The Marital Relationship Between God and Us

# A Lifetime Conversation

Professor Carol Bruess is a professor of marital and family communication and a social scientist on marriage. For many years, she has endeavored through research to find answers to the question: "How do we maintain long-lasting family happiness?" Before marriage, Professor Bruess wants to remind couples: "Marriage is a lifelong conversation. Therefore, you want your spouse to be willing to engage in that conversation with you, no matter how difficult it becomes or how it changes over time. Are they willing and ready to do that?" (*)

Professor Bruess has presented five questions that couples need to ask each other, discuss openly and honestly, so that they can understand one another and accept the things they cannot change about their spouse. The first question is, "Is there anything that you are not willing to give up when we get married?" This question concerns the things that are non-negotiable between two people, but you must respect what is essential to your spouse, and you must accept it in order to move forward into marriage. Identify your spouse's core needs and what drives them, while ensuring that you and your spouse both agree to make this a part of both your lives. (*)

When we think of the "marriage" relationship between God and His people, we can see something similar when we ask the question, "Are we willing to accept every commandment and decree that God has given us?" In the Bible, He has at times revealed His relationship with us as a marriage relationship, in which God is the Bridegroom and His people are the "bride." This is the most intimate and precious relationship in life. The apostle Paul said to the believers in Corinth, "...I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a pure virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). In this intimate relationship, God has accepted us as sinners, forgiven us unconditionally, loved us unto death—He shed His blood to cleanse us of sin on the cross! So on our part, are we truly obeying God's Word completely, or do we still have reasons—the words "because," "since," "if," or "if only"—that occur every day? Or do we even think, "This is a small matter; surely God doesn't see it and won't punish me because He still loves us," and we disobey and sin against God?

For the communion between God and us to become more intimate, sweeter, holier, and closer, we must learn and obey God's Word—there is no other way! On the other hand, if we believe in God but follow our own will more, thinking of personal gain more than following God's will, then we are "liars" or what might be called "hypocrites," as the apostle John reminded us in 1 John 1:6, "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." Therefore, "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked" (1 John 2:6). Let us keep our relationship with God as the most important thing, keeping it pure in every way, obeying God's Word! May God forgive our weakness, asking Him to strengthen us, guide us each day, and help us diligently learn God's Word, and with all our heart, all our strength, all our mind, and all our soul to obey and follow God's Word, so that our relationship with God becomes holier and more intimate, and our lives always shine as a light, helping the world see the only Way that leads to the eternal life of Jesus Christ! Amen!

*Grateful for Christ who loves us so,* *Shed His blood, His sacrifice so true,* *To save us and bring us to grace,* *To dwell near God, in peace and rest!*

*With all our heart to live the faith,* *With all our strength to guard ourselves,* *Avoid all evil, do what is good,* *Follow Christ's example in this world!*

*Peace in Christ,* *Ngoc-Dung*

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