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
