For the past several weeks, I have been slowly taking in Ephesians for my daily devotional time with the Lord. There is so much in Ephesians, I am loving it. Some I will share later, some thoughts are in the works, but today we are going to look at Ephesians 5:22-33. Now I am no scholar and I am sure that many others could write more on this subject better than I, but I’d like to just share what the Lord has allowed me to learn this time around reading through Ephesians. Lord willing, next time through my understanding will deepen—I pray it will!
In our home, when we come to verse 22, my husband usually teases me somehow, especially when we are having our couple’s devotions together. He will be silly in some form or other and will slowly read, “wivvvvvvvves, submit yourselves unto your own husbands…” We laugh, talk, and have a wonderful time in the Word together, but the Truth is still there and I know it, and he knows it!
When reading through verses 22-33, I’ve read through this section of Scripture many times before and I almost breezed past them, because “I know” that portion of Scripture. Pretty proudful of me. Earlier this week, I was studying the verses above them and kept breezing past 22-33, but by the fourth day my soul was so convicted I had to sat down and read verses 22-33 word by word like I never read them before. This is what my notes looked like when the Lord got done with me that day.
Ephesians 5:22-33
We read these verses and so often we either fly past them (like I did), don’t quiet understand them, or get turned off by them because of the “S.” I must admit, when reading verses 22-33 we have this whole back and forth “subject—head” thing going on here. We could get quiet confused, but in its twists and turns, likes and comparisons, we are given mysteries unsolved from above to follow. God’s plan.
We are given examples between wives being subject to your husbands; husband being the head of the wife; Christ being the head of the Church; Church being subject to Christ like the wife is to be to her husband—and how do they all fit?
Then it flips back to ‘husbands love you wives’ with an exampled explanation to follow:
- Love just like Christ loves the Church.
- Like how He gave Himself for her (the Church).
- So that He (Jesus) might sanctify her (the Church)—How? By cleansing her by the washing of the His Word (not our opinions) It is His Word that makes the Church holy. Why? So that He (Jesus) might present to Himself, the Church.
- In all Her glory
- with no spot
- no no wrinkle
- in other words—without faults or flaws
- But that She (the Church) would be
- Holy
- Blameless
Then we are back to Husbands…
Husbands ought to love their own wife as their own body. As much as the husband loves himself, he needs to love his own wife. He is commanded to love his wife.
No one hates his own flesh. None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for ourselves. We take care of ourselves. We feed for ourselves. The comparison is just as deeply as Jesus’ love for the Church–so ought a husband for his wife.
Everyone, including men, nourish and cherish themselves (the sales commercials know what they are doing) but Christ’s love, is what love truly is, it is pure, vast, and beyond what we know of love to be…maybe we should take more notes on His love language and start practicing.
Just maybe…God knows what He’s been talking about. Maybe it is time to listen and start obeying! Just maybe…
- That would change us.
- That would change our marriages.
- That would change our children.
- That would change our homes.
- That would change our churches.
- That would change our communities.
- That would change our state.
- That would change our country.
- That would change our culture.
- That would change our society.
- That would change our world.
- That would change generations to come.
Just think, it wouldn’t be so bad wouldn’t it…?
If you are married, thinking about getting married, engaged, or single…hear these wise words, “a man leaves his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
- Husband love (cherish) your own wife—like you love yourself.
- Wife see to it that you respect your husband—you were created to completed not compete. God created him to be the head of your home. Let him lead. Pray for him to lead.
Conclusion:
- Is God first in your life? I mean really first? Not just first on Sunday morning, but first everyday of the week?
- As a WIFE, who is your next human relationship? It should be your husband. If it is not, why not? Spend some time with the Lord in prayer and search your heart as to why your husband is not your primary human relationship. Seek out your Pastor’s wife or a trusted godly woman that you could seek godly counsel from.
- As a HUSBAND, who is your next human relationship? It should be your wife. If not, why not? Spend some time with the Lord in prayer and search your heart as to why your wife is not your primary human relationship. Seek out your Pastor or a trusted godly man that you could seek godly counsel from.
- CHURCH—is Christ first? Sounds like a funny question to ask a church, but is He first? Churches all across America are losing focus on whose church it is, who we serve, what are great commission is, and prefer to stand on tradition, opinions, and arguments, instead on the Word of God and Christ. So Church, I ask you again, is Christ first in your Church? Christian, is Christ first in your life? You affect your Church?
In Christ I am SHE {Saved. Hopeful. Empowered.}
In Christ I am SHE 