The document discusses the biblical foundations and purposes of marriage. It states that God created marriage so that humans would not be alone and could love and live with another. Christian marriages should reflect Christ's sacrificial love for the Church. Marriage vows emphasize commitment to one's spouse before God and witnesses, to love, honor, cherish and protect each other for life through all circumstances. Proper preparation and commitment to God and one's spouse are essential for a successful Christian marriage.
2. No Christian life is worth living without a
good relationship with God and others.
This is why in the creation stories, God
insisted on getting Adam a partner. In His
words it is not good that the man should
be alone. God did not want Adam to just
have a relationship with Him alone so He
created Eve for him.
4. CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES REFLECT
CHRIST‟S LOVE FOR THE CHURCH:
The Bible suggests that the marriage
relationship between a husband and the wife
should reflect the relationship the relationship
between God and Israel, and selflessly sacrificed
for her, so St. Paul expects husbands to love
their wives. (Ephesians Chapter 5) Marriage is
based on love which must not be merely
sentimental, but as expressed in 1Corinthians
13.
5. „Love is patient and kind;
Love is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its way,
It is not irritable or resentful;
It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the
right.
Love bears all things, believes all things, endures
all things.
Love never ends. So faith, hope and love abides,
These three, but the greatest of these is love‟
6.
7. THE VOWS
“I” - This is the first word in the vows and
it is often followed by the name of the
person. This affirms that even though the
words are mostly repeated after the
officiating minister, it is not a mere
repetition of words as they have been
owned by the one repeating them.
8. “DO TAKE THEE”
The 2 nd
set of words, which is
followed by the name of the
addresses, shows that a particular
person is being addressed. This
identifies the other party, ie. apart
from God, in the covenant.
9. “TO BE MY WEDDED WIFE/HUSBAND”
Traditionally, polygamy is allowed and
even encouraged in our cultures. The
laws of Ghana on marriage also affirm
this. When one weds, however, it is a
public and legal affirmation that one is
going to stay with that one partner.
10. The Christian has no excuse
whatsoever, for indulging in any such
behavior. So God created woman to
complement man.
Adam was overcome with emotion and
wonder when he saw the new creature
and he proclaimed “this, indeed, is bone
of my bone and flesh of my flesh…”
11. In taking a wife or a
husband, therefore, one proclaims
and re-echoes that which Adam said:
“I‟ve found the one who makes me
complete.” To go away from this
person therefore is to put a big
question mark on that which we claim
had come from God
12. It is, perhaps, to buttress this
point, that some traditions add
“Do you promise, forsaking all
others…and holding only unto
her/him?”
13. “IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD”
This is the most crucial thing about marriage
vows. That, the vows are being said in the
presence of God, is a stark and most timely
reminder that God is a Partner in the marriage.
When one breaks one‟s promise to a spouse, it
is first and foremost a betrayal of God. So, in his
prayer of confession in Ps. 51:4, David says:
“Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I
have done what is evil in your sight…” Infidelity
to a partner is primarily a slap in the face of
God.
14. “BEFORE THIS
CONGREGATION/WITNESSES
This is another crucial aspect of the vows: that
is, the fact that the vows are being said before
an audience who testify to what is being done.
In the true sense of “no man is an island” this
phrase should remind the couple that the
outcome of their marriage has consequences
not only for themselves but to the “cloud of
witnesses” gathered there.
15. “PROMISE AND COVENANT”
Eccl. 5:4 & 5 cautions about making
vows to God and not fulfilling them. A
Christian who thus stands before God
and the people of God and vows to his
partner is duty bound to keep this
vows. They must, therefore, be taken
with all the seriousness it deserves and
assiduously kept.
16. “LOVE (OR LOVING), HONOUR, CHERISH
AND PROTECT”
They mean, primarily, that one is
prepared to put one‟s needs on
hold, if necessary, to ensure that
other‟s comfort is secured. In the best
of situations, however, these are not
concepts that are demanded but ones
that are given. In other words
17. it is not a matter of: “you promise
to love, honour, cherish and
protect me and I demand that you
do so”, it is more of: “I promise to
love, honour, cherish and protect
you and I am doing so”.
18. “FAITHFUL”
It must be taken in the complete form in
which it sometimes appears: “…forsaking
all else, be faithful to…”. All too
often, people do not think they have been
unfaithful until they have had sex outside
marriage. Faithfulness demands that the
spouse becomes the most important
person in one‟s life.
19. “DUTIFUL”
A spouse who knows and perform his/her
duties to the partner is indeed beautiful to
be hold!
“The man must work hard in his calling
to provide for the home” the woman must
take care of the home” it is even more
embarrassing when everyone knows that
the groom is unemployed and the bride a
professional. The question however still
remains, “what is one to do in such
circumstances?”
20. “UNTIL GOD SHALL SEPARATE US BY
DEATH”
It means that absolutely nothing –
including adultery and even incest
can or should cause a couple to go
their separate ways. Once they
have taken the vows, they have to
stick together through thick and
thin.
21. “To have and to hold”
“ for better, for worse”; “
for richer, for
poorer”, “in sickness and
in health”,
22. .“To have” is almost automatic, to
hold to one another in love demands
a forgiving spirit, maturity, prayer and
a constant in filling of the Holy Spirit
as well as a deep commitment that
desires to go on when one hits the
inevitable dry patches in marriage.
23. COUPLES NEED:
A well utilized courting time:
this should include, at least 3
months of good Christian. Sex
should be put on hold till after
the marriage; even for non
virgins.
24. The couple should seek good role
models: as divorces increase and
urbanization rises, many children are
growing up without god marriage role
models. It is important that a couple
preparing for marriage prayerfully choose
a good Christian couple to guide them.
25. THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN
MARRIAGE IS COMMITMENT TO:
GOD
THE SPOUSE
THE MARRIAGE
