September 5, 2024 • 27 mins
How can understanding the sacrificial love of Jesus transform your marriage? This episode of the Takeaway promises to uncover the profound spiritual truths behind Ephesians 5:22-32, exploring how a wife's submission and a husband's sacrificial love are intertwined acts of devotion to God. We unravel common misconceptions by referencing Genesis 2:21-23, affirming that women are created as helpers, not inferiors, and emphasize the importance of husbands cherishing their wives. Through a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Titus 2:3-5, we paint a picture of marriage as a harmonious partnership that glorifies God and transforms lives.
Next, we reflect on how Christ's sacrificial love serves as the ultimate blueprint for marital relationships. Drawing from Revelation 9:13-14 and Ephesians 5:29-30, we highlight the critical role of unity within marriage and the church. We also discuss the tangible benefits of a single-income household and the spiritual growth that comes from prioritizing God. Understanding divine truths can be challenging due to the impact of sin, but this episode provides practical advice on confession and reliance on God's guidance to live out these biblical principles effectively.
We conclude by examining divine election through Ephesians 1:15-23, focusing on God's sovereignty in enlightening our hearts and minds. By exploring Paul's writings and the role of the Holy Spirit, we reveal how scripture guides us to foster loving, Christ-centered relationships. The episode wraps up with a heartfelt prayer for faithfulness and an exploration of the parent-child relationship as a mirror of God's love. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of how to cultivate divine love and unity in your family life, and don't forget to share your thoughts and questions with us to enrich our ongoing conversation.
Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens, and in today's episode
we're going to be coveringEphesians 5, verses 22-32, the
marriage relationship.
Before we begin, I want toinvite you to share any
questions or feedback you mayhave by using the Text Us link
in the episode description, asyour input is invaluable in
shaping future episodes episodeshere at the Takeaway.
(00:25):
We are committed to creatingcontent that supports your
spiritual growth, and we canonly do that with your feedback,
so please let us know yourthoughts, as we would love to
hear from you.
So, as we saw in our recentepisodes, we discussed how to
imitate Christ as we navigatethis world, first, by separating
ourselves from living as thosewho chase after the passions of
the flesh, and second, we are tobe fruitful in our walk by
shining our light into thedarkness made only possible by a
(00:47):
life transformed by the HolySpirit living in us.
As we have seen throughoutPaul's letter, we have learned
how to discern whether or not weare maturing in the faith or if
we are just a wolf in sheep'sclothing.
So now, as we move into thenext section, we're going to
learn how to imitate Christ asdisplayed within the marriage
relationship.
God has ordained the marriageto reflect his relationship with
(01:09):
us and the church.
The way we act and treat eachother is a huge indicator of a
transformed life, or one thatisn't.
If we are truly made new inChrist, we will have healthy,
functional and enjoyablerelationships that reflect
Christ's love in them.
Jesus gave us the best exampleof that by showing us that his
relationship with the Father washis primary concern, and
(01:30):
everything he did and saidflowed out of that.
He surrendered humbly to theFather, not as one who was less
than, but as one who was lovedmore than anyone or anything
else.
He knew the Father loved himperfectly and that by submitting
to his will, the Father wouldonly do what was best for him.
The marriage relationship isthe first one we come to that is
(01:53):
meant to reflect this truth inus.
When a wife submits to herhusband and her husband
sacrifices for her, they bothsubmit to the Father and glorify
Him as they model the type oftrust and love that Jesus has
for the Father.
As we will see, surrender leadsto submission, which should
result from love, not fear.
(02:15):
The question is what do wesubmit to?
Well, john 14, verse 31.
But that the world may knowthat I love the Father and as
the Father gave me commandment,even so I do Arise, let us go.
Hence Jesus submitted to theFather, demonstrating his love
for him.
(02:35):
His submission serves as amodel for the husband-wife
relationship, providing anexample for believers, to
imitate Ephesians 5, verses 22to 24.
Wives submit to your ownhusbands as to the Lord, for the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church, his body, and ishimself its savior.
(02:58):
Now, as the church submits toChrist, so also wives should
submit in everything to theirhusbands.
In verse 21 from our lastepisode, we saw that we are to
submit to one another out ofreverence for Christ, and now
Paul is giving us an example ofthat here in the marriage
relationship.
(03:18):
You might be wondering why it ismentioned that wives should
submit to their husbands and notthe other way around.
Well, it's because Paul isreferencing the creation story,
emphasizing that women or womanwas made out of man.
Genesis, chapter 2, verses 21to 23.
So the Lord God calls a deepsleep to fall upon the man and,
(03:39):
while he slept, took one of hisribs and closed up its place
with flesh and the rib that theLord God had taken from the man
he made into a woman and broughther to the man.
Then the man said this at lastis bone of my bones and flesh of
my flesh.
She shall be called womanbecause she was taken out of man
(04:00):
.
