Married to Christ – Navigating the Single Life

Are you married to Christ while navigating the single life? Some single believers are not aware that they are married to Christ. He is the bridegroom, and we (the Church) are His bride. I don’t mean you use “I’m married to Christ” as an out to push potential mates away, but this marriage is our first ministry. We learn to navigate this single season we’re in when we submit to Him faithfully. When your relationship with God is good, your desire to enter into a healthy and God-glorifying marriage is possible.

(Introduction by LaTanya Quinn)

If you want to be successful in a marriage, you’ll have to manage the ups and downs of life as a single. Learn to be accomplished where you are, and in all you do. Stay connected to others because loneliness and other challenges can get you if you aren’t equipped and apply God’s Word to your experiences.

I want to encourage you to keep your gaze on Christ—the author and finisher of your faith—the bridegroom. Focus on what you want to happen and pray about it. God has a purpose for you exactly where you are in this season, so maximize it and thank Him for His grace and mercy.

 

Sound Advice

When I started C4tS, I had several focus areas I wanted to highlight, such as helping tear down strongholds for a soul cure. I aimed to set up a foundation to help us grow spiritually in Christ. When we get born again, we don’t know where to start on our journey without proper teaching or discipleship. And even when we’ve been saved for some time, getting ahold of the proper biblical instructions and flow can take time. So for me tackling topics like our identity in Christ and prayer are vital.

 

Related Reads:

Do You Know How to Pray

What is the Cure for my Soul

Do You Know Who You Are? Kiss Insecurity Goodbye

 

Navigating the Single Life

In Navigating the Single Life, we’ll explore topics that can help you prepare for marriage. I originally wrote this series about a decade ago. Nonetheless, my recent discussion Navigating the Single Life on the Standard of Truth Podcast with April Chapman re-sparked my flame on this topic. I had plans to cover relationships in this ministry, but the time hadn’t presented itself until now.

Laying out the gospel and covering the basics to get our foundation right with understanding salvation will always be the priority. Therefore, most of the writings prior reflect the effects of the gospel.

With people like Kevin Samuels teaching people about relationships on social media, there is a need for sound practical knowledge from Christians. In this series, these topics are coming on the blog:

Waiting on God

Wisdom and Preparing for Courtship

Decision Making and Financial Health

Attracting Adam

Marriage is Not for the Selfish

What is Submission

Temptations and Loneliness

Additionally, hit the notifications bell for the YouTube channel for weekly live streams on additional relational matters about this topic. I pray for blessings for you during this journey. George O. Quinn (my dad) and Shannon Taylor are guest writers.

Also, go grab yourself a copy of the Soul Check-up. It will help you to regularly keep your thoughts in perspective, grow spiritually, and motivate you to organize and keep your environment intact for more tremendous success. I have more content coming out to help expand on what I mean on my YouTube Channel.

 

What Is a Christian Marriage?

(Written by George Quinn 2014)

A Christian marriage is twofold. To understand marriage is to understand salvation—our union/identification with Christ in His death, burial, and bodily resurrection. With the help of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, let me explain as best as I can.

Just know that it’s not enough to have the scriptures, but we must rightly divide/interpret them.

 

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV says, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

When God saved you, the day you believed in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), what happened when you realized salvation was real?

According to the Word of God, we entered into oneness with Jesus at that very moment—yes, oneness—a new relationship. Me, myself, and I were over the instant you and I became born again. Our eternal status converted from death to life as we are now justified and no longer slaves to death.

 

What are you saved from?

Me asking what you are saved from is not a trick question, as I’m not trying to put anyone on the spot or see how much bible knowledge you know. We are saved from the penalty of sin. Salvation through Christ is the only way as, according to Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; we broke God’s law, and breaking His law carries a death sentence (Romans 6:23). Jesus died because neither of us could pay our sin debt.

You may be saying, “what does this have to do with marriage?” I’m glad you asked.

When Christ died on the cross, we were much identified with Him that He sees us as one in the sight of the Lord. When Jesus died, I died with Him too. I was buried, rose, and ascended with Him. (Ephesians 2:6, Rom 6:3-11).

 

Layout the Debt before You’re Married

Now, how can someone else pay for the sins of another or assume their debt?

Here’s an example:

Within the last six months, I recently married a beautiful woman (both inside and out.) Before we said “I do,” our marrying pastor counseled us for six weeks. One of the many things we had to do was come up with a budget.

