'Til Death Do Us Part

On the television program, Day of Discovery, they detailed the story of Robertson and Muriel McQuilkin. They were married for 53 years up until Muriel passed away from complications surrounding her Alzheimer's Disease. The show outlined the dedication Robertson and Muriel had towards each other even as the disease ravaged Muriel's body and mind. The entire story was an encouraging testimony of their love for one another and the faithfulness of the Lord during their marriage together. It also reminded me of my mother and father, who were married for nearly 53 years themselves. My mother passed away four days before their 53rd wedding anniversary. As I watched the program, my thoughts turned to the wedding vows so many people make at their wedding ceremony. They often go something like this:

Will you, _______, have _____ to be your wife/husband? Will you love her/him, comfort and keep her/him, and forsaking all other remain true to him/her as long as you both shall live?" ("I will")

(Repeat) "I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/husband, and before God and these witnesses I promise to be a faithful and true wife/husband."

(Rings) "With this ring I thee wed, and all my worldly goods I thee endow. In sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, 'til death do us part."

The seriousness and importance of wedding vows is something I wonder if those who say them truly understand at the moment they get married. Many people get married in their 20s and, even earlier, in some cases. The thought of dying is not something I think most of them are overly concerned about at that time; nor should they be.

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55

For the living, death indeed separates us from our loved ones. Husbands and wives are no exception to this fact. But, for those in Christ, we have been given a promise from God. Along with the vows couples make to love, honor and cherish each other through "sickness and health, poverty and wealth," is the fact that they make these vows "before God." The vow to stay together until death separates them has a high degree of finality and sadness to it. For those married as long as the McQuilkin's, or my parents, losing a spouse can be like losing a part of onesself. You most likely have little to no memory of what it was like to be without your spouse. I think this is part of the reason so many widows and widowers don't often live long after losing their mate. However, the Bible, in one of many of God's promises to a believer, says that their is no sting in our death and no victory for death over us. The promised Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a promise to all believers that while death may separate us from each other, for a short time, it does not separate us from God.

"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1: 4-9

One of the key ingredients to a long marriage is faithfulness and commitment. As one person told me about his marriage, "When my wife and I have a problem, we know that divorce is not an option, so we have to figure it out." This is their way of reminding themselves of the vows they made towards each other and their commitment to keeping them. Christians are described as being the Bride of Christ. And just like committed couples do all they can to stay faithful to one another, a Christian can be encouraged by the fact that God, in Christ, is faithful to us. The marriage union between a man and woman is a perfect example of how much God loves the Church. We are reminded time and time again of how nothing can separate us from the love of God, of how nothing can snatch us from the hand of God and that He will never leave us or forsake us. This is a good reminder for all believers, but particularly for those married Christians to think about when the trials and tribulations of marriage and life tests their bond to each other.

"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." 2 Timothy 1: 9-12

One of the things that makes couples commit to each other in marriage is the feeling of security they each feel from the other. The husband feels he has been blessed with the helpmate so many men desire. The wife feels safe in the belief that her husband will be able to provide for her and their family. Believers can be secure in the knowledge that because of God's faithfulness to us that He will help guide us and protect us through this life and safely deliver us into eternity to spend it with Him. When a believing husband and wife stand before God, and other witnesses, to proclaim their love and lifelong commitment to each other, they are doing nothing more then sharing with one another that which God has already given to them in Christ. While the physical limitations of our bodies mean that one day death will separate a husband and wife from each other, they can rest assured that they will be reunited one day in Heaven because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By conquering death, He has assured us that we will not taste death, but instead we know that death is only the next step in our eternal walk with the Lord.