<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

W.D. Frazee Sermons Ministry

W.D. Frazee

Marriage and the Home- Part 1

In John the 17th chapter and the third verse, we shall find our opening text.

Here we have an inspired definition of what real life is.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Life eternal is to know God, and this is speaking of life not merely in the dimension of length, but of breadth.

To live on and on to exist eternally might not in itself be much of a blessing, but oh if life can be full of meaning, full of joy, full of accomplishment, full of satisfaction, and then can go on and on.

Man was made to know God and to love God.

And he is happy and satisfied only as what he was made for is accomplished.

And everything that God has done for man is to enable him to know God.

I like the way it's put here in the book, Steps to Christ, page 10.

Through the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know he has sought to reveal himself to us.

What is the purpose of the ties of love between parents and children, between brothers and sisters, between husband and wife?

Through the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know, he has sought to reveal himself to us.

Put with that Ministry of Healing 356, the family tie is the closest, the most tender and sacred of any on earth.

So the closest tie of all is the family tie.

That's in the chapter in Ministry of Healing on the builders of the home.

How young people are to prepare for and enter into marriage.

The great purpose of marriage then is to reveal the character of God, to understand God.

He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.

We know God then only as we know love and marriage in a special sense is the sacrament of love.

Ephesians 5, beginning with the 25th verse.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.

Husbands are to love their wives as Jesus loved the church.

He gave himself for the church, so the husband is to give himself for his wife.

Love is of course the opposite of unselfishness.

Only a home where love reigns can represent heaven.

That's what God wants every home on earth to be, a symbol of the heavenly home.

Now notice that in this parallel between Christ and the church, the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church.

The husband, the father, is the priest of the home, as Christ is the priest, the head of the church, the high priest of the heavenly sanctuary.

I'd like to read an interesting statement on that point from Volume 1, page 547.

Every member of the family centers in the father.

He is the lawmaker, illustrating in his own manly bearing the sterner virtues, energy, integrity, honesty, and practical usefulness.

The father is in 1 sense the priest of the household, laying upon the altar of God the morning and evening sacrifice, while the wife and children unite in prayer and praise.

And through his quickening influence the parents joyful exclamation shall yet be heard amid more exalted scenes Saying behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me Who is the priest of the little sanctuary in the home?

The husband and father is the priest of the household, the priest of the sanctuary in the home.

Now remember, all of this is that human beings may know God, may understand God.

Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church.

Same way, to the same degree, same manner.

Oh husbands, isn't this a tremendous challenge?

You and I as men, as fathers, as husbands, are in a special sense called to be representatives of the great high priest in the heavenly sanctuary.

And our families, and especially our wives, our companions, are to know God by knowing us.

Our children are to know God by knowing us.

Well, may we echo the question of the apostle, who is sufficient for these things?

As we shall see in these studies tonight and tomorrow night, we need an anointing before we dare venture in to the sanctuary to officiate.

Aaron was anointed as the high priest before he ministered in the earthly sanctuary.

Jesus was anointed as high priest before he entered upon his mediatorial work in the heavenly sanctuary.

And every man who stands as husband, as father, needs an anointing or else he cannot function, he cannot officiate, he cannot do the work to which he is called.

Now, there are various manifestations of love in human life.

That is, we're to be willing to help others as they need.

And so it is written, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, and Jesus showed in the parable of the Good Samaritan that our neighbor is anyone who needs our help.

We're told to love especially the members of the family of God on earth.

As brothers and sisters bound together in church fellowship, we can sing, blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.

But there is a closer love when in the family, parents and children, brothers and sisters have the privilege of living close day by day and entering in to experiences of affection closer than the world at large and even the church at large may properly enjoy.

But the heart, the center of that whole experience is the love, the mysterious love, between 1 man and 1 woman, the husband and the wife.

And concerning this, on this page we read Ephesians 5 31 and 32, for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be 1 flesh.

It is indeed a wonderful mystery, dear friend.

There is nothing else like it in human experience.

You know, if you were just looking at society in general, I don't suppose you could find anything more different than a man and a woman.

And God takes 1 man and 1 woman, not related, not those that have grown up in the same home with the same parents, but with varying backgrounds.

He takes 1 man and 1 woman and puts them together and says, Now I want you 2 to be 1.

I say to you, my dear friends, it cannot be done except by a miracle.

And the 1 who began his ministry by taking water, ordinary water, and changing it into wine, pure, fresh, delicious grape juice.

The 1 who did that at the marriage feast of Canaan is ready to take the common experiences of life and by the miracle of his love, change them into heaven on earth for those who will let him manage things.

And he adds, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.

Christ and the Church, the union of Jesus and the Church, that's a great mystery.

How Jesus and the Church can be joined together in a close union and become 1.

And here on earth, in every Christian home is to be an object lesson of that mysterious union as 1 man and 1 woman are joined together in love in a union which the universe looks on and beholds in wonder and adores the God who has made such a wonderful plan.

Now notice that word mystery, for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife and they too shall be 1 flesh.

Somebody says, I don't know that there's any special mystery about it.

May I tell you friends, it happens very seldom.

Back to Menu

Marriage and the Home- Part 1

Transcript

Sponsor

Related

Marriage Heart to Heart

Common Goals

54m

Biblical Love, Marriage, and Relationships - Part 2

50m

Dating Isn't For Cowards

Dating Isn’t For Cowards- Part 2

51m

MTYC 2010 Breakout Seminar - Relationship

Unequally Yoked Together

55m

Practical

Surviving & Thriving in a Spiritually Mismatched Marriage

1h 18m

Biblical Relationships (Afternoon meetings)

Overcoming the Myths of Marriage

32m

God's Love Stories (Noon Meetings)

9. Starting Right

42m

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

How to Choose a Good Mate

52m

Lovely Lord of the Lord's Day

7 - The Mark of the Beast Principle

30m

To Have and to Hold on

Do You Speak My Language - Part 3

1h 16m

Husbands Love Your Wives as Christ Loves the Church

53m

Sound Doctrine