So when the Church tells you that the Sacraments are necessary for salvation, and Jesus taught that only belief was necessary, in whom do you put your trust? Part 5: Matrimony

Faith and the Sacraments: Trusting What Jesus Actually Taught

by Keith Abell RPh MI

Part 5: Matrimony – A Covenant of Grace

“So when the Church tells you that the Sacraments are necessary for salvation, and Jesus taught that only belief was necessary, in whom do you put your trust?”

Welcome to Part 5 of our 7-part series exploring the Sacraments and answering one of the most important questions Catholics face today: If Jesus taught that belief alone is necessary for salvation, why does the Catholic Church teach that the Sacraments are necessary?

When I first began responding to the challenges from a fundamentalist Christian back in 1998, I was already married. I knew that Matrimony was a sacrament, a covenant, and a sacred bond where two become one — not just emotionally or legally, but spiritually. But what I hadn’t fully explored was how deeply rooted this sacrament is in Scripture, how it was instituted by God from the beginning, and how Christ elevated it to be a channel of grace.

In this post, we’ll explore:

• The biblical foundations of Matrimony,
• Its origin in creation and fulfillment in Christ,
• How marriage reflects the love between Christ and His Church, and
• What the early Church Fathers and saints taught about the sacredness of this vocation.

Faith Alone? Why Marriage Is a Sacrament

As we’ve seen throughout this series, Jesus didn’t teach salvation by faith alone. He taught a faith that is lived, embodied, and expressed — especially through the Sacraments. Matrimony is one of the most tangible ways that faith becomes flesh: in the daily, sacrificial love between spouses.

Ephesians 5:31–32 – “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church.”

Marriage is not just a human institution — it is a living icon of divine love.

Biblical Foundations of Matrimony

Instituted by God in Creation

• Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
• Genesis 1:27–28 – “Male and female He created them… Be fruitful and multiply.”

Marriage is the first covenant God establishes with humanity — a union that reflects His creative love and life-giving power.

Elevated by Christ

• Matthew 19:4–6 – Jesus reaffirms the sanctity of marriage: “What God has joined together, let no one separate.”
• John 2:1–11 – Jesus performs His first public miracle at a wedding, blessing the couple and their union — a powerful sign that He affirms and sanctifies marriage.
• Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.”

Christ doesn’t just bless marriage — He makes it a sacrament, a means of grace and a reflection of His covenant with the Church.

What the Early Church Believed About Matrimony

St. Augustine of Hippo

“Marriage is a sacrament of the Church… a bond that is not broken by human will but preserved by divine grace.”

St. John Chrysostom

“Marriage is a mystery of love, a reflection of the union between Christ and His Church.”

St. Ignatius of Antioch

“It is fitting for men and women who marry to unite with the blessing of the bishop, that their union may be in the Lord.”

St. Thomas Aquinas

“The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ with the Church… and confers grace for the mutual sanctification of the spouses.”

The early Church saw marriage not just as a social contract, but as a holy vocation, a path to sanctity, and a sacramental sign of divine love.