Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” “I will make a helper suitable for him.” God knows the importance of building healthy relationships. He also knows our role in this aspect. In fact, God is building the church and telling us that we are fellow workers with Him. This blog is an inspirational hub filled with ideas on how to build great biblical relationships. As you read my articles, I want you to experience God’s love in everything you do.Learn more about what the Bible has to say about relationships before marriage, including love and strength verses.
Some people think a love for our spouse is like a “romantic love” and therefore it can never be commanded by God. But, this is not the case — God commands us to love our spouse, but I don’t believe that we are to tell our spouse that we love them every day or give them little flowers and candy, etc. I believe it’s more than this, and there are many Bible verses about Spouse Love that prove this statement.
Bible Verses About Spouse Love
Marriage is a sacred institution that is ordained by God. It is a union between a man and a woman, designed to reflect the love and commitment that Christ has for his church. In the Bible, there are many verses that talk about the importance of love within marriage.
The Bible is clear about sexual purity. God created sex for a married man and woman to enjoy exclusively. Sexual intimacy within marriage is a gift from God, intended for pleasure and procreation (Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 7:4-5). Outside of marriage, sexual activity is sinful (1 Corinthians 6:18).
In addition to the Bible’s prohibitions against premarital sex, there are also several passages that encourage young people to wait until marriage before having sex. Examples include:
Proverbs 5:15-19 – “Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well.” The author of this book of wisdom reminds us that we should not be tempted by strangers or strange waters — i.e., anything outside of our relationship with our spouse.
Song of Solomon: This book contains erotic poetry between a man and woman who are deeply in love with each other and want to express their love physically. It is an allegory for Christ’s love for His church and how He desires to be physically intimate with us through marriage.
Here are 12 Bible verses that highlight the significance of spouse love:
1. Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
2. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
3. Colossians 3:14
“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
4. Proverbs 18:22
“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
5. Song of Solomon 3:4
“I have found the one whom my soul loves.”
6. 1 Peter 3:7
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
7. Genesis 2:24
“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
8. 1 John 4:19
“We love because he first loved us.”
9. Titus 2:4
“Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children.”
10. Malachi 2:14
“But you say, ‘Why does he not?’ Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”
These verses from the Bible emphasize the importance of love, respect, and commitment within marriage. They serve as a reminder to couples to cherish and nurture their relationship, always putting love at the center of their union.
The Bible does not give a lot of detail about how to choose a spouse. It does, however, give us some important principles that should govern our decision-making process.
The Bible teaches us to choose a spouse who will make us happy and who will help us fulfill our God-given purpose in life. Proverbs 18:22 says: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” The word “favor” means “goodness” or “a reward.” So, this verse is telling us that we will be rewarded with happiness if we marry someone who is good for us!
The Bible also tells us that marriage should not just be about physical attraction or romantic love. It must be based on mutual respect, commitment and deep friendship as well as sexual attraction. Genesis 2:18 says: “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him.” God made Adam first, but then He made Eve after He had formed Adam’s heart toward her by putting him in the Garden of Eden and letting him walk around without her for awhile so he could get used to being separated from her (Genesis 2:15). This shows that mutual respect
What does the Bible say about Relationships before Marriage
Relationships before marriage are a topic that is often discussed within the Christian community. The Bible provides guidance and principles for Christians to follow when it comes to relationships, whether they are dating or engaged. It is important for Christians to seek guidance from the scriptures when navigating relationships before marriage.
Ephesians 5:25-33 (NIV) 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself
Here are 10 Bible verses that discuss relationships before marriage:
1. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
2. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.
3. Hebrews 13:4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
4. 2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
5. Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
6. Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
7. Proverbs 5:18-19
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.
8. Song of Solomon 2:7
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.
9. Malachi 2:14
But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
10. Matthew 19:6
So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.
These verses from the Bible provide guidance on relationships before marriage, emphasizing the importance of purity, respect, and honoring the institution of marriage. Christians are called to uphold these principles in their relationships and to seek God’s will in all aspects of their lives. By following the teachings of the Bible, individuals can build strong and healthy relationships that honor God.
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?” — Hillel the Elder
“Husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.” — Ephesians 5:28
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” — 1 Corinthians 13:7
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Romans 12:10
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
What the Bible says about marriage
1) God instituted marriage and blessed it
“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4). We have already seen that God performed the very first wedding at the end of Creation week and blessed the new couple (Genesis 1:27, 28). Marriage is something that God Himself instituted and blessed. This is important, because it tells us that marriage is a good thing. It is one of the blessings that God has given us from the very beginning.
The Bible puts it like this: “From the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, . . . Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:6-9).
2) Close bond in marriage
“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper comparable to him’ ” (Genesis 2:18). After each of the six days of Creation week, God reviewed what He had made and saw that it was “good.” But there was one thing in Eden that very first week that was not good! All the animals God had created, came in pairs—a male and a female. But there was no female for Adam! That is when God created Eve and performed the very first marriage (Genesis 2:21-24).
