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Marital Counseling
“And the Lord God said, it is not good that man should be alone; I will make
him a help meet. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,
and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof; And the rib, the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman,
and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she
was taken out of
Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
(Genesis 2:18, 21-25)
Wives, Submit to Your Husbands...
Husbands, Love Your Wives as Christ Loves the Church.
The book of Proverbs tells us that "He who findeth a wife findeth a
good thing and obtaineth favour with God." Perhaps, you believe
that you have found your "wife (or husband)." How do you know
that this is the right woman to be your wife or the right man to be
your husband? If you desire marriage, it is good. But do you
really know what it is you desire?
We learn from the book of Genesis that marriage is a sacred institution
(union) established and ordained by God; hence, marriage is a
"spiritual" union. To function in a spiritual union requires one
to first function in the spiritual realm. This requires one to have a
relationship with God, and of course, one must first be reconciled
to God by His grace through the Lord Jesus Christ in order to have
a relationship with Him. This can only be accomplished through
"spiritual rebirth"...one must be born again (John 3:3). Moreover,
to function in a spiritual union requires one to first function in the
spiritual realm. This requires one to have a relationship with God...
to be born of the Spirit.
In His admonition to the disciples regarding a good foundation in
life, Jesus tells us: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was
founded upon a rock. (Matt 7:24-25, KJV).
This is what Godly, pre-marital counseling is all about...ensuring
that you or your loved one start off with the right foundation. As
tough as this may sound, the first step is to determine, according
to the Word of God, whether or not the person you or your
loved one intend to marry is actually the right man or woman
that God wills as their husband or wife, respectively.
When it was time for the Israelites to cross over into the
Promise
Land, God told Joshua, "Only be thou strong and very courageous,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which
Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the
right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever
thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou
shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success" (Josh 1:7-8, KJV).
If a couple is to prosper and have good success in their marriage,
they must, therefore, operate in the will of God according to His
Word as found in the Holy Scriptures. And a good first step is
to seek out Biblical pre-marital counseling.
Effective, Biblical pre-marital counseling will always address
the following points:
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For a couple to prosper in their marriage and have good success, they must first be "born again", means to be "saved", they have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. they must first be born again," that means to be "saved,"
- Both persons should have established an intimate and personal relationship with the person of Jesus Christ
- Both persons should diligently seek God's will through his Word and through fervent prayer
- Know, according to God's Word, the criteria for a Godly woman and a Godly man, respectfully
- Each person should examine themselves to God's standard
- The couple should discuss their individual expectations
- The couple should determine if they are "evenly yoked;" this includes being evenly yoked emotionally, intellectually, socio-economically as well as spiritually.
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And most importantly, Both persons should have an unquenchable
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desire to love the other "unconditionally." Both should be prepared
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to make great sacrifices for the other - this requires unself devotion to the other.
It cannot be overstated that anyone desiring success in their marriage
must carefully consider each of the above points. If you or your loved-one
are considering marriage, it is important that you schedule pre-marital
counseling as earliest as possible in the engagement period.
We provide "Christian, Pre-Marital Counseling" for our membership and,
when possible, to those who may not have access to counseling through
their church or for those who may not belong to a church. If you or one
of your loved-ones are in need of pre-marital counseling, please contact
the church at 850/663-9444.
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