MUTUAL SUBMISSION-III—Ephesians 5:21—6:4
—OR—
‘Foundational Family Integrity’
—OR—
‘A Family’s Integrity in Mutual Submission’
Attention:
Grace Udder Pressure:
A big city lawyer was called in on a case between a farmer & a large railroad company. The farmer noticed that his prize cow was missing from the field through which the railroad passed. He filed suit against the railroad company for the value of the cow. The case was to be tried before the justice of the peace in the back room of the general store. The attorney immediately cornered the farmer & tried to get him to settle out of court.
The lawyer did his best selling job, keeping the conversation moving & not letting the farmer get much of a word in. The farmer finally agreed to take half of what he was claiming to settle the case. After the farmer signed the release & took the check, the young lawyer couldn't help but gloat a little over his success. He said to the farmer, "You know, I hate to tell you this, but I put one over on you in there. I couldn't have won the case. The engineer was asleep & the fireman was in the caboose when the train went through your farm that morning. I didn't have one witness to put on the stand."
The old farmer replied, "Well, I'll tell you, young feller, I was a little worried about winning that case myself. That durned cow came home this morning!"
If both the Farmer & Lawyer had been truthful with one another, everything would have been fine.
Need:
We are a country embroiled in individualistic endeavors to the exclusion of & to the ruin/destruction/devastation of others....manifested in Hedonism(drugs/sex/possessions)
Work-ism or busy-ness(Work=Good)...borne by financial indebtedness, etc.
It is not possible for a marriage & family to thrive, when one or more of the members is into themselves to the exclusion of others!
We may learn to live with one another, but we will have no power in the world!
Integrity—“The state of being whole & undivided: upholding territorial integrity & national sovereignty.” a.—The condition of being unified, unimpaired, or sound in construction. b.—Internal consistency or lack of corruption.
&/or
Integrity—1. Adherence to moral & ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty; 2. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished; 3. Sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.
Paul unveiled the role of submission inherent to a Christ-honoring family.
Christ-honoring families must operate under the umbrella of submission.
How is submission essential to the integrity of Christ-honoring families?
4 arenas in which submission secures Christ-honoring integrity for the family.
*Foundational(Christ-honoring) family integrity is found in Mutual Submission!
*Mutual Submission cannot be experienced fully apart from God’s love!
The last two Sundays we've found that Foundational(Christ-honoring) family integrity is found in...
1.(part a) A WIFE’s submission(5:22-25, 33)
1.(part b) A WIFE’s submission(5:22-25, 33)
2—Foundational family integrity is found in...
A HUSBAND’s submission(:25-33)
Explanation:(:25-33)
:25—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her,”
“This is the wonderful new point not in Col 3:19 that lifts this discussion of the husband's love for his wife to the highest plane.”—RWP
In order for God-ordained marital harmony to be true harmony & thus be effective, the husband must love his wife. A love that foregoes one’s own desires for that of the other. An arrogant, belligerent, & self-seeking husband is no husband to his wife, for he is showing her that he is unwilling to sacrifice/give for her welfare & ultimately for his own cause as the head. He thus works against himself if he has no love for his wife.
The love that a husband has for his wife must have the same character & substance as that of Christ for His church. The concern & passion for one’s wife is to mimic that of Christ in His having given Himself for the church.
?What exactly did & does that “love”(concern & passion) entail?—That is answered in :26 below.
Prov. 10:12—“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.”
Col. 3:19—“Husbands, love your wives & do not be bitter toward them.”
“Bitter”—pikrainw—To embitter. exasperate—2a) Render angry, indignant, 2b) to be embittered, irritated, 2c) To visit with bitterness, to grieve(deal bitterly with).
“Love”—agapaw—Boundless, Unconditional, Objective, Unscathed.
“Just as”(See :29; :24—wsper)—kaywv—Adverb—1) According as—1a) Just as, even as, 1b) In proportion as, in the degree that; 2) Since, seeing that, agreeably to the fact that; 3) When, after that. Strong—Just(or inasmuch) as, that.