In premarital counseling, we disclosed every bill and debt on a sheet of paper. That’s because when we both said “I do” (in the presence of witnesses, and most of all, God All Mighty)—neither of us could say, “I didn’t know about this, or you didn’t tell me, you owe so much money!”

Therefore, I willingly and lawfully assume my wife’s debt through corporate oneness by marriage.

Paying our sin debt through His sacrificial death is exactly what Jesus did. He became one with us by willingly dying on the cross and shedding His precious blood.

When God joins together two believers in holy matrimony, His spiritual headship is the authority in the covenant. The husband submits to God, and the wife submits to her husband in divine order. They become one flesh through selfless love, service, and longsuffering to death do them part. Therefore, understanding the salvation plan helps us to understand the marital relationship.

Even in your single season, you are very much in a relationship with Jesus, although the world sees you as unmarried.

The scripture 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us that we are not our own and that we are bought with a price. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

Israel—God’s Wife

In the Old Testament, Israel was God’s wife. In the New Testament, the Church is God’s bride. The book of Hosea helps to explain this more.

What if God asked you to marry a practicing prostitute? What would you think?

 

Hosea 1:2-3 KJV says, And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.  So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

 

Nonetheless, Hosea was obedient to God, and he married unfaithful Gomer.

Once married, Hosea and Gomer conceived three children whose names carried tragic meanings. Later, the names were changed, and Donald Grey Barnhouse says, “The new meanings illustrate how God’s unchanging love covered the multitude of Israel’s sins.”

During this marriage, Gomer was unfaithful, but Hosea took her back and was forgiving as Gomer represented Israel and Hosea represented God. No matter what Gomer did, Hosea still provided and loved her through it.

 

PIN ME:

Rock Bottom Redemption

At one point, Gomer hit rock bottom. She was naked on a slave auction block, and Hosea purchased her. He brought her back home.

 

Hosea 3:2 KJV says, So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley:

 

God did this for us. (Hosea 3, John 3:16), this beautiful and touching story sheds light on God’s character, the love of a husband towards his wife, and God’s love towards His children. No one wanted to redeem us when we were on the highway to death, so God sent His only begotten Son to bring us back to Him. He purchased and paid our penalty so He could love us eternally.

Now, knowing that Christ is in me, in the person of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13), as a man, I know that Christ is the head, and I am to learn how to submit to his leading through His Word and prayer. Whether a man is married or single, we must learn to submit to God’s headship, knowing that the Lord is always patient, longsuffering, never yelling or losing His temper.

Jesus loves me like Himself.

 

Ephesians 5:25 KJV says, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 

He teaches men to love their wives as themselves because they are also a part of their own bodies. Hosea demonstrated this kind of love with Gomer. The bible teaches that when our wife is hurting, we hurt too.

 

Ephesians 5:28-29 KJV says, So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

(Also read Romans 5:22-31)

 

Your Ultimate Marriage

Marriage of the Lamb hasn’t taken place until Christ comes for the church. God is preparing His bride—the church. He’s courting her in the new testament, getting her perfect. That’s why we are a type because we aren’t always perfect.

The old testament shows us the wife part, and the Father reveals His role. There is no divorce between the Father and his bride Israel. It’s perfect. By us being an example of that, that’s what we are to model.

The tradition was that she was the wife before you got married, and the only thing that had to be complete was the ceremony. We’re already God’s bride, but we are just waiting for the ceremony.

There are so many different opinions about marriage because we get it from where people are biblical. The wedding supper is like Oriental customs, formerly invited, righteous robes and very sacred.

Got Questions says in What Does It Mean that the Chruch is the Bride of Christ, “The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the church. The church is comprised of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride (Ephesians 5:25–27). Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times, during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the church age. Her responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful to Him (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:24)”.

 

Conclusion

Be faithful and hold on to your faith because marriage has a mighty spiritual purpose and is not to be entered into lightly. Understanding the importance of marriage should be high on your list as a single. Sometimes we get married for the wrong reasons without considering or realizing the full spectrum of what’s involved.

Likewise, as believers, we commit to love God eternally.

When we accept His salvation, we say “I do” and promise to make Him Lord. Our natural marriage will reflect how we conduct ourselves and the fruit we bear in our marriage to Him. Marriage is a blessing, especially when you allow Him to write your love story and have His way.

Let’s navigate the single life in Christ, shall we?

Thank you for reading. If this post blessed you, please be so kind to share it with a friend. To learn more about George O. Quinn click here. Also, don’t forget to grab your Soul Check-Up, it can help you to Navigate your Single Life.