Let your life be full of worship to God in Christ. Let your aim be to elevate Him. And then show the world that marriage is a reflection of Him. If we have truly made much of God, then marriage will be highly esteemed.

Let marriage be held in honor among all…
Hebrews 13:4

I remember during our pre-marital counseling having this discussion: How can we elevate marriage without making it an idol? Marriage is important. God created marriage in the beginning (Gen 2:24). He loves marriage, in which He joins a man and a woman together (Matt 19:6). We are commanded to honor marriage among all (Heb 13:4). And yet, like every good thing, we are tempted to turn it into an idol. Like our own personal Nehushtan (2 Kings 18:4), we take this thing that is meant to point to Christ and begin to worship it. How can we avoid this while still honoring the glorious institution of marriage?

The answer lies in the purpose of marriage. What is the great goal of marriage? It is to point to Christ and His church (Eph 5:32). It is to mirror the gospel. And the gospel is the greatest means by which God displays His glory. Consider for a moment the absolute travesty it is to take a picture of the gospel and elevate it above the gospel itself. And yet, we are tempted to do just that. To make rivals of the shadow and the substance.

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