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The real mystery is that God loves us
at all.C.S.Lewis suggests that God is so
full of love that it overflows,and He can’t
help but love us (1960).John 3:16 says,
“For God loved the world so much that
he gave his one and only Son,so that
everyone who believes in him will not
perish but have eternal life”(NLT).The
Apostle Paul put it this way,“But God is
so rich in mercy,and He loved us so
much that even though we were dead
because of our sins,He gave us life when
He raised Christ from the dead.It is only
by God’s grace that you have been
saved!”(Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT).Catching
even a glimpse of God’s unfathomable
love for us is necessary in our
understanding of love.
TheloveofGodwhichwereceive
throughtheHolySpiritisvisibleinus.We
manifestitinhowweloveothers.Wereflect
God’sloveforusinourmarriageand
familylife.Scripturehelpsusexaminewhat
loveshouldlooklikeinourrelationships
andourmarriage.Loveexcelsinwhatwe
findhardesttodo:tobepatientratherthan
demanding,toextendtendernesseven
whenitisnotdeserved,tofulfillanother’s
needsbeforeourown,toacknowledgeour
weaknessesratherthanseeking
compliments,tobefairandseekingtruth
ratherthandemandingourownway,and
toremainfaithfulandhopefulevenwhenit
iseasiertogiveup(Ephesians5:4-7).Thisis

thebasisforloveinourrelationshipsand

inmarriage.Wecannotcreatethiskindof

loveinourownpower—ourlovewillfail.

ButGod’sloveneverfails.

In Colossians 3:14 we read that love is

a bond which binds us together.It makes

us one.Scripture refers to love as the

reason“....a man leaves his father and

mother and is joined to his wife,and the

two are united into one”(Genesis 2:24;

Ephesians 5:3 NLT).No relationship on

earth takes precedence over the marital

bond.TheApostle Paul ranks the marital

bondasequaltotherelationshipChrist

haswithHisChurch(Ephesians5:22-23).

InScripture,nootherearthlybond

ordainedbyGodcarriesthesignificance

of themarriagecovenant.Andyet,Paul

endorsessingleness.In1Corinthians7:7,

38,Paulcommentson“Hisspecialgiftof

singleness,”whichgivespeoplethe

freedomtochoosemarriageorsingleness.

Covenant

A primary theme of both the Old

Testament and New Testament is God’s

relationship of covenant with His

people—God makes an unconditional

commitment to care for and love His

people,asking them to be faithful in

return.In Genesis 6:18 God said,“But I

will confirm my covenant with you.So

enter the boat—you and your wife and

your sons and their wives.”God told

Why Marriage and Family?