The Mystery of Marriage

This excerpt explores the mystery of marriage as a divine reflection of Christ’s love for the Church. It dives into how marriage is not just a human arrangement, but a sacred union with spiritual significance—designed to mirror God’s covenant relationship with His people. Readers are invited to see marriage through a biblical lens that reveals its purpose, beauty, and eternal meaning.

“As a husband and wife draw closer to God, they draw closer to each other.”
– David Cerullo

Marriage is a mysterious union with a perfect heavenly purpose, but there is no such thing as a perfect marriage.

Every couple has strengths and weaknesses that God desires to weave into a unique masterpiece. Paul describes it as a mystery when God takes two individuals to create one (Ephesians 5:22-33). If that is not a big enough miracle, consider Paul’s next point. The mystery of marriage reveals truths about Christ’s union with believers!

Just as Christ died to bring us into union with God, each marriage partner must die to self and surrender to God’s will to fully unite with each other. Only then can the marriage reach its heavenly purpose.

Perhaps someone gave you this book as a wedding present. Maybe you want to make your good marriage even better, or more likely, you are one of the millions who is hurting today because of brokenness in your marriage.

Whatever your reason for picking up this book, you can be sure God will create the marriage of your dreams—if you will delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). When you seek God’s ways in your marriage, He will do immeasurably more than you can think or ask (Ephesians 3:20). Friend, the best is yet to come!

Let’s get started by facing a truth you already know: Hurt within marriage is especially difficult. The realities of selfishness, brokenness, bills, jobs, tiredness, and children trample the dreams of your dating days. When you’ve been repeatedly hurt by someone who promised to love you until “death do us part,” you may turn inward and nurse your pain, or you may lash out and attack the one who has hurt you.

You can become numb and depressed, or you can become bitter and callous. It’s normal to want to protect yourself from further pain. Yet in doing this, you may be closing yourself off from the very love and healing you so desperately need.

If you’re living in circumstances like this, you must remember that Jesus is incapable of hurting you. You will need to trust in His love to heal you and help you move toward a healthier marriage. Jesus doesn’t love you with an earthly, selfish love. He will never compromise His vow to love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Though you may be brokenhearted today, the Lord knows your pain and wants to heal your marriage and your heart. He wants to help you learn to love as He loves … and help your spouse do the same.

So What Is God’s Plan?

Before you can undertake godly steps for building your marriage or for the healing and restoration of your relationship with your spouse, you must first understand God’s plan and intention for marriage.

It used to be typical in this country that when a couple married, they stayed married. Divorces were only granted for adultery, abandonment, abuse, or alcoholism. Not anymore. Since the inception of no-fault divorce in 1969, the percentage of dissolved marriages has multiplied at a distressing rate as more and more people choose to divorce simply because they can’t get along with one another.

The United States is the current world leader in divorce. In addition, according to national statistics, we now see more than 60% of all couples choosing to live together before marriage … 44% of all first marriages ending in divorce … and about 67% of second marriages failing. Even 38% of regular churchgoers wind up in divorce court!

What is going on?

We have an enemy who wants nothing less than to destroy marriages. He hates the purpose and potential of marriage and targets it continually. You see, in addition to the holy privilege of portraying salvation, the God-ordained institution of marriage is designed to serve as the foundation for our homes and our societies. Marriage is intended to provide a secure, loving relationship between a husband and a wife—that in turn produces godly offspring (Malachi 2:15).

God’s plan is for marriage to unite individuals and place them in a position of authority, strength, peace, and joy. The family unit is then empowered to assume its rightful position in the Kingdom of God and in His name to “be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32 KJV).

But across this nation and around the world, Satan is coming to steal, kill, and destroy marriages. However, God affirms in His Word that He hates divorce, “for it covers one’s garment with violence … Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). He intends for a couple’s marriage vows to be a lifelong covenant relationship, which Scripture refers to as “a mystery” (Ephesians 5:32).

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Excerpt taken from Simple Steps to a Happy Marriage by Inspiration Ministries

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