Simple and memorable guidance for marriage. That’s what God gives us through a key Bible passage that’s repeated three times, once at each of three key points in History. The Word of God instructs us, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (ESV) This passage is first heard from the mouth of God, the Father, at creation in Gen. 2:24. It’s repeated by God, the Son (Jesus), during His earthly ministry in Mat. 19:5 (parallel in Mrk. 10:7). Finally, it’s spoken by St. Paul under inspiration of God, the Holy Spirit, during the days of infancy of the Christian church in Eph. 5:31. Our Triune God has made it clear that throughout History (creation, re-creation, and current age of the church), His will for marriage is the same. This one passage helps summarize that will of God in a concise way.
We can make God’s marriage teaching from this passage memorable by using the same symbol we often use for the Trinity … a triangle. Marriage functions well when three elements are held up as equally important. They are 1. leave mother and father, 2. hold fast to spouse & 3. become one flesh. Studying the meaning of these three, its possible to say that marriage involves SACRIFICIAL love, UNCONDITIONAL love and INCARNATE love. Put one of these words on each point of a triangle and you’ve got a simple picture of God’s way for marriage. Sounds simple. Right?! The words may be few, but the meaning is PROFOUND. In fact, when we understand the three aspects of love in this passage about marriage, we understand a worldview that will impact our entire LIFE! When you know the three parts of marriage in God’s way, you’ve got an excellent guide to a complete LIFE in GOD’S WAY.