In The Master's Service

Institution of Marriage

Elder Vaughn Winslett

In I Timothy chapter four Paul warns that in latter times, (the age in which we live today), some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. He tells what the doctrines are. Verse three begins with "forbidding to marry."

We find in Genesis chapter two that the last thing that God created was the man and woman. God made man from the dust of the ground. All that God had made was for the man, to subdue, that he might multiply, replenish the earth, and serve God. The man was made in the image of God. The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. God took one of his ribs and made he a woman. God brought the woman to the man. Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of the man."

The first institution God created: marriage, family. Woman was taken from the man, given to the man, long before the church was to come (Matthew 16:18).

Many today who fall in deceit to the wiles of the devil will declare that marriage is a thing of the past. We, men and women, have freedom now. Women no longer have to marry. This is a new century, new times. Women can leave the home and her care for the family to pursue her goals. In rebellion to God, we wonder then why is the divorce rate over fifty percent in this nation, and the family in a state of decline.

God made the woman from the man and for the man; they are to be one together.

In Genesis chapter three the scripture teaches us that the serpent beguiled Eve. The Devil added one word to Gods truth that corrupted it: the word "not". When a child of God is deceived today many times it is of the same deception. It will NOT hurt to change it, God does NOT care, God will not punish us. Brethren and sisters, if we expect the full blessings of God in our family then we must keep our family as God created it. We cannot live in an unmarried status and expect anything other than sorrow.

God told Eve in sorrow she would bring forth children and in I Timothy two, verse fifteen scripture records that a woman shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. This saving is not eternal, for we are bought with the precious blood of the Lamb of God, and nothing can separate us from that. The saving here is the saving of a man and woman together as one for life enjoying the blessings of God in obedience.

The world would take that from you. It is a blessing and a great gift to have a Godly wife and or husband, along with children brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Worldly people will put the woman over the man, yet God created the man and placed him there. The man was made for God; the woman was made for the man. Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression, I Timothy chapter two, verses thirteen and fourteen.

Ephesians chapter five verse twenty-three "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body."

The woman is to submit herself to her husband. I Peter chapter three begins, "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conservation of the wives." In living as the Lord instructs, in submission to her husband there is a timely salvation to her, and her husband, and children as well.

The man is made in the image of God. God made covenant with Adam, the man is to be responsible. It all begins here: "husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it:" How much easier is it for the wife to be in submission to the husband when he loves her as Christ loves us. DO NOT MARRY FOR LUST; marry for love. A true love bears all things and last forever. We do not have the ability to love as God does. We are to love though as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. All that we, husbands, do is for our wives. A man should love no one more than he loves his wife. God made her to be one with the man. She should be loved as a man loves his own self. We are to give ourselves for her. We work for her, we protect her, we provide for her that she might remain a keeper at home; we ought to be ready to lay down our life for her.

The man is the head of the wife. They are one. I Corinthians, chapter seven, beginning with verse three, "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body but the husband: and likewise the husband hath not power of his own body but the wife." We are to be one. While the world tells you when times get hard to separate or divorce, scripture says the only reason we are to defraud one another, or be separate is for prayer and fasting, and then come together again.

The Lord in His wisdom gave us marriage, children and family. It was the first institution God created. It is the basis for all good things as our FAMILY; children should be in church with the parents. There is nothing more important to the husband, family, church or nation than Godly wives, mothers and sisters in Christ. God placed them in a role of character, (for lack of better words) by which all prosper. Satan attacks the family; if it suffers, the church and nation suffer.

Choose your wife by love, and love her as Jesus loves you.