From—kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along.—&—wv—1) As, like, even as, etc. Which how, i.e. In that manner(very variously used).
“Gave”—paradidwmi—Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To give into the hands(of another); 2) To give over into (one's)power or use—2a) To deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage, 2b) To deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death, 2c) To deliver up treacherously—2c1) by betrayal--To cause one to be taken, 2c2) To deliver one to be taught, moulded; 3) To commit, to commend; 4) To deliver verbally—4a) Commands, rites, 4b) To deliver by narrating, to report; 5) To permit allow—5a) When the fruit will allow that is when its ripeness permits, 5b) Gives itself up, presents itself. Strong—To surrender, i.e. Yield up, intrust, transmit.
From—para—1) From, of at, by, besides, near. Strong—properly--Near; i.e. From beside(literally or figuratively), At(or in) the vicinity of, To the proximity with, Beyond or opposed to, or On account of.—&—didwmi—1) To give; 2) To give something to someone. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb(which is used as an alternative in most of the tenses); To give(used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection).
“Himself”(See :28; 29—“His own”)—eautou—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, itself, themselves. Strong—from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete & the genitive case(dative case or accusative case) of autov; Him-(her-, it-, them-, also [in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons] my-, thy-, our-, your-)self(selves), etc..
“For”—uper—Prep.—1) In behalf of, for the sake of; 2) Over, beyond, more than; 3) More, beyond, over. Strong—a primary preposition; "over", i.e. (with the genitive case)of place--Above, beyond, across, or causal--For the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case--Superior to, more than.
“Her”(See :26)—autov—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, themselves, itself; 2) He, she, it; 3) The same. Strong—from the particle au[perhaps akin to the base of ahr through the idea of a baffling wind] (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used(alone or in the comparative eautou) of the third person , & (with the proper personal pronoun)of the other persons.
:26—“that He might sanctify[agiazw] & cleanse[kayarizw] her with the washing of water by the word,”
Jesus gave Himself for the church in order to—1)“Sanctify her” & to 2) “Cleanse her.”—from her sinfulness.
The thought is that, prior to Christ’s entering into His earthly ministry, the soon-to-be ‘church’ was obviously ‘dirty’ & indistinguishable from the world—Neither Set apart nor Clean! Jesus’ entrance into the fullness of His ministry accomplished the church’s ‘birth’ thru calling her away from the world(“sanctify” & “cleanse”) & to Himself thru faith in Christ.
This cleansing comes about as is pictured “with the washing of water.” The effectual “washing of water” took & takes place “by the word” of God...speaks of a continual attentiveness.
By means of her acceptance of “the word” of God in Christ, an effective spiritual separation(“sanctify”) & cleansing occurs. which is comparable to that brought about by “water”(bathing). Though she(the church/wife) is sanctified & cleansed through the word, must take place continually & regularly.
Applying Jn. 13:7-11, 14-15, Jesus considered all of the 12 disciples to be completely clean(sanctified) except for Judas the traitor(an unbeliever). However though sanctified, they all did need to have their feet cleansed....first by Jesus & then by each other(:14-15).
Jn. 13:7-11, 14-15—“Jesus answered & said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands & my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; & you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.””....“If I then, your Lord & Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”
Thus a husband’s love for his wife drives him to secure & ensure both his & her sanctification to & thru the Lord. A husband’s love for his wife also drives him to seek or maintain his wife’s spiritual “cleanliness.”
This “word”[rhma] is certainly God’s revelatory speech, but may well also refer secondarily to that which the husband utters in his obedience to God in Christ.
