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In Ephesians 5:22-33,
Paul compares the
husband-wife
relationship to the
relationship between the
Church and our Lord
Jesus Christ. The
husband is Christ (Eph.
5:23). The wife is the
Church (Eph. 5:24).
Wives submit
The Church is to submit
to Christ. Likewise, the
wife is to love her
husband by submitting to
him. This submission
means to live for him.
Just as the church ought
to be living for and in
obedience to Christ, so
in the same way, the
wife ought to be living
for and be in submission
to her husband.
The submission of the
wives is based on two
biblical truths.
·
First, it is God’s design
and order in creation
(Gen. 2:18; 1 Cor.
11:8-9).
·
Second, the biblical
principle for the
submission of the wife
to her husband is based
on the circumstances
surrounding the Fall of
man (Gen. 3:16; Eph.
5:22-24).
Biblical submission is
not taking away freedom.
On the contrary, it is
that which allows for
true freedom (John
8:32-36). The freedom to
disobey the word of God
is not true freedom.
True freedom is founded
upon truth of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Biblical
submission is the wife
is able to use her gifts
to complement her
husband.
Biblical headship is not
dictatorship. The
husband as the leader is
a manager. The godly
husband will recognise
the gifts of his wife
and ensure that those
gifts are developed and
used. Biblical headship
is the husband who is
fully aware of his
wife’s gifts and will
encourage her to develop
those gifts.
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Wives, do you
love your husband enough
to live for and in
obedience to him?
husbands love
Paul compares the
husband to our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the
head of the church. The
husband must love his
wife just as Christ also
loved the church and
gave Himself for it
(Eph. 5:25-30).
A.
Pro-active Love
The husband’s love for the wife is
pro-active just as our
Lord’s love for the
church is pro-active
(Deut. 7:7; Rom. 5:5-8).
The husband must take
the initiative to love
his wife. The husband’s
love for the wife must
truly reflect Christ’s
love for the church.
B.
Perfect Love
The husband’s love for the wife is to
be perfect. Christ loves
the church perfectly
(Jer. 31:3; Eph. 2:4-5).
When a husband fails to
love his wife, he is
destroying the image of
Christ.
husbands lead
A.
A Leader of
Substance
The husband is the head of his home.
With the privilege of
leadership also comes
responsibility. In the
Bible, the failure of
the home is placed
squarely on the
shoulders of the father
(e.g. Eli).
B.
A Leader of
Sustenance
One of the primary functions of
leadership is to provide
for the welfare of the
wife and children. There
is one aspect of
sustenance that husbands
and fathers must take
note – spiritual
sustenance.
The man – husband and
father – is the pastor
in the home.
C.
A Leader of
Sacrifices
A husband-father must be a leader of
sacrifices. The husband
is to love his wife by
giving himself for her.
The husband is to love
his wife by ministering
to her needs (Eph.
5:25-27).
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Husbands, do you
love your wife and care
for her as much as you
do for your own body?
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