Biblical Sexuality – Pt. 4

Weekly Update – May 25th, 2023

Over the last 5 months, we have been slowly walking through our newly adopted statement on Biblical Sexuality.  There are nine points to this statement.  This week we will look at point four.  Point one can before found HERE.  Point two, HERE.  Point three, HERE.  Point four is as follows:

God has designed marriage to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife.  This covenant before God is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and his bride, the church.

In addressing this statement, there are three different aspects that are necessary to understand if we would hold to this point rightly.  First, is the definition of marriage.  Second is what marriage signifies.  Then third is marriage being God’s design.

First, a definition of marriage.  Our statement says that marriage is to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife.  Lets break down these terms. 

• Covenantal and Life-Long:  Paul Williamson defines a covenant as “the idea of a solemn commitment, guaranteeing promises or obligations undertaken by one or both covenanting parties.”  The core aspects of a marriage covenant are faithfulness and loyalty, and it is not to broken until death (Gen. 2:24; Pro. 5:19; Matt. 19:5-6; Mk. 10:9).  The marriage covenant is an agreement made publicly, with vows, normally solidified through the couple physically uniting as one flesh. 

• Sexual and Procreative:  The “one flesh” bond in marriage (Gen. 2:23-25) is the most intimate of all relationships.  It includes a “leaving” of one’s family and a “cleaving” to one’s spouse (Gen. 2:24). The implication here is that marriage is meant to be a sexual relationship.   Now there may be exceptions due to physical incapabilities that would prevent a married couple from having a sexual relationship, just as there may be exceptions for couples not having children.  That doesn’t mean that a couple is not married or considered one flesh.  The main point here is that marriage is the relationship where sex is meant to occur (1 Cor. 7:1-5; Heb. 13:4), with the general outcome of this relationship producing children (Gen. 1:28). 

• One Man and One Woman:  The creation calls given in the beginning were for man to have dominion over the earth and to multiply (Gen. 1:28).  The outcome of these calls was that God’s image would be displayed over all the earth (Gen. 1:27).  The means by which man is to fulfill these calls and display God’s image is through uniting as male and female (Gen. 2:18-25) in marriage (Matt. 19:5-6; Mk. 10:6-9).  This doesn’t mean that everyone will marry (1 Cor. 7:8), but to those who do, marriage must be displayed by one man and one woman. 

Second, what marriage signifies.  Our statement says that marriage signifies the covenant love between Christ and his bride, the church.  The apostle Paul makes this point clear in Ephesians 5:31-32 as he quotes Genesis. 2:24. He says that a man “leaving” his family and “cleaving” or “holding fast” to his wife in order to become “one flesh” is ultimately meant to display the covenant keeping commitment and love that Christ has for his church.  This makes the proper display of roles between a husband and wife all the more important.  The husband is to love his wife (Eph. 5:25), just as the wife is to submit to her husband (Eph. 5:22) in order to display the way that Christ loves his church and the way that the church honors Christ. 

Third, God’s design of marriage.  In Mark 10:6-9, Jesus says, “…from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”  Marriage is not a cultural phenomenon, nor is it rooted in some sort of religious tradition.  God designed marriage “from the beginning” and it is under his authority that a man and woman are “joined together.” 

As we consider a biblical view of sexuality, a proper view of the marriage relationship is key.  We must not be people who hold only to the right scriptural teaching though.  Instead, we ought to have the right teaching manifest itself through the marriages that we display to one another.  As we speak the truth about marriage, let us also be people who display a covenant commitment to our spouses as we seek to display the relationship between Christ and his church, according to the design of God.

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson