CD - The Sixth Commandment - Ephesians 5:21-33

The Sixth Commandment is God’s gift of marriage. It is interesting that in his explanation of this commandment Dr. Luther does not say, “we should fear and love God so that” we do not do anything. Instead, his “we should not” is put in the words of what we should do, “we lead a sexually pure and decent life...”

Marriage and sexual purity are not top priorities in our world today. As a matter of fact, freedom (from responsibility for self) to do whatever we want is the order of the day. As a society we tell children and give them permission to have sex. Sure we may say that they should not, but then we turn around, teach them how and give them uneffective methods of avoiding the consequences of their actions (birth control) and say, “well, they are going to do it anyway.” Are they “going to do it anyway?” Or are they doing just what is expected of them. If we tell them not to be promiscuous and say they will not be promiscuous and tell them we expect them to not be promiscuous, then they will not be promiscuous.

Enough of that, let us get to the good stuff. Remember we said that there are get too’s in the commandments. In the sixth commandment we get to lead decent, guilt free, true loving lives. We get to have healthy relationships. We get to truly care and love others. We get to not worry about what others are doing, what diseases we may contact and so on.

True love is the love of God that we reflect on to others. Luuuv is not an act, a feeling, a song or a dance. Well, maybe luuuv is, but love is not. Love is what God has for us and what He works in and through us to share with others. Love is Jesus giving His life for ours on the cross. And love is unconditional.

God gives us the sixth commandment in which He gives us the joy of sharing the intimacy of sexual relations within the bonds of marriage. He gives us a marriage in which fidelity, faithfulness, to ones mate is a top priority. With fidelity comes freedom from jealousy, envy, and the like. He gives us companionship. And the ultimate gift God gives to us through marriage is the ability to create. Through the coming together of the husband and wife in the bonds of marriage, the wife giving herself to her husband, the husband giving himself to his wife, the mutual giving and receiving of each other, from this comes new life.

With His gift of marriage God also gives the gift of family and of peace and order in our families. The reading from Ephesians helps us understand the good order God gives to us. He gives us the family according to the order of creation. He gives us the family in such a way that both spouses are to put the other first in their lives. He gives the wife the role of loving Him and her husband and keeping him first. He gives the husband the role of loving his wife in the way in which He loved us, so much that He died for us. Yes, husbands are to die for their wives. God gives us the order of creation in marriage, the husband is the head of the family and will be held accountable for his family. This is a great responsibility and one with which he is helped by his wife.

Together, husband and wife reflect the relationship of Christ to His Church. What a wonderful gift God gives in marriage. The tough part is to live in marriage the way God would have us live, despite the view of society about marriage.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of marriage. Forgive me when I fail to realize that what You give in marriage, the roles and responsibilities are given for my good and because of Your great love for me. Help me to us one of the most important gifts You give to me in marriage and in all my relationships, the gift of forgiveness. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.