February 21, 2004

The Statement on Marriage was adopted by the National Lutherans For Life Board of Directors on February 21, 2004. (The text below was slightly revised on May 11, 2015, and June 2016.)

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In God’s “very good” creation, there was one thing “not good.” “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). It was not companionship that the man needed. It was relationship, a relationship that would be like God’s relationship with him. Adam may have found a companion as all the animals paraded before him, but he found no one suitable for this kind of relationship (Genesis 2:20). He who bore the image of God needed someone who also bore the image of God in order to have a God-like relationship. So God made a woman. She was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). She was like the man in many ways (Genesis 2:23), but she was different from the man in others. She was created at a different time, in a different way, and for a different purpose (Genesis 2:22, 2:15, 3:20). It was that difference that made possible the kind of relationship God wanted.

Adam and Eve were capable of becoming one flesh and in that relationship could mirror their relationship with their Creator.God brought them together in this relationship called marriage. Marriage was a part of all that was “good” in God’s perfect creation. Marriage was not given as an institution to curb sin. There was no sin. Marriage was given as the foundation for the one-flesh relationship (Genesis 2:24).

Marriage was also the relationship through which procreation would continue. “Be fruitful and increase in number” (Genesis 1:28). Marriage is intended to produce children. The effects of sin upon God’s biological process for procreation sometimes make it difficult or impossible for a marriage to fulfill this blessing. However, barring such unfortunate circumstances, children are to be the result of this one-flesh union.

Sin has certainly brought problems to marriage. The reality of problematic marriages, however, does not alter the essence of marriage. Jesus makes this clear. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘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” (Mark 10:6-8). What God intended marriage to be in the beginning, He still intends marriage to be.

Throughout Scripture, marriage is a picture of God’s relationship to His people. God is Israel’s “husband” (Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 3:14, Hosea 2:19-20). As such, He rejoices over His bride (Isaiah 62:5). Jesus is pictured as the bridegroom and the Church His bride (Revelation 19:7). It was His unconditional love for His bride the Church that caused Him to give Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).

Lutherans For Life affirms the great blessing of the institution of marriage as revealed in God’s holy Word. We affirm that marriage is a God-given institution between a man and a woman. We affirm that this one-flesh union reflects our relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. We affirm that it is the means God has chosen for procreation. Based on this, we are compelled to humble ourselves before God and ask His forgiveness for all the times we have dishonored marriage by trivializing its importance, by neglecting to reflect Christ’s love in our marriages, and by failing to connect the importance of marriage and our relationship to God.

Based on this, we are also compelled to reject homosexual unions as contrary to the Word of God. The “sameness” of homosexuals prevents a one-flesh union as well as the possibility of the procreation of children. Such unions do not and cannot reflect our relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. Such unions are based on a lie rather than the Word of God (Romans 1:25) and cannot constitute a marriage.

Marriage is founded upon the promise publicly exchanged between one man and one woman. Similarly, our Redeemer binds Himself to His Church with His promise, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20); “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Living together without the public promise of mutual love, respect, and fidelity dishonors marriage and is fornication. Adultery breaks the marriage vow, whether by marital infidelity, abuse, or abandonment. We must reject as contrary to the Word of God these and all practices which would not keep the marriage bed pure—impurity of thought, word, or deed (e.g., the use of pornography). We also reject as contrary to the Word of God any reproductive technologies that violate or circumvent the institution of marriage (e.g., donated eggs or sperm and cloning).

We believe, as God says, “Marriage should be honored by all” (Hebrews 13:4). May God give us the faith, wisdom, and courage to bring honor to this great blessing from Him.