Many well-educated people today believe that there can be no truly happy marriages. Sociologists and psychologists look at people’s unhappy lives today and blame the institution of marriage as the cause for all the unhappiness.
It is true that our world is filled with some very gloomy family problems. Although the overall crime rate is down in the United States, violent crimes committed by young people are up considerably. There is something seriously wrong in our homes. The divorce rate has dropped, but so have the number of marriages. Incidents of child abuse, both physical and sexual, are rising sharply. What is the real cause of our problems? Is it marriage?
Not many professionals can see a solution to the ever increasing problems in our families or in our society. Thinking that marriage is the problem, many have experimented with the institution. The 1960s brought us the “new morality.” The whole world is witnessing the bad fruits of that sexual revolution—aids! Many people have also tried “open” marriage and now “no” marriage. And our problems are getting worse—far worse. As God’s Church, we know that marriage is not the cause of human unhappiness.
Herbert W. Armstrong was a great champion for marriage. He also saw the gloomy social problems of our world and asked why marriage? Mr. Armstrong witnessed our society speeding to its destruction and asked, “why marriage?” Mr. Armstrong understood that the problems and the unhappiness we face as human beings are not caused by marriage—but by failed marriages! The root cause of all human unhappiness is sin! Although most professionals can’t (or won’t) admit this fact, it is nonetheless true. Our family and other social problems are caused by the breaking of the Ten Commandments. The Fifth and Seventh Commandments protect marriage and family! God set in motion these two specific laws to make our families strong and stable. Strong families make healthy nations.
As a nation, and as individuals, we are guilty of breaking the laws governing family and marriage. As a result, we suffer marriage problems and our society is very sick. So we need to ask again—why marriage?
Marriage—a Great Mystery
The Apostle Paul revealed to the Ephesians that the purpose behind marriage was a mystery. “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:30-32). Paul shows here that the truth about marriage must be revealed. Mankind has been rejecting revealed knowledge since the garden of Eden. Is it any wonder then that our nation’s marriages and families are sick?
Paul taught the Ephesians that there was a stupendous spiritual purpose behind marriage. Human marriage is to be an exact replica of Christ’s relationship to the Church! It takes God’s Holy Spirit to understand this magnificent purpose. At this time, the world cannot grasp this vital knowledge. But the Church of God can—or should! Marriage—successful marriage—should not be a great mystery for God’s Church. If we desire our marriages to be successful we need to understand how Christ works with the Church now and how He plans to work with it in the future.
Built on False Foundation
Every facet of our society today, including marriage, is built upon a false educational foundation. That false foundation is the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution is an attempt to explain a creation without a creator. Most educated people embrace this theory without question. And they wholeheartedly reject the Bible as a source of knowledge. Many people outside of God’s Church cannot make marriage work because their knowledge about marriage is not based on the Bible. Human beings reason, if there is no God, then there is no reason to look to the Bible for solutions to our social problems.
Some people in this world do have successful marriages. Why? Because in some way or another, whether known or unknown, they are following biblical principles.
Here is what Mr. Armstrong established as the educational foundation for successful marriage: “Were it not for the very fact that we were created in God’s very likeness, with the purpose of being born of God—born into God’s own Family—the marriage institution—giving us the experience of family life—would never have been ordained. If we were mere animals, developed by evolution, marriage would never have existed” (Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete?). God created us in His own image so that we can ultimately be born into His Family. God designed the marriage institution to accomplish this great purpose. So what we think about and do in our marriages must be founded on this knowledge. Marriage is not the result of the evolution of some higher species. Marriage is the outcome of the deep thinking and planning of the greatest mind in the universe—Almighty God!
Marriage and family are the main tools God is using to help us qualify for His Kingdom. It is our job in the Philadelphia Church of God to elevate marriage to this proper spiritual importance. Many in God’s Laodicean Church are losing sight of this very important fact. As a result, many marriages in that Church are in serious trouble. In order to make our marriages thrive we must come to fully understand this incredible spiritual dimension to marriage and family. If we fail to hold fast to this knowledge, we will begin to “experiment” with the institution and suffer similar tragedies like the society around us.
Marriage—Foundation of God’s Government
God is using the Philadelphia Church of God to give a final warning to the Laodicean Church and the nations of Israel (the United States and Britain). Our message will also be heard by many others in this world. The warning message simply is this: the Laodicean Church, our nations and the world are going to pay a heavy price for sin. Since our entire civilization is not founded on the Bible, it must be destroyed. This is a quickly encroaching reality.
The Apostle John wrote, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Revelation 18:1-3). Today’s world is a type of ancient Babylon. It has been inspired by Satan and his demons. It has not been inspired by God. Although much of our world is rich materially, and far advanced technically, it is miserable spiritually.
People will not recognize this fact, though, until something catastrophic happens. God is going to allow this world to come to the brink of genocide to show us how bad things really are. “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double” (verses 4-6). There is going to be mass pestilence, starvation and death. Many people will be on the outer edge of sanity. The near future is full of bad news.
But, there is also incredibly good news. Jesus Christ is going to return and stop all of the destruction. Human life will be spared total annihilation.
After the horror is over, there will be much rejoicing. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Revelation 19:7-8). Jesus Christ’s first job after He returns will be to fully reestablish His Father’s government on Earth. God’s government is based on family. These verses show that God the Father will use the marriage of Jesus Christ and the Church to introduce His government. After all the destruction there will be a beautiful wedding. This marriage will bring untold peace, happiness and prosperity to this world.
