Fellowship of Love Ministry
Love is God’s nature, for God is love (1 John 4:16). God’s divine love is the foundation and driving force of the universe, the world, society and family. The human being is fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14) in God’s own image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27) in order to have fellowship with Him, share His divine love, and manifest His glory for eternality (Eccl. 3:11). The family is the basic unit of society, and therefore, marriage is central to the fulfilment of God’s eternal plan for humanity. However, only when our love is connected to the source of love – God’s divine love - can it become a “River of Living Water" (John 7:38), flowing continuously to nourish our life and love for the manifestation of God’s glory and divine love.
Marriage is a divine gift from God and is “honourable among all” (Gen. 2:18; Heb. 13:4). Marriage began with our first ancestor, Adam and Eve. The Bible records that God took Adam's rib to create his wife, Eve, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. " (Gen. 2:22-24). The essence of marriage is oneness - the union of husband and wife into one. This marriage union embodies the divine wholeness and oneness of God with His creation. God designed marriage for His divine mystery:
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16).
The mystery of God is Jesus Christ, the beloved Son, who became flesh to redeem mankind and bring all things to one in His glorious resurrection life (Col. 2:2-3, 9-10; Eph. 3:6, 11; Rom. 16:26-27). The husband and wife represent and foreshadow the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and His Bride of Christ; and the marriage union foreshadows the divine union of Jesus and His Bride in the glory of God (John 14:20). Marriage is a beautiful testament to God’s grace and divine love for us. It points directly to God’s eternal plan for humanity: divine union with God - the tabernacle of God on earth, where heaven and earth and man are all in one in Christ (Eph. 1:10; Rev. 21:3), for all things were created through Him and for Him, and will ultimately be in one in Him (Col 1:15-16, 19-20; Heb 1:3).
We see that throughout the Bible, from the very beginning of creation when God instituted the first marriage for Adam and Eve, to Jesus’ very first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana; from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for love on the cross, to the glorious divine Marriage Supper of the Lamb in the end, God has been continuously revealing us His everlasting love and divine plan! (Read about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb)
Led by the Holy Spirit, the Fellowship of Love is dedicated to working with the Lord Jesus to help individuals, engaged and married couples understand divine love and the fundamental principles of God's design for marriage. We aim to help couples align their lives with divine love and build a blessed, strong family of love in Christ that reflects the relationship between the Lord Jesus and His Bride.
- Marriage is a covenant of love. God is love (1 John 4:16) and God created man and woman in His image (Gen. 1:27). Human beings are spiritual beings, reflecting God’s divinity and bearing His nature of love. Men and women are made for each other and enjoy equal status.
- Marriage was instituted by God at creation, originating with Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:18, 21-25). It is ordained by God to reflect His divine love and reproduce godly offspring for the well-being of humanity (Gen. 1:28).
- Marriage is a covenant of love between a man and a woman before God. It is a lifelong bond and commitment to each other. Marriage is holy and honourable (Heb. 13:4).
- Marriage is the intimate union of love between a man and a woman. The wife was formed from the bones and flesh of her husband (Gen. 2:23-24), just as in Christ, we are of His flesh and bones. Husbands are to love their wives as themselves; wives are to respect their husbands (Eph. 5:33).
- Marriage is the union of life between a man and a woman who join together to become one flesh of a husband and wife (Gen. 2:24-25; Eph. 5:30). The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 5:23). The husband should love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her. The wife should submit to her husband, just as the church submits to Christ (Eph. 5:24- 25).
Marriage Origin
God instituted marriage with Adam and Eve
- bone of bones and flesh of flesh (one-flesh union).
Marriage Essence
Cross covenant between husband and wife with God at the centre
– horizontal with the spouse and vertical with God.
Marriage Purpose
To glorify God’s divine love and creation
– a picture of the love of Jesus Christ and His Bride.
Marriage Breakdown
Following the world's evil ways and let sin dominate.
- Adam's fall opened the door for sin to enter the world.
Marriage Salvation
The salvation of Jesus Christ
– His atoning sacrifice for our sins on the cross.
Holiness
Follow God’s design and sovereignty over marriage. Respect the holiness of marriage with reverence.
Solemnity
A cross covenant made before God to maintain holiness and fidelity in marriage.
Eternity
Overcome the temptation of sin with divine love of the Lord. Remain together in Christ for life.
Oneness
The marriage of Adam and Eve as a prototype. Husband and wife join together as one-flesh union.
Serving
Follow the example of Jesus and uphold the responsibility of sacrificial love and service to one another.