“Sanctify”—agiazw—Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Sing.—1) To render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow; 2) To separate from profane things & dedicate to God—2a) Consecrate things to God, 2b) Dedicate people to Go; 3) To purify—3a) To cleanse externally, 3b) To purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin, 3c) To purify internally by renewing of the soul. Strong—from agiov; To make holy, i.e. ceremonially--Purify or consecrate; mentally--To venerate. BKS—To ‘holify.’
“Cleanse”—kayarizw—Aorist Active Participle Nominative Sing. Masc.—1) To make clean, cleanse—1a) From physical stains & dirt—1a1) Utensils, food, 1a2) A leper, to cleanse by curing, 1a3) To remove by cleansing, 1b) in a moral sense—1b1) To free from defilement of sin & from faults, 1b2) To purify from wickedness, 1b3) To free from guilt of sin, to purify, 1b4) To consecrate by cleansing or purifying, 1b5) To consecrate, dedicate; 2) To pronounce clean in a levitical sense. Strong—from kayarov[clean]; To cleanse(literally or figuratively).
“Washing”—loutron—Noun Neuter—1) Bathing, bath, the act of bathing. Strong—from louw[a primary verb; to bathe(the whole person; whereas niptw means to wet a part only, & plunw to wash, cleanse garments exclusively)]; A bath, i.e. figuratively--Immersion, baptism. Used 2X.
*Titus 3:5—“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing[loutron] of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit,
“Word”—rhma—Noun Neuter—1) That which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word—1a) Any sound produced by the voice & having definite meaning, 1b) Speech, discourse—1b1) What one has said, 1c) A series of words joined together into a sentence(a declaration of one's mind made in words)—1c1) An utterance, 1c2) A saying of any sort as a message, a narrative—1c2a) Concerning some occurrence; 2) Subject matter of speech, thing spoken of—2a) So far forth as it is a matter of narration, 2b) So far as it is a matter of command, 2c) A matter of dispute, case at law. Strong—from rew[to utter, i.e. speak or say]; An utterance(individually, collectively or specifically); by implication--A matter or topic(especially of narration, command or dispute); with a negative--Naught whatever.
:27—“that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy & without blemish.”
The purpose of the sanctification & cleansing—in this case, of the church—is that Christ, the head(husband), “might” be able to “present her” in a particular fashion.
The one to whom the church is presented is to Jesus Himself!
The state in which He seeks to present her, is in her full “glory”—in all her perfection as the betrothed & bride of Christ Himself. In her perfection there should be “no spot” & “no wrinkle” & nothing that speaks of a failure to having received self-giving love, for that is a direct reflection upon the love of Christ(the husband)(:25).
Christ provides for her(the church) perfectly in every way & her response to Him is so equipped as to be perfect in every way. Thereby she is expected to “be holy” as well as “without blemish” of any kind. There are to be no un-redeeming qualities in the bride of Christ.
OT Sacrifices required perfection/the absolute best.
“Present”—paristhmi/paristanw—1) To place beside or near. Strong—To stand beside, i.e. transitively--To exhibit, proffer, specifically--Recommend, figuratively--Substantiate; or intransitively--To be at hand(or ready), aid.
From—para—1) From, of at, by, besides, near. --From beside, At(or in) the vicinity of, To the proximity with, Beyond or opposed to, or causal--On account of.—&—isthmi—To stand(transitively or intransitively), used in various applications(literally or figuratively).
“Glorious”—endoxov—Adj.—1) Held in good or in great esteem, of high repute—1a) Illustrious, honorable, esteemed, 1b) Notable, glorious, 1c) Splendid—1c1) Of clothing, 1c2) figuratively--Free from sins. Strong—In glory, i.e. Splendid, figuratively--Noble. Used 4X.
“Spot”—spilov—Noun Masc.—1) A spot; 2) A fault, moral blemish—2a) Of base & gluttonous men. Strong—of uncertain derivation; A stain or blemish, i.e. figuratively--Defect, disgrace. RWP—Used of splendid clothing in Lk. 7:25. Used 2X.
