Male and Female

"But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." - Jesus Christ (Mark 10:6-9)

Every human being on the face of the earth was created by the miracle of one male cell coming in contact with one female cell. As I look out my back window, I see bright, male birds paired with neatly camouflaged female birds. In the wild, females nurse their young, while males stand nearby to protect and provide.  In nature, this is the way it has always been. 

Marriage has long been considered as the natural order for the continuance of a healthy civilization.

In the United States, the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. The law passed both houses of Congress by large majorities and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996. In a statement at the signing, Clinton said “I have long opposed governmental recognition of same-gender marriages and this legislation is consistent with that position.”  Parts of the law have been challenged in Federal Court, but it has not been overturned. Section Two of the law reserves the right of each state to determine how each state will define marriage. 

The week before the election in November 2008, candidate Barack Obama told MTV he believes marriage is "between a man and a woman" and that he is "not in favor of gay marriage." In 2011, after he was elected president, he instructed his Attorney General to not defend the law of the land – DOMA.

In North Carolina, where I reside, the statute 51-1.2, dated 1996, declares “Marriages between persons of the same gender not valid.” Similar laws in other states have been overturned by judges who consider them as unconstitutional. For that reason, the common people of North Carolina have signed petitions and rallied to place the decision on a public ballot defining marriage “to be between one man and one woman” as an amendment to the state constitution.

 
It is a very rare occasion where the general public has an opportunity to make law. This vote will take place in North Carolina, May 8th, 2012. Once on the constitution, judges cannot deem it unconstitutional.

Unfortunately, a recent poll reveals the condition of the hearts of Americans—44% of young people and 33% of older Americans are now a part of a growing trend in the belief that marriage is obsolete (http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/11/18/the-decline-of-marriage-and-rise-of-new-families). Our adversary, the Devil, wants to destroy God’s precious gift of marriage. He knows that if he can break up or redefine marriage, he is destroying what God has created, as well as adversely affecting all those in the household. This cascading effect flows out of homes into schools, the workplace, places of worship and the government. For Christians whose homes are destroyed by broken marriages, the damage affects how people see God through His broken children.

Marriage is one of the few institutions on earth created by God.

When we get married we promise to love and cherish, until death do us part. It’s a commitment. Yes, there should also be accountability. That’s why we have all of our friends and relatives come and witness our wedding. We become committed to the whole family. And when we start our own families, we are committed to our children. Whether we like it or not, our spouses and our children hold us accountable. We’re also accountable to God, especially if we are married in a church. In Ephesians 5:21 it says we are to be “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” That’s commitment with accountability! 

It continues in Ephesians 5: 25 saying “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Now that’s commitment in the picture of sacrificial love. This is not love based on performance, feelings or emotion. It is love, based on commitment, based on a promise.

Jesus put an exclamation point on the importance of marriage, when He revealed His miracle working power at the wedding in Cana. No matter where you are: pre-married, married, un-married, divorced, or in a relationship outside of God’s will - Jesus can be the miracle you need in your life. He can turn a bitter or tasteless relationship into a sweet and joyful one.

Pastor Jay Merritt