Intimacy in Marriage: More than Love and Sex
Unknown
Unknown University

ABSTRACT
There is no question that marriage is a relationship that is a covenant relationship ordained by God between Himself, man and woman. This paper will explore the biblical covenant of marriage as well as take the journey marriages go on throughout life in expression of love and sex. Marriage in the covenant of God as a thriving and exciting relationship that is worth waiting to say I do before sex is engaged in, in order to save the sanctity of each other and the institute of marriage and the problems premarital sex can cause such as divorce. Divorce is a fact in the Christian marriage despite the love of God in each partner there is something that tears marriages apart and keeping spouses from forgiving, lacking in intimacy, keeping them angry, and from loving unconditional when things begin to go south and will briefly touch this topic. This paper will show in more detail the many aspects of love married couples express through communication, commitment, forgiveness, intimacy and sex both in the church and outside of the church.

The Bible is direct in the intent of the eternity of marriage. God intends for a man and a woman to separate from each of their families and become one as a unit in the union of marriage. Genesis 2: 24 states that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Later in the New Testament when the Pharisees tested Jesus by asking him in Matthew 19 if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?, Jesus replied “that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female, and said, for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh?” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate (Bible. NIV. 2015).” The difference in united and untied as stated in scripture is where the “I” is placed. A couples goal once married should be to grow towards we from “I” as they become one but at the same time respecting each spouse as an individual.
Marriage is a union that is not to be taken lightly. An African proverb states, before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye. Marriage requires much forgiveness. Once married the flaws that were once loved or ignored while dating start to become an irritant once realized this is a lifetime commitment and often times a spouse starts to look for a way out, but it is imperative to look for a way to resolve the problem of the irritant through communication, forgiveness, and understanding. Once a couple decides to commit to marriage, over time their flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and differences will become more obvious. Loving their mate and wanting the relationship to grow and evolve, they will need to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing bother them. Spouses are two unique individuals who have decided to share a life together and should know that before getting involved in this lifetime commitment and making a commitment to someone that lust, immaturity, ignorance low self esteem can make a person blind to the warning signs. Each spouse will have many different expectations, emotional needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths. The foundation of marriage should be pure and stable with love, communication, openness friendship, trust, sharing common goals and supporting each other in their individual goals and interests, commitment to working through problems with respect, as well as respect of each others’ bodies in saving sex for marriage and getting to know each other intimately and sexually in marriage as intended by God.
THESIS
This paper will lead the reader through the purpose of marriage, a marriage with purpose and satisfaction of marriage that includes communication, intimacy, openness, faith, trust,