“Wrinkle”—rutiv—Noun Fem.—A wrinkle. Strong—A fold(as drawing together), i.e. A wrinkle(especially on the face). Used 1X.
From—ruomai—To draw to one’s self, i.e. Rescue.
“Holy”—agiov—Adj.—1) Most holy thing, a saint. Agiov has probably as its fundamental meaning separation, i.e., from the world to God's service. If not the original meaning, this at any rate is a meaning early in use. This separation, however, is not chiefly external, it is rather a separation from evil & defilement. The moral signification of the word is therefore the prominent one. This word, rare & of neutral meaning in classical Greek, has been developed in meaning, so that it expresses the full N.T. conception of holiness as no other does. Strong—sacred(physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated).
“Without Blemish”—amwmov—Adj.—1)Without a blemish—1a) As a sacrifice without spot or blemish; 2)morally—Without blemish, faultless, unblameable. Amwmov is faultless, without blemish, free from imperfections. It refers especially to character. Strong—Unblemished(literally or figuratively). Used 7X.
From—A(as a negative particle)—&—mwmov—A flaw or blot, i.e. figuratively--Disgraceful person.
:28—“So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.”
An abusive, domineering, neglectful husband is openly revealing self-centeredness &/or dissatisfaction with himself &/or his own life. There is something amiss in his relationship with God.
“Loving their own wives as their own bodies” is what “husbands” “ought” to do. That is, it is God’s intent & expectation for “husbands,” however, recognizing that sin can easily prevent such “love” from occurring.
“So”—outw or (before a vowel)outwv—Adverb—1) In this manner, thus, so. Strong—In this way(referring to what precedes or follows).
“Ought”—ofeilw/ofeilew—Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Plural—1) To owe—1a) To owe money, be in debt for—1a1) That which is due, the debt; 2) metaph.--The goodwill due. Ofeilei indicates rather[in distinction from dei[necessary]] the personal obligation; it is that which is proper, something that ought to be done. Strong—probably from the base of ofelov[Gain](through the idea of accruing); To owe(pecuniarily); figuratively--To be under obligation(ought, must, should); morally--To fail in duty.
“Love & Loves”3X(See :25, 33)—agapaw—Present Active Infinitive—1) Of persons—1a) To welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly; 2) of things—2a) To be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing. Strong—perhaps from agan(much) [or compare bge[To breathe after, i.e. To love(sensually)]]; To love (in a social or moral sense).
“As”—wv—Adverb—1) As, like, even as, etc. Strong—probably adverb of comparative from ov, h, o; Which how, i.e. In that manner(very variously used).
“Their own & Himself”2X(See :25, 29)—eautou—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, itself, themselves. Strong—from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete & the genitive case(dative case or accusative case) of autov; Him-(her-, it-, them-, also [in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons] my-, thy-, our-, your-)self(selves), etc..
:29—“For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes & cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.”
The above is true for the simple fact that “no one ever hated his own flesh,” but rather “nourishes” & also “cherishes” his body.
A husband provides physical, emotional, mental, & spiritual nourishment & fostering his own best development.
Our own bodies are taken care of in the same manner as Christ the Lord has seen to & indeed sees to the welfare & development of the church.
Php. 2:1-5—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”
1Pet. 3:7—“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel[cf. 1Tim. 2:12-14], & as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
“Nourishes”—ektrefw—1)To nourish up to maturity, to nourish; 2)To nurture, bring up. Strong—To rear up to maturity, i.e. (genitive case)To cherish or train. Used 2X.
From—ek—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin(the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).—&—trefw—To nourish, support; Feed; Give suck, fatten; Bring up, nurture. Strong—properly--To stiffen, i.e. Fatten(by implication--To cherish[with food, etc.], pamper, rear).
“Cherishes”—yalpw—Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1)To warm, keep warm; 2)To cherish with tender love, to foster with tender care. Strong—probably akin to yallw(to warm); To brood, i.e. figuratively--To foster. Used 2X.
