God’s design for marriage is:God’s design for marriage is:

1) Good1) Good2) True2) True3) Beautiful3) Beautiful

God’s design for marriage is:God’s design for marriage is:

1) Good1) Good

The LORD God said, “It is not good for The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”the man to be alone.”

- Genesis 2:18 (NIV)- Genesis 2:18 (NIV)

Now the LORD God had formed out Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its called each living creature, that was its name. name.

So the man gave names to all the So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper But for Adam no suitable helper was found.was found.

- vv. 19-20- vv. 19-20

““I will make a helper suitable for him.”I will make a helper suitable for him.”

- v. 18- v. 18

God’s design for marriage is:God’s design for marriage is:

1) Good1) Good2) True2) True

So God created man in his own image, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.male and female he created them.

- Gen. 1:27- Gen. 1:27

““It is entirely possible for God to It is entirely possible for God to subordinate Himself, in a certain sense, to subordinate Himself, in a certain sense, to human beings. He does so whenever He human beings. He does so whenever He undertakes to help us. He does not “un-undertakes to help us. He does not “un-God” Himself in helping us; but He does God” Himself in helping us; but He does stoop to our needs, according to his stoop to our needs, according to his gracious and sovereign will.gracious and sovereign will.

Similarly, I subordinate myself to my Similarly, I subordinate myself to my children when I help them with their children when I help them with their homework. I do not empty my mind of my homework. I do not empty my mind of my own knowledge; but I do come down to own knowledge; but I do come down to their level to see their questions from their their level to see their questions from their

perspective and to point them toward perspective and to point them toward solutions they can understand. Their solutions they can understand. Their needs set my agenda.” needs set my agenda.”

- Dr. Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr.- Dr. Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr.

““And I will ask the Father, and he will And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you give you another Helper, to be with you forever…”forever…”

- John 14:6- John 14:6

So the LORD God caused a deep So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, Then the man said,

““This at last is bone of my bones This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman, she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”because she was taken out of Man.”

- vv. 21-23 - vv. 21-23

God’s design for marriage is:God’s design for marriage is:

1) Good1) Good2) True2) True3) Beautiful3) Beautiful

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for loved the church and gave himself up for her,her,  that he might sanctify her, having that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that shespot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she

might be holy and without blemish. In the might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes andhated his own flesh, but nourishes and

cherishes it, just as Christ does the cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his church, because we are members of his body. body.

- Ephesians 5:25-30- Ephesians 5:25-30