The first marriage that God instituted for Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:18, 22-23),
established the cross relationship within a marriage:
The horizontal relationship between Adam and Eve.
The vertical relationship between Adam and Eve and their Creator, God the Father.
This reveals that the essence of marriage is the "trio-union” from God's divine love – the transcendent divine union of a husband, a wife and God. The horizontal covenant between the husband and the wife is based upon their vertical covenant with God. This cross covenant underlies the entire existence of God’s creation and is the foundation that sustains the whole universe and human development.
Jesus Christ is the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45). When God solemnised the first marriage for mankind in the Garden of Eden, He was already preparing for the grandest and most glorious wedding feast of the universe, the last wedding feast for mankind - the Marriage Supper of the Lamb between God’s beloved Son Jesus Christ and His glorious Bride of Christ! (Read more on Marriage Supper of the Lamb)
Marriage is a divine gift from God so that we can enjoy God’s love and glorify God. Unfortunately, in today's mainstream secular culture, the foundation of holy love of marriage has been shaken and replaced by materialism and selfish interests. This has made it difficult for people to have happiness and a happy marriage.
Although marriage can be challenging with many crushing moments in this fallen world, love transcends all. When we enter into a covenant of love with our beloved in the name of Jesus, husband and wife join together as one-flesh in Christ (Gen. 2:24; Matt.19:6; Eph. 5:31), abiding in God's divine love (Mk 10:6-8). This allows us to rejoice in our life together in God’s divine love - the sacrificial, unconditional love of God(Rom. 5:8) and to live a victorious married life through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:1-5). All who believe in Jesus are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:14-16;) and are reborn into the life of Jesus by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:26-27). At the same time, God indwells our lives through the Holy Spirit (1 Jn. 4:13; Jn. 14:16-17) to unite our lives with Him in Christ (1 Cor. 6:17; Jn. 17:21-23), where we receive His eternal life and abundant provision. In Christ, the husband and wife can enjoy together the privilege, preservation, and blessings that are unique to the children of God:
1 Life Transformation: We can joyfully draw love from the ultimate source of love - “Rivers of Living Water” (John 7:38; Isa. 12:3) and constantly renew our lives and grow together with our spouse in the grace and divine love of God (Col 3:12-15).
2 Life to Serve: We can follow the example of Jesus’ sacrificial love by humbling ourselves and serving one another with self-giving love through the Spirit of unity in Christ (Eph. 4:2-3), to enter into a deeper union of life with our spouse (Mk. 10:7-8; Phil. 2:2) and to raise godly offspring together (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
3 Victory of Life: As we walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the temptation of sin (Titus 3:3-5) and the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-21), and live a victorious married life with our spouse in the divine power of the unconditional love of Jesus (Gal. 5:24-26).
4 Fruit of Life: With God's fatherly love and blessing, husband and wife work together to build a holy, harmonious, loving marriage and family, for “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23).
5 Glory of Life: In Christ, husband and wife witness and manifest the love of Christ for His bride, looking forward to our union with the King of Glory, Jesus Christ, and in unity, preparing for the glorious divine wedding - the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.(Read about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb)
Love one anotherServe one another
The Lord God, the Creator of the universe (Col. 1:16-17), knelt down at the feet of His disciples and washed their feet before giving His life for us (John 13:1-5). He washed away the filth of those He loves and cleansed our hearts with His blood (1 Cor. 6:11). He regards the bitter cup of the cross as His glory (John 12:23-24, 32-33), so that those whom He loves can be glorified through His redemption (Rom. 8:16-17, 29-30). He washed not only the disciples He loved, but also the feet of the one who betrayed Him. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him (Mark 14:18-20), and that Peter would deny Him three times (Matt. 26:30-34), yet He forgave them before they sinned. He did this just as He died for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8), purifying us from all sin with His precious blood (1 John 1:7).
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”(Phil. 2:5-8)
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). Whoever accepts Jesus’ salvation will be born again, justified by faith and have eternal life (Rom. 3:22-26; John 3:36). And whoever born again of the Holy Spirit are called and sanctified to become the Bride of Christ, to enjoy the glory of God and to inherit the Kingdom of God with the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus (Titus 3:3-5; Col. 3:4).
God commands us to be kind, compassionate and forgiving of one another (Eph. 4:32).
God commands us to be humble, loving and serving one another (John 13:34-35; 1 Pet. 5:5).
God commands us to be rooted in love, guided by love and united in love through Christ (Eph. 3:16-17; 4:3).