:30—“For we are members of His body, of His flesh & of His bones.”
Jesus always nourishes & cherishes His own flesh—the church. And as such, Christians “are members of His body.” By default they are thus members “of His” very “flesh & of His bones.”
“of His flesh & of His bones” is absent from the Maj.T.
Being “members” of Christ’s body signifies that thereby, our bodies are to be submitted to God power by Christ.
Christians are the witnesses, ambassadors, & the focal points of Christ’s presence before others on earth...
Gal. 2:20—“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; & the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me & gave Himself for me.”
Eph. 1:22-23—“And He put all things under His feet, & gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
1Cor. 6:15-20—“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ & make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, & you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body & in your spirit, which are God’s.”
“Members”—melov—Noun Neutral—1)A member or limb--A member of the human body—1a) Of bodies given up to criminal intercourse, because they are as it were members belonging to the harlot's body. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A limb or part of the body.
“Flesh”(See :31)—sarx—Noun Fem.—1) Flesh(the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones & is permeated with blood) of both man & beasts; 2) The body; 3) A living creature(because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast; 4) The flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, & therefore prone to sin & opposed to God. Strong—Flesh(as stripped of the skin), i.e. strictly--The meat of an animal(as food), or by extension--The body(as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or by implication--Human nature(with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions), or specifically--A human being(as such).
:31—“For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & the two shall become one flesh.”
A wife is so much the husband’s own “flesh” that he is compelled to “leave” both father & mother in order to be “joined to his wife.”
Such a “leaving” is to secure the high purpose in Christ of “becoming one flesh.”
“The two shall become one flesh”(Gen. 2:22-24)—To act/move/operate in the freedom, direction, fluidity of an individual.
One’s wife is considered a husband’s “own flesh” as is quoted from Gen. 2:24, & is thus to be nourished & cherished accordingly(:29).
Thus each one’s “flesh” becomes & is at the Christian disposal of the other(:28-29).
This concept & reality of being “one flesh” pictures an understanding of God’s existence as Triune.
1Cor. 7:3-4—“Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, & likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.”
“Leave”—kataleipw—1) To leave behind—1a) To depart from, leave—1c) To forsake, leave to one's self a person or thing by ceasing to care for it, to abandon, leave in the lurch— 1e) Like our "leave behind", it is used--Of one who on being called away cannot take another with him. Leave alone, disregard—1f1) Of those who sail past a place without stopping. Strong—To leave down, i.e. Behind; by implication--To abandon, have remaining.
From—kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along. Strong—a primary particle; prepositionally--Down(in place or time), in varied relations(according to the case [genitive case, dative case or accusative case] with which it is joined).—&—leipw—a primary verb; To leave, i.e. intransitively or passively--To fail or be absent.
“Joined”—proskollaw—Future Perfect Indicative3rd Sing.—1)To glue upon, glue to; 2)To join one’s self to closely, cleave to, stick to. Strong—To glue to, i.e. figuratively--To adhere. Used 4X.
From—prov—1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to.—&—kollaw—To glue, to glue together, cement, fasten together; To join or fasten firmly together; To join one's self to, cleave to.
“Shall become”—esomai—Future X(no voice stated) Indicative 3rd Plural—1) future first person singular of “to be.” Strong—future of eimi[I exist(used only when emphatic)]; Will be.
“One”—mia—Adj.—1)Only one, someone. Strong—irregular feminine of eiv[a primary numeral; One]; One or first.
“Flesh”(See :30)—sarx—
:32—“This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ & the church.”
The relationship of Christ to the church is a “mystery” hidden from the Old Testament saints but now brought to light in Christ.
*Thus the fullness & significance of marriage is yet unknown to the unsaved Jew, though it is assented to in law.
The ever-present relationship of husband & wife in marriage pictures the church’s ever-present relationship to Christ!
