I recieved a WhatsApp message after a Christian fellowship group meeting: “Session enjoyed this afternoon. Thank you for sharing that very important knowledge about 1 Peter 3:7”.
After being careful to give all the glory to God. I felt led in my spirit to respond with the words below and I believe that the response (that you are about to read) was used to Divinely supply more understanding to me about the uniqueness of Christian marriages and I believe that it will be a great blessing to any who would diligently read it and receive wisdom for their marriage.
God intends for us His children, husbands and wives (as it partains to marriage), to have a joyous fulfilment but only when we operate the principles He has laid down for us to follow. And I pray that our marriages would enjoy the Divine Assistance that God has made available and that we will have Divine fulfillment in our marriages always to the glory of God. In Jesus Name. Amen.
As God instructs the husband, He also instructs the wife:
1 Peter 3:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham [following him and having regard for him as head of their house], calling him [a]lord. And you have become her daughters if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear [that is, being respectful toward your husband but not giving in to intimidation, nor allowing yourself to be led into sin, nor to be harmed].
notes:
1 Peter 3:6 In ancient times a common title of honor and respect.
Some clarification is needed with reference to 1 Peter 3:6. God is not unjust. The wife is not to honour her husband out of fear nor intimidation. It is not a honour forcefully demanded, nor is it a pretended-honour. This honour would not work for a husband that leads his wife to sin nor for the one that harms, hurts or is violent towards his wife. Such ungodly, wicked and unrepentant man (who does not fit into the godly model of a husband) by Divine judgement is a restricted man and his prayers will always be hindered and rendered ineffective.
1 Peter 3:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
7 In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with [a]someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective.
1 Peter 3:7 Amplified Bible (AMP):
Is for every Christian husband to know and be aware of. So that he would be very careful as to always treat his wife correctly as instructed by God. And for every wife to consider in the heat of emotions when the husband who is working progressively hard to be better is being occassionally offensive and to choose to be merciful and forgiven. A husband hindered cannot be all he could have been to his family. No good wife really does intentionally desire nor pray to have an ineffective husband. I believe every Christian wife should have the verse displayed somewhere in the home to help remind their Christian Husband so that they do not err. If indeed such a husband fears the Lord and respects God’s Word it would not only serve as a loving reminder but also a great help to and a blessing to him.
If Christian couples take Ephesians 5:22-33 Amplified Bible (AMP) to heart and allow the Holy Spirit give them a perfect understanding they would joyfully fulfill the requirements in 1 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) with such ease and no husband would be a victim of the curse of being hindered nor being ineffective prayer.
Ephesians 5:22-33 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Wives, be subject [a] to your own husbands, as [a service] to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as Christ is head of the church, Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives should be subject to their husbands in everything [respecting both their position as protector and their responsibility to God as head of the house].
Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God], so that [in turn] He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy [set apart for God] and blameless. Even so husbands should and are morally obligated to love their own wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own body, but [instead] he nourishes and protects and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members (parts) of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined [and be faithfully devoted] to his wife, and the two shall become [b]one flesh. This mystery [of two becoming one] is great; but I am speaking with reference to [the relationship of] Christ and the church. However, each man among you [without exception] is to love his wife as his very own self [with behavior worthy of respect and esteem, always seeking the best for her with an attitude of lovingkindness], and the wife [must see to it] that she respects and delights in her husband [that she notices him and prefers him and treats him with loving concern, treasuring him, honoring him, and holding him dear].
notes:
Ephesians 5:22 The wife to her husband, not to men in general; not as inferior to him, nor in violation of her Christian ethics, but honoring her husband as protector and head of the home, respecting the responsibility of his position and his accountability to God.
Ephesians 5:31 The bond between husband and wife supersedes all other relationships.
The Christian marriage unlike any other marriage types in the world was and is instituted by God and because it is of God it can only thrive when subjected to the wisdom of God’s Word and the instructions and directions of the Holy Spirit. I believe Christian marriages can be immunized against divorce and be a standard setter if we take our marriages as seriously as God expects us to.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we come before you to thank you for all you have done and continue to do in our lives and marriage. We come before you today, God, asking for a stronger bond of unity in our marriage covenant. Father we ask that you will give us the ability to be a united front for you letting nothing come between us. Help us, Father to identify and work through anything that is not pleasing to you so we can continually reach higher levels of unity in our marriage – spiritually, physically, and mentally. We are thankful and excited to see the work of your hand as we do our best to seek your face daily. We love you and thank you for all of these things. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen!
The Message Bearer
Cornelius Bella
corneliusbella 
One thought on “The Christian Marriage Is Divinely Instituted”