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(Name) and (name), on this your wedding day I am reminded of a phrase that has appeared on many posters and even some bumper stickers. It is this: "This is the first day of the rest of your lives."

It is, you know. Everything you have done, even when you did it together, you did as two individuals. From this day forward, things will be different. For God has ordained that on this day, through your vows, he will bind you together in a mysterious but wonderful union. So you are no longer two, but one. That makes today the first day of the rest of your lives.
All this may sound exciting to newlyweds, but apparently it is shortlived. That we rebel against the unity of marriage is obvious from the demeaning way in which we speak of it. For instance, one old French adage offers: "Love is the dawn of marriage, and marriage is the sunset of love." It sounds as though love creates the grounds for marriage, but marriage cannot sustain love.

I tell you that just the opposite is true. Love does not make marriage possible; marriage makes love possible. It's true. Just think about it for a while. Deep, responsive love is possible only when the element of faithfulness is present. You can love someone as friend only when trust is present, when you know you can rely on them. The serious love of a relationship begins to blossom when you find someone who accepts you as you are, and who stands by you always. Love is built on faithfulness. You don't need faithfulness for infatuation, or sex, or romance. But marital love is created in faithfulness. That is why the commitment of marriage makes glorious, deep, abiding love possible.

Now in saying this I am not suggesting that romance and sexuality are not important. They are. They are vital and exciting elements of a happy, fulfilling marriage. But there really is no marriage if love, the love created out of fidelity, is not present.

So I encourage you, _________ and ________, to take more seriously than ever before this whole matter of absolute commitment to each other. I'm not just talking about faithfulness to each other in sexual matters. I'm speaking about being true to each other in every area of life. The more completely we are able to trust one another, the deeper and more wonderful our love grows. To be able to trust another implicitly, is a thing of great wonder. In that security, love takes on marvelous dimensions.

We are not talking about something new. This kind of faithfulness has been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember. The psalmists, for instance, saw faithfulness as a most remarkable and wonderful feature of God. Listen to this song of praise: "O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever. O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures for ever." Psalm 136:1-3 Our love, at its best, imitates God's love - strong and steadfast.

There's a story which illustrates what I've been trying to say. We all recall the famous ship, Titanic, and how it sank, killing hundreds of people. Among the people aboard the Titanic were a Mr. and Mrs. Isidor Straus. When it became obvious that the ship was going down, Mr. Straus tried everything he could think of to persuade his wife to leave the sinking ship and join the other women and children in the lifeboats. But, to his words, Mrs. Straus replied, "Isidor, you and I will remain together. I will be faithful to you, even if it means death." And so it happened. They died together, faithful unto death.

It's a moving story of love and devotion. But that's the way it is. Love and faithfulness go hand-in-hand, creating beauty in marriage and wonder in life, even unto death.

That kind of stalwart faithfulness, and that heartwarming shape of love are possible for you, _________ and ________. But to experience it, you will need to grow in strength, courage, and faith. God, however, is willing and eager to come to your aid, and God is faithful; his steadfast love endures forever. He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you. He has promised that if you confess your sins, he will forgive your sins. He has promised to give you strength for every situation you face in life. You can trust God. He who spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, is absolutely reliable.

That is why I urge you, as husband and wife, to be faithful in your spiritual lives as well, to nurture the gift of faith God has given you. In constantly re-experiencing the faithfulness of God, and living in the assurance of his mercy and grace, you can confidently live out your lives before him. His presence will supply you with the power to live in ways that are pleasing to him, and eternally fulfilling for yourselves. He has promised his faithfulness so that, through his Spirit, he might strengthen you to be faithful to each other, that your love might grow in beauty and depth.

________ and ________, as your family and friends, we want to find happiness and joy in each other, that you may be able to celebrate all the wonders of life which God places before you. Our prayers will follow you as you leave this place that, in faithfulness to each other, you may discover the glories of love which God intends that you should know and experience. Truly this is the first day of the rest of your lives. Amen