Divine Marriage: Embracing God's Unconditional Love

 

Summary

In the profound words of Jeremiah 3:14, "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you," we find a message of divine grace and love that transcends human understanding. This relationship between God and His people is likened to a marriage, a covenant of love and commitment that persists even in our moments of backsliding and imperfection. The Lord's declaration of being "married unto you" is not addressed to those in a flourishing spiritual state but to those who have strayed, emphasizing the boundless grace that God extends to His people.

This divine marriage is not based on natural kinship or merit but on a voluntary covenant, a choice made by God before the foundation of the world. Despite our alienation and sin, God, through Jesus Christ, has bridged the chasm between us and Himself, reconciling us and establishing a relationship that is not of nature but of grace. This choice is mutual; while God has chosen us, we too, in response to His love, choose Him, drawn by His irresistible grace.

The essence of this marriage is mutual love. God's love for us is profound and inexpressible, a love that surpasses all understanding. In return, we are called to love Him with all our hearts, a love that is evidenced by our willingness to follow Him and live according to His will. This relationship also involves mutual responsibilities and confidences. God, as our divine husband, undertakes to nourish, protect, and bless us, while we, as His bride, are called to reverence and obey Him, sharing our deepest joys and sorrows with Him.

Furthermore, this marriage implies a fellowship where all that belongs to Christ is shared with us. We are partakers of His glory, and in return, we offer ourselves to Him, serving Him by serving others. The crown of this divine marriage is mutual delight and complacency, where Christ finds joy in His people, and we find our ultimate satisfaction in Him.

This divine union is a source of profound joy and security, a relationship that transforms our lives and gives us a foretaste of heaven. It is an invitation to experience the fullness of God's love and to live in the light of His grace, a call to turn from our backsliding ways and embrace the love of the One who is eternally committed to us.

Key Takeaways:

- Divine Grace in Backsliding: God's declaration of being "married unto you" is directed towards those who have strayed, highlighting His boundless grace and commitment even in our imperfections. This grace is not based on our merit but on His love and choice. [02:07]

- Mutual Choice and Love: The relationship between God and His people is a mutual choice, initiated by God and reciprocated by us. This mutual love is the foundation of our spiritual union, drawing us closer to Him. [10:20]

- Responsibilities and Confidences: In this divine marriage, God assumes the role of a faithful husband, providing and caring for us, while we are called to trust and obey Him, sharing our deepest concerns and joys with Him. [19:28]

- Fellowship and Sharing: Our union with Christ means sharing in His glory and blessings. As His bride, we are called to serve Him by serving others, reflecting His love and grace in our actions. [29:05]

- Mutual Delight and Complacency: The ultimate joy of this divine marriage is found in the mutual delight between Christ and His people. Our greatest satisfaction is in communion with Him, experiencing His love and presence. [32:38]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:12] - Introduction to Divine Marriage
- [01:33] - Addressing Backsliding Children
- [03:51] - Understanding the Relationship
- [05:09] - Bridging the Chasm
- [06:37] - The Riches of His Grace
- [08:35] - Mutual Choice in Marriage
- [10:53] - The Power of God's Love
- [13:20] - Human Responsibility and Divine Choice
- [15:15] - The Depth of God's Love
- [19:28] - Mutual Relations and Responsibilities
- [23:28] - Duties and Devotion
- [26:26] - Sharing Joys and Sorrows
- [29:05] - Fellowship and Sharing
- [32:38] - Mutual Delight and Complacency

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Jeremiah 3:14: "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you."

#### Observation Questions
1. What does the phrase "I am married unto you" in Jeremiah 3:14 signify about God's relationship with His people? [02:07]
2. How does the sermon describe the state of those to whom God addresses His declaration of being "married unto you"? [01:33]
3. What is the significance of the marriage metaphor in describing the relationship between God and His people? [03:51]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's grace is most evident in His relationship with backsliding children? [02:07]
2. How does the concept of mutual choice between God and His people deepen the understanding of their spiritual union? [10:20]
3. What responsibilities and confidences are involved in the divine marriage between God and His people, according to the sermon? [19:28]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How does the idea of God being "married unto you" encourage you to return to Him? [02:07]
2. How can you actively choose God in your daily life, reciprocating His choice of you? What practical steps can you take this week to demonstrate this choice? [10:20]
3. In what ways can you fulfill your responsibilities as part of this divine marriage, such as trusting and obeying God? Identify one area where you can improve. [19:28]
4. How can you share in Christ's glory and blessings by serving others in your community? Identify one specific action you can take this week. [29:05]
5. Consider the mutual delight and complacency described in the sermon. How can you find joy in your relationship with Christ this week? [32:38]
6. What are some practical ways you can share your deepest joys and sorrows with God, as part of your relationship with Him? [27:03]
7. How can you ensure that your relationship with God is characterized by mutual love and not just duty? What changes can you make in your spiritual practices to reflect this? [14:56]

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Grace in Our Imperfections
God's declaration of being "married unto you" is a profound testament to His boundless grace and commitment, even when we falter. This divine marriage is not contingent upon our spiritual state or merit but is rooted in God's unwavering love and choice. In Jeremiah 3:14, God calls out to His backsliding children, emphasizing that His covenant of love remains steadfast despite our imperfections. This grace is a reminder that our relationship with God is not based on our ability to remain perfect but on His enduring love and mercy. It is an invitation to return to Him, to embrace His grace, and to find security in His eternal commitment. [02:07]

Isaiah 54:5-6 (ESV): "For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel you have strayed from God? How can you embrace His grace and return to Him today?


