Jesus: Marriage Is the Doing of God
Jesus makes the point most clearly that marriage is the doing of God. Mark 10:6-9, "From the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female' [Genesis 1:27], 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh' [Genesis 2:24]. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." This is the clearest statement in the Bible that marriage is not a merely human doing. The words "God has joined together" means it is God's doing.
Paul: Marriage Is the Display of God
Paul makes the point most clearly that marriage is designed to be the display of God. In Ephesians 5:31-32, he quotes Genesis 2:24 and then tells us the mystery that it has always contained: "'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." In other words, the covenant involved in leaving mother and father and holding fast to a spouse and becoming one flesh is a portrayal of the covenant between Christ and his church. Marriage exists most ultimately to display the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his church.
A Model of Christ and the Church
I asked Noël if there was anything she wanted me to say today. She said, "You cannot say too often that marriage is a model of Christ and the church." I think she is right and there are at least three reasons: 1) This lifts marriage out of the sordid sitcom images and gives it the magnificent meaning God meant it to have; 2) this gives marriage a solid basis in grace, since Christ obtained and sustains his bride by grace alone; and 3) this shows that the husband's headship and the wife's submission are crucial and crucified. That is, they are woven into the very meaning of marriage as a display of Christ and the church, but they are both defined by Christ's self-denying work on the cross so that their pride and slavishness are cancelled.
We spent the first two messages on the first of these reasons: giving the foundation for marriage as a display of the covenant love of God. Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman in which they promise to be a faithful as husband and a faithful wife in a new one-flesh union as long as they both shall live. This covenant, sealed with solemn vows and sexual union, is designed to showcase the covenant-keeping grace of God.
A Solid Basis in Grace
That is today's title: "Marriage: God's Showcase of Covenant-Keeping Grace." So we are turning to the second reason I mentioned that Noël is right to say that you can't say too often that marriage is a model of Christ and the church: namely, that this gives to marriage a solid basis in grace, since Christ obtained and sustains his bride by grace alone.
In other words, the main point today is that, since Christ's new covenant with this church is created by and sustained by blood-bought grace, therefore, human marriages are meant to showcase that new-covenant grace. And the way they showcase it is by resting in the experience of God's grace and bending it out from a vertical experience with God into a horizontal experience with their spouse. In other words, in marriage you live hour by hour in glad dependence on God's forgiveness and justification and promised future grace, and you bend it out toward your spouse hour by hour—as an extension of God's forgiveness and justification and promised help. That's today's point.
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Is Remarriage Adultery? What Does Scripture Say About Remarriage?by TheHeavenMinistries1,326 views
Nowhere in Scripture did Paul say that a Christian is free to divorce/remarry. If u read the context (which most don't do) he says they are free to seperate from each other in certain cases but NOWHERE does he imply that they can remarry. He says they r not in bondage, meaning that they aren't forced to live together in situations like infidelity and when the spouse makes it impossible to live with due to their defiance again the truth.
cr87129 1 week ago
[2 of 2] ...fornication, but if you'd plug adultery in place of fornication in that verse, it'd be a redundant statement. A study of Jewish culture will show you that betrothed persons were labeled husband and wife which explains how the man could put away his "wife" for fornication. She made herself unclean before the betrothal period was complete.
alchemistickolaj 1 month ago
My father commited adultry and left my mother. My mother didn't want a divorce, and certainly didn't ask him to leave. John Piper says in order to live completely by scripture she must be alone for the rest of her life. John Piper's teachings have disturbed her because she has been wronged and he says that despite what my father did to her she can never be free to marry another man. I want to say, to people who believe what this man says, read Deuteronomy 24:1-4 and tell me he's still right.
DiceOfDiscord 1 month ago
If this couple are still married in the eyes of God, does that mean this woman can have sex with her ex-husband even when he remarries another woman?
quemacha 2 months ago
I was married for almost 9 years. Let me re phrase...I was in a non Christ centered marriage for 9 years. We had 2 children together and my wife had an affair...in fact went out every single night with this guy knowing full well I knew what was going on. She did not care, she was done. I fought and fought and cried and prayed and the end result was divorce and 2 heart broken kids. I am now re married to a wonderful Christian woman, and we most definitely have a Christ centered marriage. Having
Jaredrhoney 3 months ago
@dkyuuuu1115 It does contradict John's opinion. No sense in allowing a divorce unless it nullifies the marriage. If a marriage is nullified, then the person is NO LONGER MARRIED. Hence, they are single. Single people can marry other single people.
And what about. 1 Cor 7:15 "But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace."
I appreciate Piper's ministry but agree more with Piper's friend Mark Driscoll.
thinkfusion 3 months ago
@thinkfusion the verse you provided doesnt even contradict John's opinion...
dkyuuuu1115 3 months ago
John gave his own opinion to back up his advice not to re-marry. He did NOT use Scripture. And he's staying away from Scripture for good reason... it does not agree with him:
"And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” - Matt 19:9
Piper's advice sounds high and honourable, and it is, but it is placing an incredible burden of singlehood on a young, hurting woman. He will have to account for this on that Day.
thinkfusion 4 months ago
@jamesbellamy1013 I agree Brother in also does match with Jesus in matthew, as the husband has commited adultery, so the women is free to remarry by biblical and the messiah's standard. John can hold to his srtict standard I'll still respects him. But it is not a biblical view. But his own deduction from a biblical concept on marriage.Yet the bible teaches explicitly different.so unfair to tell Christians to follow a stricter principle than the bible sets, let just keep to the bible.
1brandwag 4 months ago
1 Cor. 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. Yes marriage is a display of the covenant that Christ has with His people, the body. Think about it, when we sinned and repented God was and is still willing to forgive us for our sins. not once or twice either. He is always forgiving and there to take us(reconcile) back no matter how we fail. but he will not force you to follow him(spouse remains unmarried)
missjen84 8 months ago