Why Do People Get Married?

The heart of humankind cries out for companionship. We are social creatures. God Himself said of Adam, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). I would remind you that this analysis was before the fall of humanity and that this man already had the warm, personal fellowship of God. Yet God said, “That is not enough!”

God’s answer to man’s need was to create woman (Gen. 2:18, 24). The Hebrew word used here is one that literally means “face-to-face.” That is, God created one with whom the man could have a face-to-face relationship. It speaks of that kind of in-depth personal relationship whereby the two are united in an unbreakable union that satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart. Marriage was God’s answer for humankind’s deepest human need—union of life with another.

The ultimate purpose of marriage is not even achieved when it is a vehicle for love and companionship, as valuable as these are.

This unity is to encompass all of life. It is not simply a physical relationship. Nor is it simply the giving and receiving of emotional support. It is rather the total union of husband and wife on the intellectual, social, spiritual, emotional, and physical levels.

This kind of union cannot come without the deep and enduring commitment that God intends to accompany marriage. Marriage is not a contract to make sexual relationships acceptable. It is not merely a social institution to provide for the care of children. It is more than a psychological clinic where we gain the emotional support we need. It is more than a means for gaining social status or economic security. The ultimate purpose of marriage is not even achieved when it is a vehicle for love and companionship, as valuable as these are.

The supreme purpose of marriage is the union of a husband and wife at the deepest possible level and in all areas, which in turn brings the greatest possible sense of fulfillment to the couple and at the same time serves best the purposes of God for their lives.