THE PRINCIPLES OF MARRIAGE

The first requirement is for us to KNOW the “principles of the oracles of God” according to Hebrews 5:12 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat”.

It grieves the heart of God when His people who are supposed to know the FIRST PRINCIPLES and grow unto PERFECTION are still babies. He says in Hebrews 6:1 “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us GO ON UNTO PERFECTION; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God”

As it is with our salvation, so it is with marriage. God want us to understand the principles of marriage and grow unto perfection.

Marriage is governed by divine principles, ordained by Jesus, the Marriage Maker. Principle is from the Gk. Arche, meaning “Beginning of a thing; the rule; guiding rule for behavior; general law is shown in the working of a device.”

In a more definite way, principle is the “manufacturer’s manual.” Manual is defined as “a handbook that instructs on how to use a particular device.” The Bible is God’s manual. Failure to read the manual will lead to malfunctioning of marriage.

Divine principles will help you to know the WHAT, the HOW and the WHY God ordained marriage. There are three levels of knowing God, and three levels of knowledge about Him:

Knowing God’s Acts, what He does.

Knowing God’s Ways, how He does it.

Knowing God’s Thought, why He do it.

There are differences between the Acts of God and His WAYS.

The Acts of God is centered on “Knowing how the mechanism work”. While the Ways of God is centered on “Knowing how to drive the mechanism”. When couples only understand the Acts of Marriage (Marry, enjoy sex and bear children), without understanding the Ways or principles of “husbands, love your wife as Christ loves the church”, and “Wife, submit yourself unto your husband in everything”, might never have a successful marriage.

Principles never change. Methods always do. And if we only follow the Acts, without understanding Principles or Ways of Marriage, we will experience shipwreck.

Good and effective marriage springs from our connection with God and His knowledge. Our knowledge is finite, while His knowledge is infinite.