Day 2: The Mutual Choice of Love
The relationship between God and His people is a mutual choice, initiated by God and reciprocated by us. This divine marriage is not based on natural kinship but on a voluntary covenant established before the foundation of the world. God's choice to love us is met with our response to His irresistible grace, drawing us closer to Him. This mutual love forms the foundation of our spiritual union, where we are invited to love God with all our hearts and to live according to His will. It is a relationship that transforms us, calling us to a deeper commitment and devotion. [10:20]

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Reflection: How have you experienced God's choice and love in your life? What steps can you take to deepen your commitment to Him today?


Day 3: Responsibilities in Divine Union
In this divine marriage, God assumes the role of a faithful husband, providing and caring for us, while we are called to trust and obey Him. This relationship involves mutual responsibilities and confidences, where we share our deepest concerns and joys with God. As His bride, we are invited to reverence and obey Him, knowing that He nourishes, protects, and blesses us. This divine union is a source of profound joy and security, transforming our lives and giving us a foretaste of heaven. It is a call to live in the light of His grace, embracing the responsibilities that come with this sacred relationship. [19:28]

Hosea 2:19-20 (ESV): "And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord."

Reflection: What are some ways you can demonstrate trust and obedience to God in your daily life? How can you share your deepest concerns and joys with Him today?


Day 4: Fellowship and Sharing in Christ
Our union with Christ means sharing in His glory and blessings. As His bride, we are called to serve Him by serving others, reflecting His love and grace in our actions. This divine fellowship is a partnership where all that belongs to Christ is shared with us, and in return, we offer ourselves to Him. It is an invitation to partake in His glory, to experience the fullness of His love, and to live in a way that honors Him. This fellowship transforms our lives, calling us to serve others and to be a reflection of His grace in the world. [29:05]

1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."

Reflection: How can you use your gifts to serve others and reflect God's love today? What specific actions can you take to be a steward of His grace?


Day 5: Mutual Delight in Divine Marriage
The ultimate joy of this divine marriage is found in the mutual delight between Christ and His people. This relationship is characterized by a profound sense of satisfaction and joy, where Christ finds joy in His people, and we find our ultimate satisfaction in Him. It is a communion that transcends human understanding, inviting us to experience His love and presence in our lives. This mutual delight is the crown of our divine union, a source of profound joy and security that transforms our lives and gives us a foretaste of heaven. It is an invitation to live in the light of His grace, embracing the love of the One who is eternally committed to us. [32:38]

Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV): "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

Reflection: In what ways do you find joy and satisfaction in your relationship with Christ? How can you cultivate a deeper sense of delight in His presence today?

Quotes



God speaks to his church in her lowest and most abject estate and though he does not fail to rebuke her sin to lament it and to make her lament it too yet still in such an estate he says to her I am married unto you oh it is Grace that he should be married to any of us. [00:01:51]

The connection is not of natural birth but of voluntary contract or Covenant such as the relationship which exists between the believer and his God whatever relation there was originally between God and man it was Stamped Out and extinguished by the fo we were aliens strangers and foreigners far off from God by Wicked works. [00:04:56]

Marriage Union is the result of choice any exceptions to this rule that might be pleaded are void in reason because they arise from Folly and and transgression there ought to be no exception it is scarcely a true marriage at all where there has not been a choice on each side but certainly if the Lord our God is married unto us and we are married unto God the choice is mutual. [00:08:48]

While it is true that Christ chooses us it is also true that the unrenewed mind will not choose him he will not come unto me that you might have life this is the sin and the condemnation of man that light has come into the world and Men love Darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. [00:13:37]

Marriage is cemented by mutual love where there is not this Mutual affection it deserves not the name of marriage the dark shadow of a blessing they cannot reach realize must be a heavy load for either heart to Bear but where there is true and genuine love it is the sweetest and happiest mode of living. [00:14:17]

When God becomes a husband he undertakes to do a husband's part when he says thy maker is thy husband you may rest assured that he does not take the relationship without assuming well I must say it all the responsibilities which belong to that condition it is the part of God to nourish to cherish to shield to protect to bless. [00:19:47]

The wife has to reverence her husband and to be subject unto him in all things that is precisely our position towards him who has married us let his will be our will let his wish be our law let us not need to be flogged to service but let us say is love that makes our willing feet in Swift obedience move. [00:21:25]

In a true marriage the husband and wife become one henceforth their Joys and their cares their hopes and their labors their sorrows and their Pleasures rise and blend together in one stream Brethren the Lord Our God has said it the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him and He will show them his Covenant. [00:24:30]

When Jesus Christ took his people he gave them all he had there is nothing which Christ had which he has not given to us it is noteworthy that he has given his church his own name where say you well there are two passages in Jeremiah chapter 23 that most remarkably illustrate this in the one it says this is the name whereby he shall be called. [00:29:05]

Now certainly Christ sets a very high store upon us I recollect turning over that passage in Solomon's song looking at it and wondering how it could be true believing it and yet not being able to comprehend it where Christ says Thou Art all fair my love there is no spot in thee oh what eyes he must have. [00:33:09]

Our beloved he sets great store by us his Delights are with the sons of men he loves to hear our praise and to listen to our prayer the songs of his people are his sweet perfume and communion with his people is like the beds of spices the beds of Lies where he Feth and as for us who are his people. [00:34:37]

Do you want to be married to Christ do you wish to have him oh then there will be no difficulties in the way of the match If thy heart goes after Christ he will have thee if when thou Gest home to thy bedside thou sayest to him dear savior here is my heart take it wash it save me he will hear thee. [00:41:48]

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Transcript
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