The woman was created to be ahelper to Adam, not a slave or a
servant.
Many people get this wrong, aswe see all over the world that
women are treated as lesser thanmen, and that shouldn't be the
case.
In no way are they a lesservessel meant only for man's
pleasure and satisfaction, as ifintended to cater to all his
(04:23):
needs.
They are to be seen astreasures and gifts from God to
help us accomplish what he hasplanned.
It is a team effort and weshould work together to
accomplish God's will for ourlives.
That's why Genesis 2.20 saysbut for Adam there was not found
a helper fit for him.
Even though Adam was created inthe image of God to reflect his
(04:46):
glory and take part in it,something was missing.
Giving Adam a helper showedthat he wasn't complete and that
the husband and wife workingtogether reflected more of who
God was than Adam on his own.
Wives are to be treasured asthey represent the son's
submission to the father and thechurch's submission to Jesus.
(05:07):
Their role is humbling and noteasy in any way, shape or form,
because husbands tend to make ithard.
So many men, so many, takeadvantage of the woman's desire
to help their husband wheninstead we should cherish them
and realize we are incompletewithout them.
Song of Solomon, chapter 7,verse 10.
(05:30):
I am my beloved's and hisdesire is for me.
1 Corinthians 11, 3.
But I want you to understandthat the head of every man is
Christ, the head of a wife isher husband, and the head of
Christ is God.
Ephesians 1, 22-23,.
And he put all things under hisfeet and gave him as head over
all things to the church, whichis his body, the fullness of him
(05:52):
who fills all in all.
Titus 2, 3-5,.
Older women likewise are to bereverent in behavior, not
slanderers or slaves to muchwine.
They are to teach what is good,and so train the young woman to
love their husbands andchildren, to be self-controlled,
pure, working at home, kind andsubmissive to their husbands.
(06:12):
That the word of God may not bereviled.
A wife is a wonderful exampleof submission and can help her
husband gain insight into hisrelationship with the Lord.
Her daily demonstration ofsubmission to us teaches how to
submit to the Lord.
Men can sometimes struggle withpride, and our wives serve as a
(06:34):
powerful example of submission,reminding us that we also need
to submit to Christ.
Ephesians 4, verses 15-16.
Rather, speaking the truth inlove, we are to grow up in every
way into Him, who is the head,into Christ, from whom the whole
body, joined and held togetherby every joint with which it is
(06:55):
equipped, when each part isworking properly, makes the body
grow so that it builds itselfup in love.
So that it builds itself up inlove.
The relationship betweenhusband and wife, when united as
one, has the power to glorifyGod and receive his blessings.
Likewise, unity within thechurch is not optional.
It is essential.
(07:16):
When the church acts as acollective engaging in giving,
serving, fellowship and prayer,it glorifies God in unison.
Ephesians 5, verse 25-28.
Husbands, love your wives, asChrist loved the church and gave
himself up for her, that hemight sanctify her, having
(07:37):
cleansed her by the washing ofwater with the word, so that he
might present the church tohimself in splendor, without
spot or wrinkle or any suchthing, that she might be holy
and without blemish.
In the same way, husbandsshould love their wives as their
own bodies.
He who loves his wife loveshimself.
(07:57):
Husbands are expected todemonstrate sacrificial love
towards their wives.
This type of love necessitatesthe husband's willingness to
make selfless and unquestioningsacrifices for the well-being of
his spouse.
Wives, on the other hand, areexpected to exhibit a submissive
form of love within therelationship.
(08:17):
These dynamics serve as aprimary example within the
marital partnership.
John MacArthur said a Christianhusband should not be able to
bear the thought of anythingsinful in the life of his wife
that displeases God.
His greatest desire for hershould be that she perfectly
conforms to Christ, so he leadsher to purity.
(08:41):
The example of love set by Jesusis a lofty one that can only be
achieved with the assistance ofthe Holy Spirit.
This requires us to firstsurrender ourselves to God so
that we may imitate the love ofChrist, who selflessly loves us.
(09:01):
This is the standard of life towhich we are called.
Before we can live in this way,we need to acknowledge what
Christ has done for us and whowe are in relation to him.
Romans, chapter 5, verse 8,.
But God shows his love for usin that while we were still
sinners.
But God shows his love for usin that while we were still
sinners, christ died for us.
John 3.16,.
For God so loved the world thathe gave his only son that
whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life
(09:23):
.
1 John 3.16,.
By this we know love, that helaid down his life for us and we
ought to lay down our lives forthe brothers.
Galatians 2.20,.
I have been crucified withChrist.
Is no longer I who live, butChrist who lives in me and the
life I now live in the flesh.
I live by faith in the Son ofGod who loved me and gave
(09:45):
himself for me.
Ephesians 5.2,.
