From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

There is a growing rebellion against marriage throughout the world. Living together without sacred marriage is not only accepted, explained away, filmed, and glamorized; some church leaders are diluting the Scriptural guidelines for marriage in an attempt to be non-judgmental. There is also great pressure in our culture to establish same-sex “marriages” as normal.

But God’s truth and God’s laws never change. This is not because God is some rigid tyrant but rather He is a loving Father who knows how we best function, physically and spiritually. After all, one who manufactures a product knows more about it than anyone else. That is why a manual comes with most products that tells us how to assemble the item and how to keep it functioning properly.

No wonder God gave us His “manual,” the Bible. God says marriage is holy and sacred and is not to be entered into lightly. Many marriage ceremonies have removed God completely with couples getting married anywhere except the church. This is not to say that weddings must be held inside of a church building, but the holiness of the wedding vows are greatly overwhelmed by more prominent factors.

For marriage to be right before God, the relationship must consist of three people: the husband, the wife, and God at the center. When the husband and wife are focused on the things of God, they will likely form a united bond around the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the Bridegroom who will someday call His church out of this world to spend eternity with Him. This is the hope that all Christians set their hearts on.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

Read more from Billy Graham on marriage.