Genesis 24:16

Introduction

…marriages are never random or haphazard…

Why does God care so much about marriage? Because marriage is ultimately about Jesus Christ and His Church (Eph. 5:32-33).

It is not moralism to find practical helps in passages, as long as those practical helps—the imperatives—are grounded in, and understood in the context of, the Gospel—the indicative.

The Importance of Biblical Purity

Rebekah is pretty and pure.

…without spot or wrinkle or any such thing…holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:27)

…I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Cor. 11:2-3)

Purity is not to be comprehended in and defined by virginity.

Faithfulness to Christ and faithfulness to your spouse are what comprise biblical purity.

…do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9–11)

Conclusion

1. The Importance of Faithfulness (Tit. 2:12–13 Mic. 6:8)

2. The Importance of Forgiveness (Col. 3:12–13)