August 11, 2022 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Ted Wilson (TW): Greetings, friends! Today, Nancy and I will be sharing about another wonderful gift God gave to humanity in the Garden of Eden—the gift of love, companionship and more that comes through marriage and the family.
Nancy Wilson (NW): During Creation week, as recorded in Genesis chapter 1, we hear God proclaiming things “were good,” but on the sixth day, even in that perfect world, God says that something is not good.
TW: We read about it in Genesis 2:18, where, after creating the first man–Adam–God proclaims, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
NW: The Bible tells us that “the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam” (Gen. 2:21), and while Adam slept, God removed a rib from his side and formed Eve. When Adam awoke, it was love at first sight as he proclaimed, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (vs. 23). God blessed the first couple, telling them to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28).
TW: The Bible sets the stage for all future marriages, stating, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). This unity the Bible is referring to includes not only the intimate sexual union that God designed exclusively for the joy of married couples, consisting of one man and one woman, but it also entails a beautiful unity of mind and spirit that grows with time and supports the physical side of the relationship.
NW: In his classic book, I Married You, best-selling author Walter Trobisch explains: “Two persons share everything they have, not only their bodies, not only their material possessions, but also their thinking and their feeling, their joy and their suffering, their hopes, and their fears, their successes and their failures. ‘To become one flesh’ means that two persons become completely one with body, soul, and spirit, and yet there remain two different persons” (p. 18).
TW: For the nearly 47 years that Nancy and I have been married, we have certainly found this statement to be true! And we praise God for the wonderful gift He has given to us through marriage and family–including the incredible blessing of three wonderful daughters and sons-in-law, and 11 precious grandchildren–one of whom is sleeping until that glorious resurrection morning.
NW: We recognize, however, that in this sin-shattered world, many have experienced deep sorrow and broken hearts from relationships that God intended to be the most fulfilling. Sadly, it seems Satan especially attacks families because He realizes all God intended for this foundational building block of society to be. Nevertheless, God is stronger, and has beautifully promised “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3).
TW: While Satan seeks to kill and destroy, God came to heal and restore. He longs to bring beauty, joy, love, and fellowship through family relationships–not only through marriages, but through the family of believers that comprise His Church.
Our Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief #23 explains Marriage and the Family in this way:
“Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship.
“For the Christian a marriage commitment is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only between a man and a woman who share a common faith. Mutual love, honor, respect, and responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and His church.
NW: “Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. Although some family relationships may fall short of the ideal, a man and a woman who fully commit themselves to each other in Christ through marriage may achieve loving unity through the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture of the church.
TW: “God blesses the family and intends that its members shall assist each other toward complete maturity. Increasing family closeness is one of the earmarks of the final gospel message.
NW: “Parents are to bring up their children to love and obey the Lord. By their example and their words they are to teach them that Christ is a loving, tender, and caring guide who wants them to become members of His body, the family of God which embraces both single and married persons.“
TW: Families–both nuclear and extended families, as well as the Church family, are intended to be a real blessing to its members and to others. God intends for these places to be strongholds of safety and encouragement, of love and fellowship, of nurture and growth. As we keep our eyes on Him, embracing the love He has so generously given to us, we, through submission to Him, are able to offer His love to others so beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13—love that “suffers long and is kind . . . does not envy or parade itself, is not puffed up;
NW: “does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked,
TW: “thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity,
NW: “but rejoices in the truth;
TW: “bears all things,
NW: “believes all things,
TW: “hopes all things,
NW: “endures all things.”
TW: For you see friends,
TW & NW: “Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:4-8).
TW: If you would like to learn more about what the Bible teaches on Marriage and the Family, as well as find a wealth of helpful resources, I encourage you to visit: family.adventist.org, shown at the bottom of your screen [INSERT: family.adventist.org].
NW: In closing, we’d like to share with you these encouraging words from the wonderful book Adventist Home:
TW: “The work to which we are called does not require wealth or social position or great ability. It requires a kindly, self-sacrificing spirit and a steadfast purpose. A lamp, however small, if kept steadily burning, may be the means of lighting many other lamps.
NW: “Our sphere of influence may seem narrow, our ability small, our opportunities few . . . yet wonderful possibilities are ours through a faithful use of the opportunities of our own homes.
TW: “If we will open our hearts and homes to the divine principles of life, we shall become channels for currents of life-giving power. From our homes will flow streams of healing, bringing life, and beauty, and fruitfulness where now are barrenness and dearth” (p. 33).
Friends, as we claim this beautiful promise, I invite you to pray with us just now. Friends, as we claim this beautiful promise, I invite you to pray with us just now. Dear Lord, you’re the one who created the family. You created marriage between one man and one woman. Now, Lord, we thank you for the privilege of demonstrating to the world the kind of love and fellowship that can take place under your blessing and guidance. May 7th Day Adventist around the world exemplify this wonderful, powerful and helpful demonstration of heavenly love in the home. Thank you for hearing us. In Christ name. Amen.