The foundation of marriage (2) - Remember the 4 "P"s of marriage.

Keep in mind the four P's: (1) Purpose: Glory of God, (2) Principle: Love of God the Father, (3) Pattern: Suffering of the Son Jesus, (4) Power: Fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Purpose of marriage: One of the most popular books among Christians seems to be Pastor Rick Warren's "The Purpose-driven Life".  When I think about the reasons why many people are interested in that book is maybe because they may not live with a clear sense of purpose.  I think marriage is the same.  I am concerned that many young men and women who want to get married do not know why God wants them to marry.  When some of them say they want to marry for “God’s glory” but do not try to marry in the right way for that purpose, I cannot help but ask the question whether God's glory is revealed or not.

When I think about how important marriage is and marriage ceremony, I think more important is to experience God’s sovereign work in bring the couple together before their marriage.  If they do not experiencing the God’s work in bring them together and His goodness, faithfulness and grace, then the foundation of their marriage will be fragile.  In particular, without having the conviction of God's word in marriage ceremonies, and the fact that two newlyweds march toward the world without this conviction, is like launching a sailboat on a stormy sea without a goal.

Principle of marriage: The Bible 1 John 4:7 and 16 says "God is love".  A marriage that reveals the glory of God manifests God of love.

Pattern of marriage: We know in our head that the love of God is agape love that is more precious than any other love in the world.  The marriage to which the principle of love is applied is the dedication to walk the path of crucifixion that Jesus walked eventually and the commitment of the couple to bear the burdens of suffering together.  But how many young single men and women who are preparing for marriage are prepared to suffer for the Lord’s sake?

Power of marriage: There is power of marriage when the couple’s purpose of marriage is the glory of God, when they vow to live by the principle of love and when they devote to walk along the path of Jesus' suffering together.  The power is that in the presence of the Holy Spirit, the couple becomes one and enjoys the deep fellowship with God in their marriage.  Also that power is the power of love.

If we are dreaming of this powerful marriage, we should deeply think about 4 P's at least once.