1. God created man.
   "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2.7.)

2. God gave him a place to live.
   "And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it." (Genesis 2.15.)

3. God made woman for man's wife.
   "And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man." (Gen. 2.22.)

4. United in marriage as one.
   "Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh." (Genesis 2.24.)

1. To bring children into the world.
   “ And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1.28.)

2. For companionship.
   “ And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2.18.)

3. To avoid fornication.
   “ To avoid fornication, let every woman have her own husband.” (1 Cor. 7.2.)

        It is the uniting of a man and a woman who have a right to marry for the purpose of establishing a home. The uniting takes place by God when the couple complete customary rites and mutually agree before God and witnesses to live together as husband and wife until death. This is the vow or contract of a lawful marriage. (Mal. 2.1-14.) God does not honor trial marriages or marriages of unscripturally divorced people.

1. Marriage is permanent.
   “ What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Matthew 19.6.)

2. Marriage is monogamous.
   This means one man for one woman and one woman for one man. Polygamy is sinful. (Gen. 2.24; 1 Cor. 7.2.) If one desires to be a Christian he must repent. (Acts 2.38.) Repentance requires that he put away all mates but the lawful one. The person can then be baptized (immersed) into Christ. Human predicament, such as a childless marriage, does not change God's law. Tribal laws do not control our lives, but the law of Christ. There is no place for a second wife or husband even in childless marriages. Christ comes first.
   

1. Those who have a right to marry.
   1. Mature people. (Matthew 19.5.)
   2. Those who love each other. (Ephesians 5.25; Titus 2.4-5.)
   3. Those who are not married. (1 Corinthians 7.28.)
   4. Those scripturally free from former companions by either death or divorce on grounds of adultery. (Romans 7.2; Matthew 19.9.)

2. It is desirable and advisable that Christians marry Christians. (2 Cor. 6.14.)

1. Testing one's fertility before customary rites.
2. Pouring drinks to the gods or ancestors.
3. Giving of immoral things to parents for “ bride price”.
4. Immodest dress or actions at a wedding. Christians are children of Light, not darkness. (Ephesians 5.8-11.) To do such things destroys one's influence. Customs must agree with the Bible or be dropped. If a custom does not violate a Christian principle or one's own conscience, there is no harm in it. We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5.29.) We are to love God more than parents or customs. (Matthew 10.37.)
   

1. The husband to the wife.
   1. He is to love and honor her. (Ephesians 5.25; 1 Peter 3.7.)
   2. He is the head of the wife. (1 Corinthians 11.3.)
   3. He is to be faithful to her. (Heb. 13.4.)
   4. He is to support her. (1 Timothy 5.8.)
2. The wife to the husband.
   1. She loves him. (Titus 2.4-5.)
   2. She is to be in subjection to him. (Ephesians 5.22.)
   3. She is to make a home by taking care of her husband and her household. (Titus 2.5; 1 Timothy 5.14.)
3. Parents to the children.
   1. To teach and train them. (Deuteronomy 31.13; Proverbs 22.6.)
   2. To discipline them. (Ephesians 6.4.)
   3. To be a worthy example to them. (2 Timothy 1.5.)

1. Fornication (adultery) is the one and only ground for divorce and remarriage. (Matt. 19.9.) If there is no adultery, you must work for a reconciliation or remain separated and single. (1 Cor. 7.10-15.)
2. Matthew 19.9 teaches that the offended party who puts away the fornicating party is the only one who may remarry. The fornicator cannot remarry! If your mate has died you are free to remarry. (Romans 7.2.) The party they choose to marry must be free or eligible to marry.