Tomorrow, my wife and I will give our second daughter
away in marriage to a great Christian young man. Yes, our hearts are
full with a myriad of thoughts and emotions, but we are very happy for
them. My prayer for Lacey and Will – and for all marriages – is that
they will have a “Cross-Shaped” Marriage.
There were
three nails that held Jesus’ body to the cross for our salvation.
Actually it was His love that held him there. By dying on the cross for
our sins, Jesus demonstrated the greatest love for you and for me. “This
is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into
the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we
loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice
for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10 NIV).
The three
nails of Jesus’ cross can stand for three principles that are
included in a “Cross-Shaped” marriage.
The first
nail stands for “Selflessness.” Jesus’ death on the cross
was done out of complete selflessness. He willingly gave His life for
us (John 10:17-18). Selfishness is the greatest enemy of a happy
marriage. Jesus’ death on the cross demonstrates complete
selflessness, which is crucial to a strong, happy marriage. Read
Philippians 2:3-4.
The second
nail stands for “Sacrifice.” Jesus gave His life
for us on the cross. The Apostle Paul said, “[Jesus] loved me and gave
Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice that
atoned for our sins. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, wrote:
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and
gave Himself for her” (5:25). This nail in Jesus’ cross should remind
us of the sacrificial love that we are to have for one another.
The third
nail stands for “Surrender.” Jesus surrendered His will
to that of His heavenly Father. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane,
"O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). It was
the Father’s will that Jesus die on the cross for the sins of the world;
there was no other way to save mankind. May this nail in Jesus’ cross
always remind us that the greatest thing that a husband and wife can do
for their marriage is for each of them to surrender his/her life to
Christ. Then, as each one draws closer to Christ, the two will draw
closer to one another.
When these
principles that are reflected in the nails of Jesus’ cross are applied
to a marriage, that marriage will be strong – exactly what God has
intended for marriage.
Yet, these
same principles are applicable to each one of us – whether we are
married or not. The greatest life we can live – the abundant,
God-blessed life – is a Cross-Shaped life filled with selflessness,
sacrificial love, and surrender to the will of God.
God will save and give eternal life to those who
surrender to His will: place your
faith and
trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in
repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be
baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38). Then, continue to live surrendered lives, daily submitting
to the will of God as revealed in His Word. As we walk in the light of
His Word, the blood that Jesus shed on the cross will continue to
cleanse your soul (1 John 1:7).
If you get
married, may it be a Cross-Shaped Marriage. Whether you are married or
not, may you live a Cross-Shaped Life. It will make an eternal
difference.
-- David
A. Sargent
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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