And walk in love, as Christloved us and gave himself up for
us, a fragrant offering andsacrifice to God.
It is so important for thehusband to take on the
challenges and responsibilitiesof spiritual warfare so that the
(10:08):
wife can thrive in a safeenvironment.
This doesn't imply that thewife is confined to the home.
Rather, it symbolizesprotecting her from spiritual
harm.
In times of spiritual attack,the husband stands as a shield
for his wife, while she upliftsand equips him to overcome the
adversary.
It's about tackling challengesas a united front rather than
(10:29):
facing them alone, just like ina physical threat.
The husband's role is tobravely confront the danger
while the wife seeks assistanceto ensure their safety.
The man is tasked withutilizing his strength to defend
his wife under allcircumstances, and the wife is
dedicated to supporting him inachieving this objective.
(10:51):
That is what Jesus did when helaid down his life freely.
On one hand, he was submittingto the Father's plan to redeem
the world and, on the other hand, sacrificing himself for his
bride, the church.
See a picture of this inRevelation 9, verses 13-14.
He is dressed in a robe dippedin blood and his name is the
(11:12):
word of God.
The armies of heaven werefollowing him, riding on white
horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
His robe was dipped in bloodfrom the winepress of God's
wrath.
He was the one who did thedirty work, as the husband of
the church, and the church wasseen following him clothed in
(11:34):
fine linen, white and clean.
That is a beautiful picture ofwhat a sacrificial love looks
like.
Wives, make sure you see this.
Your husband will not alwaysgive you what you think you want
, like sitting down and having apleasant conversation, bringing
flowers home, complimenting youwhen you get your hair cut, and
so on.
(11:54):
It's not that those thingsaren't good and men should do
that.
But a godly man is or at leastshould be out in the world
working hard to provide for hisfamily, sacrificing his needs
and wants for his wife andchildren.
That is how God designed it tobe, and if your husband is doing
(12:16):
that, it would only be rightfor you to help him by cooking
dinner and cleaning to make itpossible for him to rest when he
comes home so that he can goand do it all over again
tomorrow.
Now, I know this isn't the waymost families operate anymore.
Usually, both spouses areworking and the kids are in
daycare.
(12:36):
However, just because you mustdo that, for whatever reason,
doesn't mean that's how Goddesigned it.
My wife left the workforcedecades ago to stay home with
the children and care for thehouse.
We lost half our yearly incomeand I had to work twice as hard
for half as much.
Half our yearly income, and Ihad to work twice as hard for
half as much.
But what we lost in finances wegained in unity, love and
(12:57):
respect for each other, not tomention the benefits for the
children of having mom who wasable to be there for them in
every way possible.
I believe this is why Godshowed favor to us by giving us
two very bright, god-fearingyoung men as sons.
As we decided to put God firstin our relationship and do it
His way, we found that heblessed us in unimaginable ways.
(13:18):
So many families work multiplejobs to gain material things
like large homes, fancy cars andto pay for all the sports
activities the kids do.
These are people who value thethings of this world and not the
eternal promises of God.
Our people who value the thingsof this world and not the
eternal promises of God.
Our primary desire should be tosee our spouses and children
(13:39):
saved and devoted to living forGod as real life is found there.
Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 29to 30.
For no one ever hated his ownflesh but nourishes and
cherishes it just as Christ doesthe church, because we are
members of his body.
Just as we care for ourselves,we are to care for our wives.
(14:00):
We are to nourish and cherishher in such a way as to make her
pure before God.
We are the living example ofGod's purification process for
us.
Christ gives us all that weneed for holy living, and we are
to make it possible for ourwives to do the same.
2 Peter 1, verses 3 to 4.
(14:21):
His divine power has granted tous all things that pertain to
life and godliness, through theknowledge of him, who called us
to his own glory and excellence,by which he has granted to us
his precious and very greatpromises so that through them
you may become partakers of thedivine nature, having escaped
from the corruption that is inthe world because of sinful
(14:42):
desire.
Do we do that for each other,as God has done for us, or do we
use all he has given us forself-satisfaction and the life
we want?
As we finish this chapter, paulwill try his best to explain
why this is so hard tounderstand.
He realizes something about theheart.
(15:04):
We are dull and blind and needour eyes opened, like he did, to
see the truth.
The mystery of God's word canonly be revealed if we have the
veil removed from the eyes ofour heart that was placed there
because of our sin.
Even now, as believers, the sinof the flesh blinds us and
dulls our minds.
We cannot see unless we submitto God and confess our sins to
(15:47):
him.
1 John 1, verses 5-10.
He is in the light.
We have fellowship with oneanother, and the blood of Jesus,
his Son cleanses us from allsin.
If we say we have no sin, wedeceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us If we confess oursins.
He is faithful and just toforgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from allunrighteousness.
(16:08):
If we say we have not sinned,we make him a liar and his word
is not in us.
