What was He thinking?!

Do you ever wonder why God does what He does?

That thought struck me yesterday as I was leading the discussion in our Meaning of Marriage Class based on the book by Timothy & Kathy Keller.

For several weeks, I have been leading us through a chapter by chapter discussion of the book.  I appreciate the high-view of marriage that the Kellers give and also, see our topic as a means to a deeper understanding of our relationship with God.  The discussions have been lively, funny and thought-provoking.

Yesterday's focus was on Chapter 4- The Mission of Marriage.  To give you background, the takeaways leading up to this discussion are:

• Marriage is a living illustration of Jesus Christ's relationship with The Church. (Chapter 1;The Secret of Marriage)
• The power for marriage is in the work of The Holy Spirit in our lives. (Chapter 2: The Power for Marriage)
• The essence of marriage is that it's a covenant, commitment and promise of future love. (Chapter 3, The Essence of Marriage)

As we moved through the discussion of qualities we looked for in choosing our spouse and the idea of your spouse as your best friend, we settled into a discussion of this chapter's takeaway.  What is the primary goal of Christian marriage?

Tim Keller's response: It is for helping each other to become our future glory-selves, the new creations that God will eventually make us.  (p.120)

God gave us marriage to transform us into the image of God that brings glory to Him.

Let me adjust that thought a little.  Initially, the first marriage (Adam and Eve), one could argue, was more about preserving the image of God rather than being transformed into the glorious image of God. Adam and Eve quickly failed at this. When Sin brought its destruction, God preserved marriage as a means to grow His holiness within us.  So the overarching purpose for each spouse is to spur the other on in pursuit of God.  This is best done in the context of a romantic friendship wrapped in the love of God.

But, here is what struck me in the midst of this teaching:

God has entrusted something very valuable (marriage) to us even though we are not capable to provide full care and protection to it. Put aside what society has done with marriage through the years (we've been defining it on our terms throughout history). As Christ-followers, we have been given the keys to a relationship that is to be a living illustration of Jesus' relationship with The Church.  That's a huge responsibility!  In the best of marriages, we fall short of that standard. Yet, He has handed it over to us, He blesses us richly through the relationship and He uses the experience to transform us and others into His image!

Its when we hand it back to Him (the power of marriage) that the essence of marriage (present and future love) is experienced in a way that transforms the marriage and us from one degree of glory to another! (2 Corinthians 3:18)

That's a living illustration of God's grace.....to give us something valuable to Him with His power and wisdom attached that we might experience in our human relationship what He is pouring out upon our soul for eternity!!

Happy Easter!