When Wrong Has Been Done

Published: Sept. 26, 2020, midnight

b'God calls some Christians to marriage and some to lifelong singleness (1 Corinthians 7). So, as you think about the possibility of marriage in the future, there are some important truths to keep in mind.\\nMost importantly, realize that a future spouse will fail you, but Jesus Christ never will. We were created to know God\\u2014to find our worth and strength in Him and to build a community around worshiping Him (Matthew 22:36-40; Colossians 1:18; 1 John 4:11; Revelation 21:1-5). Our worth and identity are rooted in Jesus, not in how others view or treat us. Therefore, when people\\u2014 even marvelous spouses\\u2014fail us in this broken world, we know we are secure in Christ because He died for our sins and He rose again from the grave to give us freedom from death and the promise of eternal life with Him and His people.\\nRelated to this, don\\u2019t marry someone who doesn\\u2019t know Jesus (1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14-16). Some key purposes of marriage are to strengthen and encourage each other, to reflect God\\u2019s character and unconditional love, and to teach the next generation about God. If your identity and future is in Jesus, why pursue a deep, romantic relationship with someone who doesn\\u2019t know Him and won\\u2019t value the reasons God created marriage?\\nFinally, marriage is intended for one man and one woman for life (Matthew 19:4-6). This one-flesh, covenant union pictures the way Jesus sacrificially loves His church (Ephesians 5:21-33).\\nMarriage may seem far down the road, but you are already becoming the person you will be within your future marriage. Use these years to dig deeply into God\\u2019s Word and to grow in your knowledge of Jesus, your Savior. Then, if it is God\\u2019s will for you to get married, you\\u2019ll be rooted in the gospel when you meet your future spouse. \\u2022 Michelle Isenhoff\\n\\u2022 What do you expect marriage to be like? What examples have you seen? \\n\\u2022 Why did God create marriage? How does marriage show Jesus\\u2019 love for His people? \\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Haven\\u2019t you read the Scriptures?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Jesus replied. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153They record that from the beginning \\xe2\\u20ac\\u02dcGod made them male and female.\\u2019 \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153 And he said, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u02dc \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.\\u2019 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Matthew 19:4-6 (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nMatthew 6:14-15; Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:32'