Love That Lasts - The Gospel and Marriage.

Guest post by Bryan Lopez:

My wife and I are doing some pre-marital counseling with a young couple at our church and are walking them through "Love that Lasts" by Gary and Betsy Ricucci. This short volume is a treasure that all married couples ought to read together time and time again. Here are some brief thoughts from Gary on the gospel and marriage:

"When we grasp the depth of God's love for us revealed in the gospel, when we rest in the joy of God's forgiveness toward us in the gospel, when we experience God's transforming power in us through the gospel, and when we begin to emulate the pattern of humility and obedience we see in the gospel, what a wonderful difference this will make in our lives and marriages! Nothing is more essential to a marriage, and nothing brings more hope, than appling the gospel of Jesus Christ."

He shares a few ways in which the gospel changes marriage:

1. Because of the gospel, Christians have become new creations. Therefore, in our marriage, our past does not define us, confine us, or determine our future.

2. Because of the gospel, we are forgiven. Therefore we can live free of all guilt and condemnation for every sin, and we can trust that God, in his mercy, will be gracious to us.

3. Because of the gospel we can forgive, just as Christ forgave us. Nothing done against us compares to our sin against God. Therefore all offenses, hostility, and bitterness between Christians can be completely forgiven and removed.

4. Because of the gospel, we are accepted by God. Therefore we are not dependent on a spouse for who we are or who what we need.

5. Because of the gospel, sin's ruling power over us is broken. Therefore we can truly obey all that God calls us to do in our marriage, regardless of any circumstance or situation.

6. Because of the gospel, we have access to God through Christ. Therefore we can at any time take any need in our marriage to the One who can do all things.

7. Because of the gospel, we have hope. Therefore we can endure any marital difficulty, hardship, or suffering, with assurance that God is working all to our greatest good.

8. Because of the gospel, Christ dwells in us by his Holy Spirit. Therefore we are confident that God is always with us and is always at work in our marriage, even when progress is imperceptible.

9. Because of the gospel, we have power to fight and overcome remaining sin, which continues to dwell and ware within us.

Amen.