It’s undeniable: in the modern era, marriage isn’t as treasured as it used to be. The purpose of marriage, a union between one man and one woman, is easily traced back to the writings of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5, where he describes marriage as an institution designed to mimic Christ’s relationship with His church.

Christian recording artist Jordan Feliz, the singer behind hit songs like “The River” and “Jesus Is Coming Back,” recently spoke with CBN’s Faithwire for the “Quick Start” podcast. He described the holy institution of marriage as “one of the greatest gifts” God gave His creation. Feliz, who married his high school sweetheart over a decade ago, said, “Honoring marriage is one of the greatest gifts. As believers, it’s a biblical principle that we have to [uphold]. There are a lot of things in Ephesians that talk about it. But one of my favorite things in Ephesians 5 it just says to seek the best for your wife. I think that’s a part of wanting to make marriage great, is meeting your person in the middle of life and always being there no matter what.”

The 33-year-old singer said Christians live in a culture where people “don’t respect marriage anymore, and they don’t even desire it.” He continued, “It’s a time for us, as married people, to set a good example for people — for young couples. We’ve got a lot of young friends that just got married. We’ve been married for almost 11 years. And just being able to be that example and being able to push people into loving each other, trusting each other, growing together, and having fun. Marriage is fun, bro.”

There’s no doubt Feliz is on to something, and the decline in marriage leads to a list of issues. For example, 4 in 10 U.S. births come from unmarried women; 69 percent of children in America live between two-parent homes; and 36.5 percent of single-mother homes live in poverty. The consequences of a culture that does not value God’s perfect design for the family are abundant. Yet, as a society, we continue to elevate cohabiting outside of marriage, having children before marriage, and changing God’s definition of marriage as a holy union between one man and one woman for life.

Yet, when we look at the data, it clearly shows what Christians already know is true: God’s design is better for us. A Pew Research survey from 2019 found that even though U.S. adults are delaying marriage or living with unmarried partners, they are less satisfied than their married counterparts. This reality runs contrary to the dangerous “live your truth” mantra that informs our morally wayward and relativistic age.

The study found that 53 percent of adult respondents believe American society would be better off if those who are cohabiting would get married. As Feliz said, Christians have to model marriage well. Not only is it a union in which God-fearing couples honor one another, but it’s also an earthly picture of a heavenly covenant between the Lord and His body, the church.