Resurrected Marriage

Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.  Scripture says He raised from the dead after being dead three days (Luke 24:21; Matthew 12:40).  Because of His death, He defeated sin, death, and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:57).  We can now have new life in Christ because of the crucifixion and the resurrection.  In other words, because Jesus went from death to life, we too can go from death to life in all areas. 

Scripture says in Christ we are a new creation – the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”  The same power that resurrected Jesus can resurrect your life!  This means you can be saved eternally and go to heaven one day when you die but it also means other aspects of your life can be resurrected as well.  The Christian life is more than saying a prayer to be saved and waiting to go to heaven.  It is about victorious living while you wait! 

Jesus wants to resurrect your marriage.  If your marriage is dead or dying don’t give up – Jesus can breathe new life into it!  The first step is to make sure you have surrendered your life to Christ.  You must be saved.  Romans 6:3-4 says, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?   We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”  In order to have a Christ-like marriage you must learn to be Christ-like.  Sir, the only way to be a husband that loves your wife like Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25) is to die like Jesus did and let Him resurrect you to a new life.  How can you be like Jesus if you don’t know or spend time with Jesus?  Ma’am, the only way to submit to your husband like the Lord is to know and spend time with the Lord (Ephesians 5:22).

The only way to have a marriage full of the life of Christ is kill all the fleshly ways of doing things and be resurrected to walk in a new life.  Most of the time the main problem of bad marriages is no one wants to die to self.  Without a crucifixion there can be no resurrection.  Jesus willingly laid down His life for us to save us (John 10:18).  1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”  Walking in a resurrected marriage means you continually lay down your life for your spouse in specific practical and measurable ways.

Your marriage isn’t too dead for Jesus to resurrect.  Maybe you don’t see any signs of life?  Maybe it stinks?  Is it dead?  Good, then you are on step one of Jesus resurrecting your marriage.  Now you must let Him breathe His life into you and your spouse.  That is His Holy Spirit’s power – the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in every Christian.  It may seem like your marriage is like crucifixion – painful, agony, torture, death.  Remember this:  crucifixion (death to self) + the Holy Spirit = resurrection.  The Holy Spirit is the change agent.  Without Him you are stuck in crucifixion and death.  With Him you can be raised to new life in your personal life and relationships.