Here is how Mr. Armstrong described the coming rule of the Kingdom of God: “In man, God is reproducing Himself. We shall be as much God as God Himself is God. It will be a Family of God, a God Family. God the Father will always be the Head of that whole Family. Jesus Christ will always be next in that Family. The rest of us at the resurrection, at the time of the Second Coming of Christ will be the Bride marrying Him. The Husband, Christ, will rule over the wife, the Church, and Christ will be ruling next to God …” (Worldwide News, March 6, 1981). So there are three overall positions in God’s government: God the Father, the Son and the wife. This knowledge is so inspiring it should motivate all of us to make sure that our marriages are righteous before God. Being qualified to marry Jesus Christ represents the ultimate success. Nothing in this life can compare with our staggering future. All of us who qualify to rule with Christ will share an eternity of accomplishment. Can we begin to see the answer to the question, why marriage?
Replenish the Earth
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). In this verse, Paul reveals to the Corinthians that Christ is a type of Adam. He is the “last Adam.” In this role as the last Adam, at the time of the Millennium, Jesus Christ will bring a new beginning to the Earth. If Christ is the last Adam, then what is the Church? The Church is the last Eve. Jesus Christ and His new Bride will do what Adam and Eve failed to do—subdue the Earth for God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24).
Many religious people today look upon the Genesis account of Adam and Eve as great allegory. Now, even God’s Laodicean Church looks upon this history as symbolic. But the truth is that Adam and Eve’s commission is a type of Christ and the Church’s commission during the 1,000-year rule.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28). During the Millennium, Jesus Christ and His wife will begin to produce many spiritual children for the God Family. With Jesus Christ as our Husband we will be very fruitful. We will replenish the Earth and subdue it; so eventually, God the Father will be pleased to dwell on the Earth (Revelation 21). Jesus Christ does not plan to accomplish this by Himself. Just as Adam needed a help meet, Jesus Christ desires “help” to accomplish His mission (Genesis 2:18-25).
Mr. Armstrong says this about our future: “Thus the marriage of the converted Church to Christ will result in the begettal and birth of divine children—children who, during the thousand-year reign with Christ, are Spirit-born—and in all probability, untold millions of them” (Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete?).
One of the greatest heartbreaks for many marriages is infertility. Many couples today are paying exorbitant costs to medically deal with problems of sterility. Yet many couples remain childless. In a similar vein, many of our converted young people fear that Christ will return before they experience marriage. The truth is that all of us who qualify to rule with Christ will experience untold excitement with our part in the birth of God’s Spirit-born children. The rewards of that spiritual marriage will far exceed any physical marriage that we may have in this life. But to share in Christ’s marriage we must qualify now.
Fulfilling Our Roles
“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:46-49). In these verses, Paul was teaching the Corinthians that God has designed this physical life to be the training ground for our spiritual future. We must prove ourselves now as human beings before we are given the power and authority as members of the God Family. Being married is not a requirement for entrance into the Kingdom of God. But for those of us who are married, we are being judged by how we conduct our marriages.
In marriage, we show God how we govern and are governed. We also show God how well we submit to government. People who are not married can also show God how they respond to government and submission by how they deal with the ministry and other Church members. So no matter what state in life we are in, we can qualify to rule.
For those of us who are married, we must come to fully understand what God expects of us. Here is how Paul exhorts husbands to act with their wives, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:25-30).
Husbands should treat their wives like Christ treats the Church. Husbands are to be “saviours.” This role requires that the husband be deeply converted and submissive to Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3). Being a husband is a deeply spiritual office. Verses 25-27 show that men must see to their wives’ spiritual health. Praying and studying together should be a mainstay in all marriages where both partners are converted. Verses 28 and 29 show that men must also see to their wives’ physical needs. All of us husbands should study 1 Corinthians 13 to better understand how to love our wives. A truly converted wife has no trouble submitting to a loving, “savior,” husband.
Here is how Peter taught wives to act toward their husbands: “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement” (1 Peter 3:1-6). Being a wife also has a very spiritual dimension. A wife should be a man’s spiritual counterpart. A deeply converted woman can be a source of great inspiration for her husband.
Peter shows that a wife should be able to keep her husband on-track spiritually. He states that a wife should be able to “win” a husband who “obeys not the word.” Gerald Flurry has shown that verse 1 can apply to men both inside or outside of God’s Church. A wife’s strong spiritual example can exert a very beneficial influence on a husband.
Peter shows in verses 3 and 4 that a woman’s spiritual condition is far more important than any outward physical appearance. True beauty shines from within. It is not something that is put on.
How is a woman able to fulfill her role in marriage? Peter shows in verse 5 that it comes by “trusting in God.” This is very similar to Paul’s teaching about a man’s submission to Christ. If a wife can submit to God and trust Him, then God will work out many blessings for the wife. Sarah learned to place her trust in God and was able to fully support and be in subjection to Abraham! Let’s all take time to review our roles in marriage. Isn’t our future worth preparing for?
Marriage Is Forever
Not knowing the true purpose for marriage, many people express the sentiment that they want their marriage to last forever. No human marriage will last forever. But our marriage to Jesus Christ will. Mr. Armstrong wrote this inspiring statement: “And man’s potential—the very purpose of human life—is that man, born again—born of God—born into the God Family—may enjoy that blessed marriage and family life in blissful happiness forever” (Why Marriage—Soon Obsolete?). This statement is unbelievable for all those who do not believe that there can be truly happy marriages. But in a very short time the greatest marriage in all of man’s history will take place. Many will ask, “Why marriage?” Those of us who qualify for God’s Kingdom will show them the astounding answer.