A covenant marriage mirrors God’s covenant with His people. There are elements of a covenant marriage which are necessary to strengthen it.
A marriage covenant has the same components as God’s covenant with His people:
1) An initiative of love inviting a response and creating a relationship;
2) As God’s covenant of grace was made sure by an oath, so the essence of the marriage covenant is the vow of consent, which guards the relationship;
3) An obligation of faithfulness;
4) Includes the promise of blessing to those who remain faithful to the covenant;
5) Both require sacrifices.
In fact, sacrifice is at the very heart of a covenant. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s covenants with His people were secured by blood – by laying down one’s life in death. Likewise, the security of the marriage relationship is based on a “walk of death”:
1) Death to certain freedoms
2) Death to dependency on parents
3) Death to prior relationships
4) Death to self
All of these are necessary for a marriage to have a life of its own and a new wholeness as two become one.
Another is a connection with God, which in turn is the best connection with our mate. A Christian covenant marriage is designed to be a triangle where the bond is as strong as it can possibly be when the husband and the wife are woven into a tight relationship with God, and the three always touch each other. A three-strand rope is stronger than a rope with four or five strands, because with only three strands, each strand is constantly touching the other two, forming the strongest and tightest bond possible.
Ephesians 5:25-33 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church…. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Finally, another necessary and key element to a covenant is keeping our word. We do what we said we would do. This is essential in maintaining covenant relationships and being a person of integrity. God stands behind every word that He speaks and so should we as we are made in His image.
Jeremiah 1:12b You have seen well for I am vigilant to perform my Word
Sermon Series: Marriage covenant
盟约婚姻的要素
盟约婚姻反映了神与祂子民所立的约。为了巩固盟约婚姻，其中有一些必要的元素。
婚姻盟约与神和祂子民所立的盟约有相同的组成部分：
1）主动发起的爱的邀约，请求回应并建立关系;
2）因为神的恩典之约是通过誓言来确定的，所以婚姻之约的本质是同意的誓言，它保守着双方的关系;
3）忠实的义务;
4）包含了应许，就是应许将祝福那信实守约之人;
5）双方均要作出牺牲。
事实上，牺牲是盟约的核心。在《旧约》和《新约》中，神与祂子民所立的约都是用血来担保的——即舍生赴死。同样，婚姻关系的保障是建立在“向死”的基础上的:
1）向某些自由而死
2）向对父母的依赖而死
3）向前一段关系而死
4）向自我而死
所有这些都是使一段婚姻拥有自己的生命力以及二人合为新造的一体所必需的。
另外，与神的连结，则又成为我们与伴侣之间最好的纽带。基督徒的圣约婚姻被设计成一个三角形，当丈夫和妻子与神织就紧密的关系，并且三方始终不离不弃时，纽带就能达到最大限度的牢固。一根三股的绳子比四股或五股的绳子更结实，因为当只有三股的时候，每一股都时刻贴紧另外两股，形成最大限度的牢固而又紧密的结合。
以弗所书5:25-33你们作丈夫的,要爱你们的妻子,正如基督爱教会，为教会舍己。要用水借着道把教会洗净，成为圣洁，可以献给自己，作个荣耀的教会，毫无玷污，皱纹等类的病，乃是圣洁没有瑕疵的。丈夫也当照样爱妻子，如同爱自己的身子，爱妻子便是爱自己了。从来没有人恨恶自己的身子，总是保养顾惜，正像基督待教会一样，因我们是祂身上的肢体。。。然而你们各人都当爱妻子，如同爱自己一样；妻子也当敬重她的丈夫。
最后，盟约的另一个必备和关键的要素是信守诺言。我们要言出必行。这对于维持盟约关系和成为一个诚信的人是至关重要的。神信守祂所说的每一句话，我们也当如此，因为我们是照祂的形像被造的。
耶利米书1:12b你看得不错，因为我留意保守我的话，使得成就。
讲章系列: 婚姻盟约