“A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does.” (v. 4)

Here is where an overarching Christian principle intersects your marriage:

You are not your own.

That’s hard for our individualistic culture to swallow, but it is enduringly true. In Christ, we are utterly possessed, bought by Him at His cross and secured for heaven in His Spirit. That means our lived lives are subject to Him.

And—brace yourselves—marriage operates pretty much the same way.

Because you are given—to him, or to her—you no longer live and move and relate autonomously. You belong to someone. What you do with your words, with your body, and with your heart has to be done with the other in view.

And, yes, that means you are subject to the other’s needs. You will be asked to give, love, and serve your spouse in ways that are counter to self-will, counter to comfort, and counter to autonomy. And not just you—both of you! It’s a door that has to swing both ways, if you are to remain hinged.

In Christ, you are not your own. In marriage, you are not your own. May we live and love as a people possessed, for His glory.

— Tyler