Who owns marriage?

A bit of a squabble has broken out between a Liberal Democrat member of the Westminster government and Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury.

Lord Carey had written an article for the Daily Mail in which he stated that neither the State or the Church owned marriage.
See - Marriage will ONLY remain the bedrock of a society if it is between a man and a woman

Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone in an article in today's Daily Telegraph has responded by saying that as marriage is owned by the people and not by the Church nor the State, the government could introduce same-sex marriages as a "change for the better".
See - Lynne Featherstone tells Church 'don't polarise gay marriage debate'

Lord Carey has responded by accusing Lynne Featherstone of putting an "unwarranted slant" on his words.

See - Church 'does not own marriage'

Who own marriage?

Marriage is one of only two institutions that predate the Fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve, into sin in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time. The Sabbath day is the other. 

God owns marriage! He instituted marriage and ordained that marriage be between one man and one woman. In the beginning He created them male and female, Gen 1:27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Having first made Adam God said:

It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him, Gen 2:18.

From a rib out of Adam's side God made Adam an help meet. That help meet was a woman:
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man, Gen 2:22.

The marriage bond was instituted with the words of Gen 2:24:
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Marriage is said by God to be 'honourable', Heb 13:4: 

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

All who defile this honourable institution will bring upon themselves the judgement of God. This is not the word of a Church, a cleric, a politician or any other earthly individual. It is the solemn pronouncement of Almighty God, the Judge of all the earth. The Scriptures clearly teach that God will judge those who defile this honourable institution. 

The Westminster government and the devolved administrations may believe themselves to be higher than God and able to change His laws. All of them have been funding sodomy in different forms for some time! This is the spirit of Antichrist, cf. Dan 7:25:

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Mere puny man will yet realise that they cannot contend with God and prosper. In speaking of God in this regard Job said: …who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? Job 9:4.

Present day rulers will yet have to learn as Nebuchadnezzar did of old that God alone rules in the kingdoms of men, Dan 4:34-37:
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 

Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.