Exploring the divine nature of marriage according to Scripture, emphasizing selflessness as crucial. Discussing the roles of husbands and wives, drawing parallels with Christ and the church. Addressing challenges like selfishness in marriage, highlighting the importance of commitment and intimacy. Prioritizing marriage as a powerful bond that shapes one's life, fostering forgiveness and love.
Self-centeredness is the main enemy of any marriage, emphasizing the importance of humility and service.
Marriage is a covenant based on loyalty and commitment, prioritizing the partner over personal desires.
Deep dives
Self-centeredness as the Main Problem in Marriage
Self-centeredness is identified as the primary obstacle in marriages. The podcast emphasizes that a spirit-filled humility and willingness to serve are crucial for a successful marriage. It is highlighted that self-centeredness must be tackled as the foundation of any healthy marital relationship. The episode underscores the significance of prioritizing selflessness over selfishness in order to foster a strong and fulfilling marriage.
The Essence of Marriage as a Promise
The essence of marriage is portrayed as a promise rather than being solely based on feelings or external factors like having children or sex. The podcast articulates that the core of marriage lies in making a commitment to be loyal, caring, and faithful to one another under any circumstances. Marriage is described as a covenant where individuals promise to prioritize their partners over everything else.
Companionship and Intimacy in Marriage
The episode delves into the importance of companionship in marriage, emphasizing that marriage is fundamentally built for deep sharing and intimate relationships. It stresses the significance of spouses being each other's best friends, sharing profound intimacy and communication. The podcast underscores that placing a spouse as a top priority in terms of friendship and companionship is essential for a successful marriage.
The Priority of Marriage in Life
Marriage is highlighted as a pivotal relationship that should take precedence over all others in one's life. The podcast stresses that marriage has the power to determine the course of one's entire life, shaping decisions and outcomes. It is emphasized that regardless of external circumstances, a strong marriage leads to personal strength and stability while a troubled marriage can result in weakness and instability in other aspects of life.
Whether you’re single, married, widowed, or divorced, you can immediately apply Scripture’s teachings about marriage to your life.
According to the Scripture, marriage is a divine invention. It stands apart from other human institutions because it didn’t evolve out of human thinking. And the basic principles for marriage that are laid out in Ephesians 5 are critical to our understanding of what God says marriage is.
We’ll look now at the first of these basic principles: Self-centeredness is the main enemy of any marriage.
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 18, 1991. Series: Marriage. Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-33.
To receive the devo offer in this episode of "The Meaning of Marriage: A Couple's Devotional," visit https://gospelinlife.com/devo
Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
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