The attraction of man to woman & vice-versa is of “mysterious” occurrence seemingly being incongruous, impractical, nonsensical, & ill-advised, Unable to be foreseen, grasped. Yet it is seen in the relationship of Christ to His Church.
This relationship between husband & wife is something that is not comprehensible to the human mind but is nonetheless comprehensible to the heart, centered upon Jesus.
*A husband’s greatest motivation & picture for caring for his wife is Christ’s care for the Church.
“Mystery”—musthrion—Noun Neuter—1) Hidden thing, secret, mystery—1a) Generally--Mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated & not to ordinary mortals, 1b) A hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding, 1c) A hidden purpose or counsel—1c1) Secret will—1c1a) Of men, 1c1b) Of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly & wicked men but plain to the godly; 2) in rabbinic writings--It denotes the mystic or hidden sense—2a) Of an OT saying, 2b) Of an image or form seen in a vision, 2c) Of a dream. Strong—from a derivative of muw(to shut the mouth); A secret or “mystery”(through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites).
:33—“Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, & let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
Summary :
A HUSBAND submits himself to the God-ordained needs of his wife.
&
A WIFE submits herself to the God-ordained needs of her husband.
Regardless of the incomprehensible aspect/nature of this relationship, each saint is to individually “love his own wife” in the same manner that he loves “himself.”
“So love his own wife as himself” extends that love to EVERY area of the marital relationship! Godly husbands who love as God wants them to, do not hold keep that which is good in God’s eyes from themselves, nor do they keep that which is good in God’s eyes from their wives. To do so is utter selfishness & ungodliness.
“& let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
Is Literally=‘...And the wife, that she may fear/respect husband.’(cf. :21—“in the fear[fobov(noun)] of God)
The wife’s response of fear/reverence is directly tied to her husband’s love for her.
*Fear of dishonoring her husband, NOT fear of retaliation from her husband!
In response to her husband’s God-directed love, the wife is thus enabled to “respect her husband.” She is exhorted/encouraged to respond appropriately to Christ’s love thru her husband.
Again...If you are technically ‘dating,’ consider ‘courting’ instead. Know the one whom you have designs on possibly marrying. Spend a great deal of time together—outside of a sexual relationship(until marriage)—Share & discuss your closest deepest dreams, what you want out of life, what you want to do with your life. Can that mesh with your boyfriend’s dreams, desires, & plans.
This means that a wife is entirely capable of failing to respond properly, even if the husband is acting in entire faithfulness thru Christ.
?Ladies, do you think so highly of yourself that you joyfully head out to the mall after or even before payday, wantonly spending your husband’s(remember he’s Jesus to you—:22-23) hard-earned money brought to you with his sweat & tears?
?Do you have even one maxed out credit card? Do you have credit cards which have upped their limit ‘just for you’ as a reward from the credit card company?—Its a marketing ploy ‘just for you’ because they make megabucks off of your negligence! More credit DOES NOT mean that you have more free money at your disposal...it only means you have a higher allowance to max-out more credit & pay more interest over a longer time!
?How does your spending effect your family overall?—positively or negatively?
?How does such excess effect the relationship with your husband?—positively or negatively?
**?Does your husband have to overcompensate for your excess?**, so that you consider his frugality too hard-hearted & tight?...So that he is forced to become a domineering tyrant, demanding his way, forcing your hand to release the finances to his control?...All because your ‘want-to’ has gone un-submitted to God in Christ.
You see, with one fell swoop(or swipe of a card) of financial neglect, you have chosen to demolish a marriage brought into existence by Almighty God!...One I know you cherish!
?How does such effect your love life?...
?Your ability as a Mommy?...as a homemaker?...as a neighbor?, etc.?
