The spiritual meaning of marriage

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy (Ephesians 5:25-26).

Marriage is very important to God. Jesus showed His support for marriage by performing the first miracle of His public ministry at a wedding. At the very start of human existence God concluded that it is not good for the man to be alone, and thus created Eve to join Adam in the first marriage.

There are several reasons why marriage is so important. Aside from providing mutual support and companionship, God’s gift of marriage also provides the context to carry out the command be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). God designed marriage as the nursery through which children are to be conceived and raised.

But it is in Ephesians where the most important purpose for marriage is described. Marriage is an earthly picture of our relationship with God. Already in the Old Testament, God compares Himself to a husband and His people the Israelites to His bride. This image is used throughout the Bible, all the way into Revelation where we read: I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband (chapter 21 verse 2). Over and over again, the Bible casts God as the husband and the people of God as His bride.

Which is why cheating on a spouse is such a terrible thing. When husbands and wives cheat on each other they not only betray their spouse, they also betray their relationship with God. Look at how God describes the unfaithfulness of His people in the Old Testament: they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land (1 Chronicles 5:25). God frequently uses marital language in describing our relationship with Him; how we treat marital relationships is therefore a reflection of how we treat our relationship with God.

Let’s look at family relationships spiritually. Sex outside of marriage; this suggests that we want the benefits of a relationship with God without making a commitment to Him. Conceiving and raising children outside of marriage; this suggests that it is okay to bring up children without the daily guidance of their heavenly Father. Divorce; this suggests that there are many 'true' gods to choose from, and if I don’t like my relationship with the heavenly Father through His Son Jesus, I can safely leave that relationship and find eternal happiness with some other religion. Gay and lesbian marriage; this suggests that I don’t need God as my groom; my life can be just as fulfilling with a human partner, someone who is the same as me.

Premarital sex, children born outside of marriage, divorce and gay marriage—not only does the Bible specifically identify such choices as opposed to God’s will, but embracing such behavior reveals a damaged relationship with the God who only wants the best for us.