This past summer I had the privilege of conducting my sister’s wedding. Above is a picture of my beautiful wife, a bride’s maid that day, and my lovely daughter, the flower girl. For the occasion our text was Solomon’s exhortation on the strength of the three-fold cord.

Ecclesiastes 4:12a “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

We live in a universe that is bound by a strong three-fold cord. It is broken into space, time, and matter. Space is divided into a three-fold cord of length, breadth, and width. Time is separated into a three-fold cord of past, present, and future. Matter exists as a three-fold cord of solid, liquid, and gas.

The Godhead is three in one — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Man was created in the likeness of the Trinity (“Let us make man in our image.” Genesis 1:26) and thus is also a three-part being — Spirit, Soul, and Body.

It is little wonder then that in a three-fold universe, God would establish marriage in similar fashion.

• Threefold Institutions of Marriage 

The Church – Marriage vows traditionally are made before the church. This ceremony in a church recognizes Christ’s presence in the marriage, it reminds the church that she is the bride of Christ, and it demonstrates the couples’ willingness to make their marriage fidelity accountable to the authority of their Church family.

The Government – Marriage vows are made before human authority. God established this authority back in Genesis 9. This authority is “ordained of God” (Romans 13). Human government recognizes your marriage. You have a legally binding union in the court of mankind.

The Home – Your vow is made to each other. God established the first home, He conducted the first marriage, and He gave the first wedding sermon in Genesis 2. Genesis 2:24 reads, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” A new home is formed, a new culture, and most importantly a new loyalty.   It is time for a man in particular to cut the apron strings and cleave to his wife.

• Threefold Unity In Marriage

Spirit – Marriage is a spiritual unity. Believing husbands and wives are “heirs together of the grace of life…” (1 Peter 3:7); and, as brothers and sisters in Christ, are to be prayer partners, worship partners, and communicating partners. They have unity in the Holy Spirit.  Husbands and wives are two different people with the same spiritual bond.

Soul – Marriage is an emotional unity. Joy, laughter, sorrow, and our thoughts should be intertwined to each others.  We bear one another’s burdens, we rejoice with one another, and we experience all the blessings of life together.

Body – Marriage is a physical union. “One flesh” no longer do we have “power” over our own bodies, for our bodies belong to our spouse (I Cor. 7:4). And after thirteen years of marriage, I have a deeper understanding of the term “one flesh” as I look around my house and see faces that look a little like mine and a little like my wife’s.

• Threefold Partnership In Marriage

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Christ – He is the true head of a Christian household. A Christian home is different not just better.  A Christian home is composed of three not two.  A Christian home is different because there is another person involved in the marriage.  The husband and wife are accountable to Christ, are in submission to Christ, and should be growing closer to Him in relationship and in likeness. Closer to Christ means they are simultaneously becoming closer to each other.

The Husband – “Saviour of the Body” (Ephesians 5:23).   In the same fashion as Christ does for the church, he  is to love, protect, lead, and lay down his life for his bride.  He is his wife’s hero and the glory of his children (Ephesians 5:33; Proverbs 17:16).

The Wife – She is a helpmeet for her husband (Genesis 2). She follows her husband’s leadership (Ephesians 5:22), and she reverences him. As a result, Her husband praises her in the gates, she is her husband’s crown, his heart safely rests in her, and her children rise up and call her “blessed” (Proverbs 31).