I. LOVE IS A SACRIFICE
1) Your object of love becomes #1, your marriage partner.
2) If every husband in this auditorium would die to himself, his
marriage would live forever.
3) If every man would look at his wife with the love that Jesus
looked at us with, his marriage would never end.
4) If every wife here today would die to herself, her marriage
would live forever.
b. Must die to individual
pursuits.
1) More homes are wrecked because one marriage partner puts a hobby
or profession above the marriage.
2) Ive heard wives say, "If only he thought as much of me as he
does his golf, or his boat, or his antique car.
3) When he gets home from work he heads straight for the garage,
and I dont see him until bedtime.
4) What a shame, and it is also true of some wives!
c. Must die to the past.
1) Whatever you were before is now secondary.
2) Your obligation now is to make a home and a marriage work.
3) The past is gone.
B. A Sacrifice Must Suffer
Long.
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." cf 1Co. 13:4
1. Real love is long suffering.
2. Jesus suffered long hours on the cross.
3. He suffered for hours in the garden, before going to the
cross.
4. If you display godly love, you will be long suffering.
5. So before you pack your bags and move out, read 1 Cor.
13:4.
C. Love Gives Itself.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself
for me." cf Gal. 2:20
1. You will never find Christ leaving us. It is always that we
leave Him.
2. Giving yourself makes the marriage permanent.
3. If you gave yourself to your mate, you wont ever back out. "Who
loved me, and gave himself for me."
4. One of the greatest disabling factors to any marriage is
"selfishness". Give yourself.
II. Love is a Commitment.
Note: John 14:24-27
A. When Jesus left heaven He was committed to the cross. "...for
this cause came I unto this hour."
1. That was a commitment.
2. Nothing WOULD change that.
B. Marriage vows are a commitment.
"When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath
no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it
that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not
pay." Eccl. 5:4-5
1. When we stand at the marriage altar and repeat a vow before God,
He doesnt take it lightly!
2. If we enter our marriage with the thought or possibility of ever
getting out, then we shouldnt enter.
C. When Jesus made His commitment to us
it was forever.
1. It wasnt a trial basis.
2. It wasnt a test to see, if it would work.
3. IT WAS A COMMITMENT.
4. Some may say, "We werent meant for each other."
5. After the wedding vows you are, because you are committed.
III. Love is Inseparable and
Forgiving.
Note: Rom 8:35-39
A. Real love cannot be separated.
1. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. cf Ep.
5:25
2. If we love our wife like with the love described in these
verses, our marriage can survive any attack.
3. This issue of submission is settled with love...
B. Real love is forgiving.
1. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do".
2. The Lord could have called legions of angels and been set free,
but He didnt seek revenge.
3. He could have rained down fire from heaven and destroyed them
all.
4. But He chose to forgive...
5. No we didnt deserve forgiveness, deserve mercy and
grace...
6. But because of His love for us, He chose to forgive us!
7. Our marriages will be severely damaged if we try to seek
revenge.
8. We may even think that we are justified in seeking revenge, but
it will only bring heartache.
C. Real Love is Eternal.
1. Never-ending love.
2. Christs love for us is eternal.
3. Nothing shall separate us from True love.
