A CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD

Ephesians 5:22-33 / Keywords 5:33

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

 

5:22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

 

1. After growing in Christian identity and lifestyle, Christians should establish a family. The Christian family is distinct from other families because they submit to each other out of reverence for Christ.

2. A Christian wife respects her husband as to the Lord. As wives deny themselves willingly to support their husbands’ decisions, families are built up in Christ. This is not blind obedience. She trusts God and prays that he will help her husband to make the right decisions. Through her Christlike obedience, God is glorified and the husband is strengthened by his wife’s humble support.

3. Christian husbands ought to love their wives as themselves and give themselves up for their wives as Christ gave up himself for the church. Christian husbands protect their wives and build up their marriage as Christ guards and sanctifies the church. Then, the two are one in Christ, as Christ and the church are one. Thus, we must decide to love and respect and build up the family, following Christ’s example. This leads to a true bond of love.

Prayer Father, thank you for Jesus who sets us the perfect example of love and obedience. Please help godly husbands and wives to submit to each other out of reverence for Christ.

One Word Love and respect as to the Lord