Love Is...all About Sacrifice Series

Love is…

All About Sacrifice

Ephesians 5:22-33

Ephesians 5:22 (HCSB)

Wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord

In the Same Manner

 “As to the Lord

 Honor

 Love

 Respect

 A familiar concept

 As a Christian should be second nature

Ephesians 5:23 (HCSB)

For the husband is head of the wife as also Christ is head of the church. He is the Savior of the body.

Established by God

 Spiritual leadership

 Not to lord over

 Giving guidance

 Greater responsibility and accountability

 Establishes order

Ephesians 5:24 (HCSB)

Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Deep Trust

 The example of the church

 Submission is a result of trust

 Submission is done out of love

 Not obligation

Ephesians 5:25 (NLT)

Husbands, love your wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.

It’s All on the Line

 Sacrificial love

 The example of Christ

 Willingly gave up His life for His bride

 The mandate for husbands

 Must be willing to lay down your very life

 For the protection and honor of your wife

Ephesians 5:26-27 (HCSB)

To make her holy, cleansing her in the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless.

The Radiance of the Bride

 Made holy by Christ’s blood

 All sin and guilt is washed away

 Cleansed daily by His word

 Regular care

 No blemish is allowed to take root

 The bride is blameless and pure

 The sacrifice of Christ makes the church radiant

Ephesians 5:28-30 (HCSB)

In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves is wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh, but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of His body.

Preferential Treatment

 No less care than your own body

 Health

 Nurture

 Protection

 Showing love for your wife ultimately shows your love for yourself

 Love does not withhold, demand or abuse

Ephesians 5:31 (HCSB)

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

Two Become One

 You can’t hurt your spouse without hurting yourself

 There is no longer “me” and “you” there is simply “we” and “us”

Ephesians 5:32-33 (HCSB)

This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

Key Ingredients

 Love and respect

 Without these ingredients marriage is not what it should be

 Does not demand selfishly

 Does not allow adversarial roles in the marriage

What Does Your Marriage

Look Like?

**Powerpoint available on request