Romans 8:16 The Spirit
himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…
Many of you have seen the marriage triangle, or even have
taught it before. It shows the three people in a marriage, instead of simply
two: God, husband and wife. It seems like a pretty basic concept, but remains
abstract in our minds. We understand that God is there in our marriage, but how
does one flesh play out in life together? This verse can help us understand
this a bit more. In the verse above we see a picture of the Spirit bearing
witness, testifying to Christ and what He has done, who He is, within and with
our spirit. What is this mingling of spirits, how does it work? We don’t have
the answer to that. It’s a mystery of Christ. But it is also Biblical truth. We
know from His promises that the Spirit lives in us, it intercedes for us, it
sustains belief in the One True God. This is the Spirits testimony. And the
Spirit testifies not just in difficult times, but every day in our lives. The
Spirit holds us up daily.
In the same way, the husband and wife support and testify of
God’s work in and through them to one another. The Spirit is also alive and
well in the marriage relationship. The Spirit bears witness in you to your
spouse of God’s great work, His love, His forgiveness, and His mercy. The
Spirit wells up in us, testifying to the wife that she is beautiful and loved.
The Spirit wells up in us, testifying to the husband that he is honored and
respected. This plays out in our words and our actions. We wash the dishes and
sweep the floor, not because it’s our favorite pastime, but because it shows
honor and care for our husband’s work and provision. We tell our wives they are
loved; we offer a hug, time and affection when we feel like we have none,
because it is the testimony of the Spirit in us that they are loved children of
God. The abstract idea of the Spirit mingling and coexisting in our hearts and
minds and marriages, becomes concrete in life together.
Father, You are at work in our lives and in our marriages.
You testify of your miraculous work of salvation and forgiveness, given through
Your Son. We thank and praise You for Your life giving Spirit, who bears
witness in our hearts that You are the One True God. Through You there is mercy
and we can give mercy to others. Lead us, O Lord. In Christ’s name we pray.
Amen.
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