Charles Spurgeon on Marriage

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.” — Ephesians 5:25 What a golden example Christ gives to His disciples! Few masters could venture to say, “If you would practice my teaching, imitate my life;” but as the life of Jesus is the exact transcript of perfect virtue, He can point to Himself as the paragon of holiness, as well as the teacher of it. The Christian should take nothing short of Christ for his model. Under no circumstances ought we to be content unless we reflect the grace which was in Him. As a husband, the ...

What makes a person married? Is it the legal paper you sign, or the “two becoming one flesh” (sex)?

Question from a reader:

Scripture seems to define marriage as "two becoming one flesh", but we're also often taught that God designed sex only for the within context of marriage. How does just signing a paper to be married make it right before God to have sex?

Answer from Jim Swanson:

(Jim Swanson, M.Th, MSM., EPM volunteer)

The first marriage had no paper license and no human community witness. God was the witness to the union of two souls. The act of marriage to consummate that state was sex. The basis of the marriage was the very act ...