Things To Know Before You Say “I Do!” (3)by Pastor Faith Oyedepo, Week 4, October, 2008

Dear Reader,

Many people want to eat the fruit of a happy home, but are not ready to be obedient to the terms of the covenant. This cannot happen. God’s Word says: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).This Week, I will be looking at Obeying The Terms Of The Covenant of Marriage.

Outside of obedience, the fruit of a good marriage cannot be obtained. A good home is, therefore, the fruit of obedience. A good, fulfilled marriage is a possibility, but only those that are ready to obey the terms of the agreement can have access to this unique fruit. There are some obedient individuals that are presently eating the fruit of a good and fulfilled marriage.

You can join the company if you wish. God is no respecter of persons. If you will be obedient like others, you can also enjoy what others are enjoying. Marriage is meant to be sweet, enjoyable and failure-proof, if only couples will obey the terms of the covenant as stated in God’s Word. God’s Word is our manual for living. When you follow the instruction in it, you are sure of enjoying success in every area of life.

When we buy a new electrical device or tool, There are Instructions inside that need to be followed in other to make good use of the product. So, also is marriage. There are instructions from the manufacturer, which we are expected to follow in other to make success out of it. Many of us don't bother with the instructions. We just put together the item as best we can. And sometimes that works. But if it doesn't, we have to go back and read the directions to find out what we did wrong. As the old saying goes, "If all else fails, read the directions."

When it comes to marriage, many couples have used the same approach. They do it without bothering to read the instructions. Sadly, the result is that many marriages aren't working. Husbands and wives find that they can't live together in peace, because they don't read or heed the instructions. Marriages are failing at terribly high rates these days, just because many refuse to follow God's Instructional Manual for Marriage. God’s Word says: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). The first statement here says,...A man leave his FATHER and MOTHER...(Genesis 5:3).

Leaving father and mother means more than leaving their physical house. It means to gain parental independence, to be able to take decisions on your own and be responsible for them without running to parents for direction all the time. To allow yourself to be controlled by your parents is unscriptural. It does not mean neglecting or disrespecting them and refusing to cater for them.

What should follow leaving according to God's instructions is a cleaving. God’s Word says: ..Shall be JOINED unto his wife... (Ephesians 5:3). To cleave means to be joined. The man must cleave to his wife, so after the solemnization of their union, nothing must be allowed to pull them apart. Not friends, family, or job, or tradition.

You must live together as husband and wife, in obedience to the terms of the covenant. The grace to live together as couples is available if you are saved. You get saved by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.

If you want to be saved and become a child of God now, you can say this simple prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I believe You died and rose again for my sake. Forgive me my sins, take over my life, make me a child of God and let your peace reign over my life.

Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through:

E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8;

For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Book Stores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian book stores.

- Marriage Covenant

- Making Marriage Work

- Building a Successful Family

- Single With A Difference

- Success in Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).