What Is a Covenant Marriage? (It’s Not What You Think)

In just 22 minutes, Vlad Savchuk, pastor of Hungry Generation Church in Washington state, breaks down the difference between a contract marriage and a covenant marriage. “A marriage can be made in heaven or in hell,” he states.

What’s the difference? Here are a few key points: 

Contract marriage:

• Protecting my rights
• Limiting my responsibilities
• Safeguarding my interests

Covenant marriage:

• Laying down my rights
• Increasing my responsibilities
• Safeguarding the interests of your mate

1. Marriage is not just a covenant with your spouse, it’s the covenant with God. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

2. The marriage covenant demands the death of two wills to birth one. (Proverbs 2:17)

3. In contractual marriage, my actions are reactions to yours; in covenantal marriage, my actions are in response to Christ. (Ephesians 5:25) 

Savchuk also has a free marriage ecourse, which can be found at Marriage 101.

“Marriage,” Savchuk says, “is the funeral of your ego. … Marriage is that practical way that you let go of your rights and find the fulfilment of someone else’s rights, and they do the same for you. There can be no covenant without death. If you don’t die, your marriage will. If you die, your marriage will live. There needs to be a little bit of death to some things we value. But then there is a resurrection. … I’m not a selfish jerk because in marriage I learned to sacrificially give of myself to my spouse.”