Theme: Submission in Family
Text: Ephesians 05:22-33
Greetings: The Lord is good, and His love endures forever!!
Introduction: The month of June is called Family month. A family unit always starts with a husband and wife because God created a male and female in the beginning and put them into a garden and called them family.
Ephesians epistle played a most powerful place in the lives of many saints. The great French Reformer John Calvin said that Ephesians was his favourite letter. The great Scottish Reformer John Knox had his wife read him Calvin’s sermons on Ephesians while he lay on his deathbed. The great British Preacher Martyn Lloyd Jones, said, “There is nothing more sublime in the whole range of Scripture than this Epistle to the Ephesians.”
Ephesians chapters 1-3 are about what God has done to save his people and create a new society, made up of Jews and Gentiles. Chapters 4-6 are instructions for how the church should live in Christ with loving authority and humble submission (4:1, 17, 5:2, 8, 15). Submission is evidence of being filled with the Spirit (5:18, 21). Ephesians 5:22-6:9 talks our submission to the Lord and our submission to one another are same. Paul is going to show us what does it means submission looks like in the various roles and relationships we have.
Ephesians 5:22–33 talks about an ideal and godly relationship between a husband and a wife. The profound mystery of marriage relates to Christ and the church. Our common and ordinary marriages can display a radical witness to the world of Christ’s redeeming love. Metaphorically, Jesus is the “head” and the Church is the “body” (Ephesians 5:23, 30). The real identity of the Husbands and Wives in marriages are explained in a lovely way. Paul presents the relationship between Jesus and the Church as a model or example for marriage.
In good marriages, the husband and the wife are united. Unity is a result of love and sacrifice of a Husband and an obedience of a wife. Here Paul singles out the Husbands and wives and gives instructions concerning certain attitudes and behaviors.
ROLE OF A WIFE (5:22-24)
Walk worthy of calling
Submit to your own Husband
Be a virtuous woman
Walk worthy of calling: Walk worthy of your calling as a wife is the first sentence Paul begins with the family life. The role of a wife is a calling. We have good examples of wives such as, Sarah wife of Abraham, Zipporah wife of Moses. We have bad examples of Rachel wife of Jacob, Jezebel wife of Ahab. It’s a godly role but some girls are afraid of such a role.
Submit to your own Husband: Submission has become such an ugly word in our society today. Submission seems to conjure in our minds today to the picture of being dominated and oppressed. Jesus submitted his will to the Father, and He yielded to the interests of the Father. Here, Paul says that Wives are choosing to submit as a voluntary act to comply with the leadership of a husband. Women do not have to submit to men in general, but only to their “own Husbands”. This principle is applied specifically within marriage. This is not for social or employment contexts, or with respect to another woman's husband. Of course, an important observation is that if a woman is going to put herself in subjection to a man, that man must be trustworthy as Christ is trustworthy. Women will desire to submit to such a husband’s will. This is why the marriage decision is so important and must not be entered into lightly. In marriage women are making a covenant to yield to husband’s leadership.
Be a virtuous woman: The title of a “virtuous wife” is found in a woman who had lived a life of a virgin, life of a successful businesswoman, shrewd and wise woman, her beauty is the expression of her character (Proverbs 33:10-31) was no mindless creature without her own authority and responsibility. So, Paul expects that a wife should be a virtuous, honorable and noble in character.
ROLE OF A HUSBAND (5:25-29)
Walk worthy of calling
Love as Christ Loved
Give completely to Wife or Sacrifice
Walk worthy of calling: Walk worthy of your calling as a Husband is the Paul’s advice to the Husbands. It’s a calling for a higher responsibility in the family. The calling of a husband is not rule, not to dominate but to love his wife. Wife is the body of a Husband (Ephesians 5:28–29). His duty is also to his wife, to his family, and to his household. Instinctively, a man "nourishes and cherishes" his body. Similarly, the husband should have an instinctive desire to nourish and cherish his wife. The standard of a scale is Christ, not some human relationship which is prone to failure.
Love as Christ Loved: Husbands are to love as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Love does not simply have a warm feeling toward her for a sexual pleasure. It does not refer to the reels, photoshoots, WhatsApp Status, Instagram shorts, etc., it is deeper than all these shallow fallacies or low misconceptions. Paul uses the word “love” 6 times when speaking to husbands in Ephesians 5. (5:25 X2, 28 X3, 33 X1). The basis is the husband’s loving selflessness. He must make every necessary sacrifice for his wife’s wellbeing.
Give completely to Wife or Sacrifice: Christ gave himself completely. Paul expressed that Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). He emptied the equality for the sake of the Church. No reservations, no compromises in life. He gave up his interests, desires, and will for the church. From Adam’s body, by a sacrifice, Eve’s body was made, and they became one flesh. He will put her interests ahead of his own interest, cherishing her and caring for her ahead of himself. He cannot put his own personal interests first.
THE BEAUTIFUL ONENESS (5:30-33)
Both wives and husbands have to act properly and walk worthy of their calling in their marriages. By joining in marriage, a man and his bride become one flesh in the likeness of Adam and Eve. Paul's intent in this section is to help husbands and wives realize they share a similar "bodily" relationship with one another. They are not two individuals living under one roof but now they are one unit or "one flesh" (Ephesians 5:31). This includes the idea of continual learning and growth. Marriage is intended as a lifelong relationship (Matthew 19:5–6; Mark 10:8), except the legitimate reasons for divorce. Paul also quotes Genesis 2:24 in 1 Corinthians 6:16, emphasizing purity in Christian sexuality.
Mutual Submission and Respect: The directions are not, “Wives, submit” and “Husbands, rule. ” Both husband and wives are expected to love and nurture one another, also be submissive and respectful towards one another (Ephesians 5:21). Ephesians 5:21 tells us that we are to yield our will and our desires to one another. There is an expectation of mutual care, selflessness, and spirituality of married couples. That is a glorious display of godliness and love. There is no vulnerable position and not inferior but out of love and respect. Husbands will yield their will and desires to the will of their wives. Both are giving themselves to each other. Marriage is regarded as the perfect union of body, mind and spirit between a man and a woman. In doing this, the marriage is godly and beautiful.
Conclusion:
God bless your family, Amen.
