Sadly premarital sex, adultery and homosexual relationships have all gained greater acceptance—challenging and undermining traditional marriage, with many couples choosing to forgo marriage altogether and live together. Some sociologists have even predicted marriage will soon become obsolete.
Sexuality in human beings is a special gift of God when practised in the way He intended. When God created human beings, He made them male and female (Genesis 1:27) and pronounced it “very good” (verse 31). Through immoral sexual behavior we belittle what God intended to be a very special experience.
The account of the first marriage is recorded in Genesis 2. Verse 24 states a husband should be “joined” to his wife and …become one flesh” referring to the intimate sexual relationship in marriage. Even though God allowed some men in the Old Testament to have several wives at the same time, such arrangements were not God’s intent. In listing the qualifications of bishops, or overseers, of the Church, 1 Timothy 3:2 makes it clear that these men must “be blameless, the husband of one wife.” God intended sex to be an intimate experience that binds a husband and wife together, which should not take place outside of marriage (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 7:2-5).
The Bible also reveals marriage between a man and a woman is a type of the relationship between Christ and the Church: “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” (Ephesians 5:23). The way Jesus leads the Church is the way husbands should lead their wives: “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (verses 32-33).
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, literally gave His life out of love for humanity and His church. With this thought in mind, Paul instructed husbands to “… love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). Paul also taught wives to “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands….” (Ephesians 5:22-24).
But there is also a deeper spiritual significance to marriage and family life. The Apostle John tells us Jesus: “… was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him….But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:10 and 12). The phrase “children of God” tells us that God is creating His own spiritual family, by “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10).
Paul noted human beings are “the offspring of God” (Acts 17:28-29). He also encouraged the Church at Corinth to:” ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty'” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
God created humanity to ultimately become part of His spiritual family, making this great promise: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son” (Revelation 21:7). This is God’s overall, transcendent purpose for creating humanity—to offer us the opportunity to become part of His eternal family when we repent, become baptized and receive God’s Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), setting us apart as His children.
Paul, in Romans 8:14, explains that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” and adds in verse 15, “The Spirit you have received… makes us sons, enabling us to cry ‘Abba! Father!'” (New English Bible). In addition to the promise of becoming God’s sons, this verse shows that our relationship to God can become so close and personal that we refer to Him as our “Daddy! Father!”—the meaning of “Abba! Father!”
Continuing this theme, Paul wrote in Romans 8:23: “And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us” (NLT). God’s promise of sonship will be bestowed at the resurrection, when we will be invested with the powers and privileges of a divine son or daughter, living forever in His family: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!…and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him…. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3.
After Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, He reveals He is going to be involved in a very special marriage: “‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”‘” (Revelation 19:7-9).
It is God’s intention for those who are added to His family to enter a divine marriage relationship with Jesus Christ, the human covenant being patterned after the higher, God-plane relationship. Physical families are thus a type of God’s own spiritual family. These scriptures and others tell us God’s plan from the beginning was to first create people as temporary flesh and blood beings, subject to death, and then give us the opportunity to live forever as spirit beings in His eternal family.
