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Read: Ephesians 5:31
Listen: Ephesians 5

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Ephesians 5:31

Paul understands marriage as a covenantal relationship: two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. The covenants God makes with humans spread across the pages of the Bible, including Adam and Eve, Abraham, Israel, and David. Paul tells the Ephesians that the covenant of marriage is unique. The promises kept between two imperfect people reveal the kind of relationship God desires to have with his people—one involving self-sacrifice, delight, and honor. Marriage also points to the ultimate covenant keeper, Jesus. Through the cross, believers can find hope.

Our beliefs about God show up in our closest relationships. Marriage today is still meant to be a covenant of promise-keeping. Yet, if we are honest, we often replace this goal with a desire for happiness and self-satisfaction. Like the Ephesians, we live out the idols of our age. God’s design for marriage invites us to more. While a healthy marriage points to Jesus, an unhealthy one reveals the reality of a sinful world. How we live has eternal value. God develops faithfulness in us when we accept Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins and seek his help.

TODAY: Have you received the gift of new life in Jesus through his work on the cross? Today would be a great day to do so. Jesus is the ultimate answer for your relationships, including marriage. As you consider the finished work of Christ, join Ada Bible Worship in praising God through the song “Faithfulness.”