God made men and women to complement each other—physically, mentally, and socially. He built into our being a desire for the companionship of a husband or wife. That’s why the Bible says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22).
3) Husband and wife become one
“He [God] brought her [Eve] to the man. And Adam said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23, 24).
Have you ever noticed how couples who have been happily married for many years often seem to blend together on so many levels? They know what the other person is thinking and how their spouse will react to a given situation. They can finish each other’s sentences. They have so much history together that they almost feel like the other is an extension of themselves. That’s what the Bible is talking about when it says a husband and wife “become one flesh.”
4) Marriage: A lifelong commitment
“Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your . . . life” (Ecclesiastes 9:9). There is a reason the traditional marriage vow includes the phrase “till death do you part.” Marriage, as God intended it, is a commitment for life—during good times and bad.
5) Love and respect in marriage
“Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. . . . Let each one of you . . . so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:28, 33). Without mutual love and respect on the part of husbands and wives, a marriage cannot last. Keep up the early attentions. Look for the positive qualities in your spouse, and nurture that respect and love that first drew you together.
6) Similarity in beliefs, goals, and objectives
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Marriage is a blending of two lives into “one flesh.” This doesn’t mean that husbands and wives must think and feel exactly alike in everything. Marriage doesn’t extinguish individuality.
But if there is a broad divide in religious beliefs or other important issues, it will be much more difficult to achieve the oneness that God envisions for an ideal marriage. Forging a strong marriage is not easy at best, and becomes even more challenging when couples must try to bridge major differences.
7) Faithful in marriage
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (Exodus 20:17). “You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her” (Leviticus 18:20). One of the important objectives of marriage is to direct the human sexual drive into appropriate channels. There is a great lack of sexual restraint in society today, but it would be infinitely greater without the divine mandates restricting sexual activity to marriage and the social constraints that try to do the same. Sexual infidelity is devastating to a marriage—even for those who have little or no religious beliefs.
8) Adultery and divorce
Jesus said, “Whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery” (Matthew 5:32). This grows out of the principle stated above—that sexual faithfulness in marriage is vital. Jesus’ statement is a difficult one. It is a clear biblical teaching. Jesus doesn’t offer any exceptions or alternatives. But it is not easy to know how to apply it in the dysfunctional world we live in today. Perhaps the best we can do is to know that Jesus understands just what it is to be human, and He sympathizes with us in our weaknesses (see Hebrews 4:15).
9) Marriage mirrors God’s relationship with His people
“As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5). Throughout the Bible, God presents Himself as the husband of His people. His church is His bride whom He loves and cherishes (Ephesians 5:25-27). Marriage is the closest, most intimate relationship we can experience here on earth, and God uses it to illustrate the intimate relationship He wants to have with you and me!
10) Marriage is precious
Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts in her” (Proverbs 31:10).
Biblical traits of a good husband or wife
Proverbs 31 has been called a description of “The Ideal Wife.” And it’s true that the chapter, as written, focuses on the wife. But in reality the ideal qualities given in this chapter apply equally to a husband as well as to a wife.
So how does the Bible define a good wife (or husband)? Here is a list of characteristics based on Proverbs 31. Look up the verses and see for yourself how they are described. Can you find other qualities in this chapter that are not listed here?
- Dependable (verse 11)
- A positive outlook that brings out the best in one’s spouse (verse 12)
- Hardworking (verse 13)
- Provides for the household (verse 15)
- Thrifty (verse 16)
- Compassionate and aware of others people’s needs (verse 20)
- Is a credit to one’s spouse in the community (verse 23)
- Kind (verse 26)
- Loved and respected by the children and by one’s spouse (verse 28)
- Has a good reputation outside the home (verse 31)
Biblical examples of marriages
One of the ways the Bible teaches us is by stories and examples (1 Corinthians 10:11). And in the area of marriage, the Bible gives us examples of good marriages and bad ones.
Ruth and Boaz
For an example of a good marriage, read the story of Ruth and Boaz. You’ll find it in the short, Old Testament book of Ruth. It’s only four chapters. As you read the story of their marriage—how they met and came together—look for the elements that made their marriage a success and a union that God could bless. Ruth and Boaz lived in a very different time and culture than we do today, so some of the details may seem strange to you. But the principles of a good marriage are timeless.
Samson
For an example of a bad marriage—a really bad marriage—read the story of Samson and Delilah. It’s told in chapters 14, 15, and 16 of the book of Judges. Look for the reasons this marriage was doomed from the beginning. What made it such a dysfunctional relationship? Notice particularly the tragic ending. We can learn a lot from the examples of others—good and bad.
Conclusion
What does the Bible say about marriage? It says that marriage is a blessing given to us by God to make our lives richer and more fulfilling. It says that a good marriage not only draws us closer to our spouse, it can draw us closer to God. “He who finds a wife [or she who finds a husband] finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18-22)