At Creation, God defined marriage.  At the Fall, marriage was complicated.  In Redemption, marriage can be transformed by grace.  At the Consummation, marriage will be transcended.

There will be no marriage in heaven, in the resurrection, in the New Earth.  Jesus makes this clear in Luke 20:34-36:

And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
– Luke 20:34-36

At least two things follow from this.  First, marriage is not the ultimate reality.  God is.  While I must be the best spouse I can be, my first allegiance is to God.  I dare not let marriage become an idol that I put before God.

Second, this life is all I have to be the best spouse I can be.  One day I will be conformed into the image of Christ, but then it will be too late for me to be a better spouse because then there will be no more marriage.  This life is all I have.  And this life is short.  There are no guarantees of tomorrow.  This day is all I have to be the best spouse I can be.  Perhaps God will give us tomorrow.  In that case, it will be another opportunity to be the best spouse I can be.  It is too easy to put this off, to assume that we have lots of time.  But we may not.  Let’s use each day as a new opportunity to be the best spouse we can be. 

What will you do today to be build your marriage, to show your love, to be a better spouse?