be replaced by 1 person plural pronouns.
- No restrictions to access
- 1Cor 7 1Cr 7:1 NKJV - Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband [does]. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife [does]. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
- No secrets
- Complete surrender and sharing of life together
4) The Law of Purity
- Gen 2:25 NKJV - And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
- sexual differences could be openly expressed
- they were unhindered and uninhibited in their intimacy
- Their most sensitive areas could be exposed without fear.
- They were without shame and had no need to hide or cover up. A beautiful picture of purity
- Sin messed and messes this up.
- purity is being free from contamination
- How to overcome impurity in marriage
- Don’t hide yourself but expose yourself
- confess your sins one to another
- express your heart
- Expose yourself outside to inside.
- Repent when there is sin
- Forgive when there is sin
- Put up fences around your marriage
- Don’t leave the gates open
- Eye gate
- Ear gate
- Don’t leave the gates open
Do you want to leave a legacy of a strong marriage?
- Make your relationship to your spouse you number 2 relationship
- Pursue you spouse with as much or more zeal as you did to catch them in the first place
- Integrate everything in your life with that of your spouse
- Expose yourself completely, fully, and unashamedly before your spouse
Resources for Today's Show:
- Jimmy Evans
- Subscribe through itunes
- Write a review on itunes
- US Legal Forms
- Liberty Classroom
