Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Genesis 2:18-24; 3:16

Adrian Rogers says, “The real test of your faith is not how you act at church, but how you behave at home.”

God gave us marriage and the home to meet the deepest emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of mankind. Marriage is the first institution that God created, and it was established in the Garden of Eden between Adam and Eve.

In order for us to put meaning into marriage, we must understand its purpose, partnership, and permanence.

Marriage is the closest bond to exist between two human beings. In the Garden, Adam was one-on-one with God; yet, in his heart there was still an unmet need and desire. So, God gave Adam a wife, Eve.

Adrian Rogers regards marriage as “the highest, the deepest, the most insoluble of all human relationships.”

God gave Eve to Adam to make up for what was lacking in Adam’s nature, and vice versa. She was to be his completer, not his competitor.

There are general differences between men and women designed to complement each other. These differences are not necessarily strengths and weaknesses. Rather, they are traits to contribute to the partnership. God made them different that He might make them “one”.

Genesis 2:24 says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.” The word cleave is a Hebrew word which means “to weld, or to glue.” When man and woman are married, they are “glued” to one another. They become a home, together, as one.

God’s equation for marriage is 1 + 1 = 1.

So, God’s principle to keep us from having broken homes rooted in broken marriages is this: Love is a choice. You choose to love. The emotion may follow, but love is a commitment. And if you don’t make that commitment, when a crisis comes you’re going to walk away.

How can we put meaning in our marriages? By recognizing the purpose, embracing the partnership, and respecting the permanence.

What God has joined together, let man never separate.

Apply it to your life

Love is a choice, a commitment. What ways can you choose to love your spouse today? Think about some ways you can honor your role in this partnership called marriage, and choose to act on them today.