The last few weeks  we have been covering you as a treasure to God, your value and purpose to Him. Last week we talked about your relational value to God and to others which brings us to this week. This week we will discuss our relational value in marriage and in being single. Here are a few questions we will try to answer tonight in our Bible Study.

Does God look better at us if we are married or does He prefer we stay single? Is there more value in being single or being married?  Why did God create the institution of marriage in the first place? We will look at marriage first.

WHAT VALUE IS THERE IN MARRIAGE?

God created marriage with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; Gen 2:18, 21-24, “18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”….21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 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.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Matt. 19:4-6; Eph 5:31; 1 Cor 11:8-12)

Why was it bad for Adam to be alone?

What value did God place on Adam that He made him a helper?

What value did God place on Eve when He made her?

God is aware of what is good for each one of us and knows what we need. 

Knowing you have value to God and God knows what you need, how does this encourage you?

Your value in marriage is that you are to be the head and spiritual leader in your household.

Eph. 5: 22-25, “22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her”. ( 1 Cor 7:2-7; 1 Cor 11:3; Col.1:18)

We are not to be unequally yoked! 2 Cor. 6:14-15, “14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” (Deut 6:14)

What consequences can occur from being unequally yoked?

YOUR VALUE IN BEING SINGLE?

1 Cor 7:7-9, “7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Paul says he wishes that all men were as he is. What does that mean, how is Paul?

 1 Cor. 7:20,27-28, “ 20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 26 I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is: 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But even if you do marry, you have not sinned.

Why does Paul think being single is better? (1 Cor. 7:32-35)

DID GOD GIVE US MARRIAGE AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT’S TO COME? 

Matt. 22:29-30, 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.

We aren’t married in heaven? What happens to our wives? 

Did you know that you are a bride??   You are Christ’s bride in heaven!!

Jeremiah 3:14, “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

Jesus referred to Himself as the Bridegroom many times in the New Testament. The church is His bride.(Matt. 9:15; John 3:29)

Isaiah 62:5, And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. 

Romans 7:4  4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

God gave us marriage as an illustration of the relationship He values with us. He loves us so much that we are His bride. We are all one body with Christ as the head!! (Eph 5:23)

1 Cor 6:15-17, 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

What assurances do you have today knowing that you are the bride of Jesus Christ?

Next week: 

Value doesn’t require purpose. You have purpose because of your value to God.