God’s Maintenance Program For Marriage – Ephesians 5:25 & 29 John 3:16 Ephesians 5:32

” God’s Maintenance Program For Marriage”

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it; For no man ever yet hated his
own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord
the church.” Ephesians 5:25 & 29

The mutually established relationship between a man and
a woman in marriage is reflective of Christ’s relationship with
His church.
Stage One is INITIATION: Just as salvation begins at a
point, so does the marriage. God says it is to be based upon
love, as in John 3:16.
Stage Two is COMPLICATION: The two in the new
relationship begin adjusting to each other and to implementing
the principles of maintenance into the relationship. They
learn to solve problems.
Stage Three is ORIENTATION: They become adjusted to
the divinely appointed roles, and the husband learns to nourish
(help bring to maturity) and to cherish (foster, brood over, and
warmly encourage) his wife in the partnership.
Stage Four is MANIFESTATION: The spiritually and
emotionally strong relationship testifies to the world that
Christ makes a difference in relationships.
In Ephesians 5:32, the Apostle declares the relationship
between husband and wife to be a mystery, and he then relates
it to Christ and the church. Loving, nourishing and cherishing
are elements in the maintenance program of a marriage. As
the head, the husband bears the greatest of responsibility in
making and maintaining the elements, excitement and
endurance of the marriage. – G.G.

Prepared by Roger Fulk, from the “Baptist Bread”, FEBRUARY 13, 2024, by author Dr. Guy Goodell (Deceased), Pastor, Bible Baptist Church, Hudson Falls, NY. With permission from Tim Green, editor of Baptist Bread. The Baptist Bread