The committed marriage is the only happy and lasting one. When two believers love each other unselfishly and live in accordance with God’s Word, submitted to one another, a bond emerges that can withstand every temptation the world can aim at them. People in such marriages forge a sharing friendship that knows no limitations, secrets, or conditions.
Not unlike the apostles, however, some twenty-first-century believers seem afraid that a lifelong, unconditional commitment to marriage would consign them to a life of boring, frustrating restrictions. Therefore, many conclude that it’s “better not to marry.” But the Lord created marital commitment to bring enduring happiness and satisfaction – in ways a single person or uncommitted spouse can never realize. Far from being a reason to avoid marriage, with all its challenges and responsibilities, biblical commitment is the quality that makes marriage most desirable and fulfilling in the long run.
Of course, Christians must choose their marriage partners carefully and prayerfully. They should become committed only to someone who shares their biblical faith. No love or fulfillment can surpass what a believing couple knows when they live together in obedience to God’s Word.
From: Grace for Today: Daily Readings from the Life of Christ: Volume 3 by John MacArthur (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010), p. 42. Comment on Matthew 19.11-12.