*Some here have been in that position before. You’ve suffered thru at least one failed marriage for such reasons... you’ve suffered the heartaches brought on by personal neglect.Again:
Titus 2:1-5—“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things--that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
Your husband is not to kowtow to your ‘want-to’ or fleshly desire....with a Yes, dear,... Oh, yes dear, Melvin Milktoast. Or as a forced slave, ‘Yes, maustuh, I’ll take cauh uh that right nouh suh.’...
And wives, you are not meant for that kind of repressive cowering behavior either!
...That is NOT God’s way. We are to be God’s ‘willing’ bondservants serving thru MUTUAL SUBMISSION(on a horizontal level), in full recognition of God’s perfect design for imperfect people!
“Love wants only the best for the one it loves, & it cannot bear for a loved one to be corrupted or misled by anything evil or harmful.”.....[A husband] “will continually seek to help purify her from any sort of defilement. He will seek to protect her from the world’s contamination & protect her holiness, virtue, & purity in every way.”—MNTC
*If your boyfriend/girlfriend tempts you to compromise your sexual purity, then he/she is self-serving.
*A wedding of ‘holy matrimony’ is completed officially before God & specifically inviting His graces into that marriage!
A courthouse wedding merely makes a marriage legal according to the state &/or country but does not invite God into the marriage!
“Respect/Reverence/Fear”—fobew—Present Middle/Passive Deponent Subjunctive 3rd Sing.—1) To put to flight by terrifying(to scare away)—1a) To put to flight, to flee, 1b) To fear, be afraid—1b1) To be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm—1b1a) Of those startled by strange sights or occurrences, 1b1b) Of those struck with amazement, 1b2) To fear, be afraid of one, 1b3) To fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm), 1c) To reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience. Fobew denotes “to fear”, the general term; often used of a protracted state. Strong—To frighten, i.e. passively--To be alarmed; by analogy--To be in awe of, i.e. Revere.
English =‘Phobia.’
Argumentation:
**Js. 4:7—“Therefore submit[upotassw] to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you.”
Rom. 10:1-3—“Brethren, my heart’s desire & prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, & seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted[upotassw] to the righteousness of God.”
**1Pet. 3:7—“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them[wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, & as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
Men & women, & particularly husbands & wives, have distinct roles in God’s ordained design. The hard part for you & me, is abiding within those ordained/set parameters!
**1Pet. 5:1-5—“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder & a witness of the sufferings of Christ, & also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit[upotassw] yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””
**1Cor. 7:32-33—“But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world--how he may please[areskw] his wife.”
“Please”—areskw—1) To please; 2) To strive to please—2a) To accommodate one's self to the opinions desires & interests of others.
A ‘worldly’ concern is involved in marriage, in that each one’s loyalty to the Lord is spread thinner to a degree, as their commitment is also & secondarily to their spouse. Nevertheless one’s loyalty can also be strengthened & expanded thru marriage!:
**1Cor. 7:29-31—“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, & those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.”
**Col. 3:18-19—“Wives, submit[upotassw] to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love[agapaw] your wives & do not be bitter toward them.” (CONT...)2—Foundational family integrity is found in...
A HUSBAND’s submission(:25-33)
Illustration:
Speaking Parts
"Mom & Dad, guess what?" called the high school senior as he rushed into the house.
"I got a part in the senior class play! They chose me to play a man who's been married twenty-five years!"
"That's great, son!" exclaimed his father.
"And if you do your best & keep up the good work, before you know it they'll give you a speaking part."
Application:
?Is Foundational family integrity found in Your Submission as a HUSBAND?
?Does your Submission encourage Christ-honoring family integrity?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Suing the railroad over a missing cow—Lawyer’s & Farmer’s lies.
Action:
Foundational(Christ-honoring) family integrity is found in...
2. A HUSBAND’s submission(5:25-33)
1(parts a&b). A WIFE’s submission(5:22-25, 33)
Pt. 2 only! Presented 02/28/2016am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-4 Presented 06/17/07Father’s Day to:
Lyerly Evangelical Church
1320 Crescent Rd.
Salisbury, NC 28146
