No Longer Two But One (4) by Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Topic: No Longer Two But One (4)

Dear Reader,

Welcome to another fruitful time in the presence of God. So far, I have discussed on the foundation that should be laid for the enhancement of oneness in your marriage.

This week, as I conclude this teaching, we shall be looking at “Keys to Sustaining Oneness in Marriage.”  It is not enough to be united as one, it has to be sustained. The reason Jesus came is to give abundant life, even in marriage. However, man must co-operate with God to make marriage a mini-paradise on earth, as it is supposed to be. The sustainability of your marriage does not depend on God, but on you.

The following are the major keys that will help you sustain oneness in your marriage. When you do your own part, God will always fulfill His own part.

Lay Your Foundation on the Rock

The foundation of a building determines to a very large extent what happens to it, and whether that building will last long or not.  For oneness in marriage to be sustained, you must lay your foundation upon the Rock, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Laying your foundation on the Rock means ruling your marriage by the Word of God. This is because Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1).  If your marriage is not built on God’s Word, then it is without a foundation, and it cannot be sustained no matter what anybody tries to do to help! God’s Word says: If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalms 11:3). Jesus is the only sure foundation. When you lay your foundation on the solid Rock (Jesus Christ), your home will stand.

Fulfill Your Marriage Responsibilities

Marriage has responsibilities attached to it. Therefore, co-operation is a necessity. For instance, the wife should submit to her husband in the home, be chaste, respectful and pure in her conversation. She should keep her home and make it conducive for the Holy Spirit to dwell.

The man on the other hand, must play a leadership role in the home, provide for his family and train his children in the way of the Lord. When both the man and the woman fulfill their covenant responsibilities, it becomes easy for their marriage to be sustained. Thus, no storms of life will be able to destabilize them because the force of oneness will be in operation.

No Hide-and-seek Game

For your marriage to be sustained, both you and your spouse must be open to each other. There should be no occasion to hide something from one another.  God’s Word says: And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (Genesis 2:25).

The word “naked” in this context means “openness and “transparency,” to one another. If a couple is open to each other, they will not know shame and their marriage will be sustained. There are quite a number of people who hide things from their spouses, even Christians! When it comes to the issue of money, many believers are affected.

Whatever information will make your spouse disappointed in you if he/she hears it from someone else, should be made known on time; else, you are involved in a hide-and-seek game. Funnily enough, whether you like it or not, it will unexpectedly be discovered one day.

Wisdom – The Principal Thing

Wisdom is the principal tool for sustenance (Proverbs 4:7). Both you and your spouse need to constantly ask God for wisdom in handling the day-to-day affairs of your marriage. An act of foolishness on the part of any of you, may affect oneness in your marriage.

Wisdom prompts you to know when to talk and when to keep quiet; what to say and the right time to say it; where to go and at what time, etc. Do you know it is possible to say the right thing but at the wrong time, thereby causing instability in your home? God’s Word says: Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established (Proverbs 24:3).

For oneness in marriage to be sustained, you need wisdom. This wisdom comes from God and whenever you need it, you can ask Him for it (James 1:5). Laying the foundation of your marriage upon the Rock implies making Jesus Christ the central focus in your home and allowing Him to take His rightful place. If you are set for this, say this prayer of faith with me: “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the living God. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.”

Congratulations, you are now born again! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).