SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE
| What is the meaning of marriage? God created the covenant of marriage to reflect His relationship with His people. This means that faithfulness or unfaithfulness in our marriages is connected to our relationship with God. Malachi warned Israel that their marital unfaithfulness in divorcing their wives and in marrying women outside the faith was, in effect, spiritual adultery against God. There were both personal and societal consequences for this unfaithfulness. And rather than produce Godly offspring, these marriages harmed the spiritual vitality of the next generation. Marital infidelity is so serious, that God threatened to disinherit any person who did this while they continued to worship Him. The good news is that God is faithful even when His people are not. The mystery of marriage is that it points to the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. Christ pursued His unfaithful bride and laid down His life for her, and He continues to work in the Church by His Spirit to make us faithful to Him. Application Questions:
Scriptures for Further Study: Psalm 89:1-5; Leviticus 26:40-42; Micah 7:18-20; Hosea 2:14-23; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 |