2 Corinthians 4, verses 3-6.
And even if our gospel isveiled, it is veiled to those
who are perishing In their case.
The God of this world hasblinded the minds of the
(16:29):
unbelievers to keep them fromseeing the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who isthe image of God.
For what we proclaim is notourselves, but Jesus Christ as
Lord, with ourselves as yourservants for Jesus' sake.
For God who said let lightshine out of darkness, has shown
in our hearts to give the lightof the knowledge of the glory
(16:51):
of God in the face of JesusChrist.
Hearts to give the light of theknowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Paul emphasizes the incrediblesignificance of finding all
truth in God and emphasizes theimportance of having our eyes
open to perceive it.
He stresses that only throughhim can we truly comprehend the
truth in his word and theparallels between his decrees,
(17:12):
such as marriage and the conceptof unity.
Living in unity, both withinmarriage and within the church,
is fundamental to understandingthe profound mystery of this
truth.
John, chapter 10, verse 30,.
I and the Father are one.
John 14, 9,.
Jesus said to him have I beenwith you so long and you still
do not know me, philip?
(17:33):
Whoever has seen me has seenthe Father.
How can you say show us theFather?
Ephesians 5, verse 31.
This is from Genesis, 2, verse23.
(17:54):
Then the man said.
Matthew Henry states that thewoman was made of a rib out of
the side of Adam, not made outof his head to rule over him,
nor out of his feet to betrampled upon by him, but out of
(18:16):
his side to be equal, with him,under his arm to be protected
and near his heart to be beloved.
Ephesians 5, verse 32.
This mystery is profound and Iam saying that it refers to
Christ and the church.
However, let each one of youlove his wife as himself and let
(18:37):
the wife see that she respectsher husband.
1 Corinthians, 2, verse 7.
But we impart a secret andhidden wisdom of God, which God
decreed before the ages for ourglory.
The word mystery hereidentifies some hidden reality
from the past that is now madeknown to us in the New Testament
(18:57):
.
The marriage has alwaysreflected God's love for us.
That mystery is now made known.
From the beginning, god hasrevealed his glory.
However, we need our eyesopened to see it.
2 Corinthians 3, verses 12 to 18.
Since we have such a hope, weare very bold.
Not like Moses, who put a veilover his face so that the
(19:21):
Israelites might not gaze at theoutcome of what was being
brought to an end, but theirminds were hardened, for to this
day, when they read the oldcovenant, that same veil remains
unlifted, because only throughChrist is it taken away.
Yes, to this day, wheneverMoses is read, a veil lies over
(19:42):
their hearts, but when one turnsto the Lord, the veil is
removed.
Now, the Lord is the Spirit,and where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is freedom, and weall, with unveiled face
beholding the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the
same image from one degree ofglory to another, for this comes
(20:02):
from the Lord, who is theSpirit.
Paul is attempting his best toremove the veil from people's
eyes by comparing the love thatGod has for us, to the marriage
relationship which all culturesand people should understand.
Even with Paul's best attempts,this veil can't be removed
unless God decrees it to beremoved.
(20:24):
Matthew, chapter 13, verses 10to 16.
Then the disciples came andsaid to him why do you speak to
them in parables?
And he answered them to you, ithas been given to know the
secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been
given.
For to the one who has morewill be given and he will have
(20:44):
an abundance, but from the onewho has not, even what he has
will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them inparables, because seeing they do
not see, and hearing they donot hear, nor do they understand
.
Indeed, in their case, theprophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled.
That says you will indeed hearbut never understand.
And you will indeed see butnever perceive.
(21:05):
That says you will indeed hearbut never understand.
And you will indeed see butnever perceive.
For this people's heart hasgrown dull and with their ears
they can barely hear, and withtheir eyes they have closed.
Lest they should see with theireyes and hear with their ears
and understand with their heartand turn, and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes forthey see and your ears for they
hear.
For truly, I say to you, manyprophets and righteous people
(21:29):
longed to see what you see anddid not see it, and to hear what
you hear and did not hear it.
Jesus clarifies that it hadonly been given to some to
understand and see the truth.
That is, to fulfill God's word,meaning that he keeps the truth
from some and gives it toothers.
I was always baffled by thisscripture until I saw it through
(21:51):
the lens of election.
I always skirted over it from afree will perspective because I
couldn't explain this in anyway that made sense.
But, as we have seen, throughthis letter, paul has made it
abundantly clear that God makesthe choice and that he alone
removes the veils from thehearts of men so that they can
know the truth.
(22:11):
So that brings us all the wayback to Ephesians, chapter 1,
where Paul started off thisepistle by praying for all who
would read it that their eyeswould be open to the truth.
Since then, paul has made everyattempt to illuminate the truth
of who God is and what he hasdone so that we would obey the
Father's will.
Ephesians 1, verses 15-23.
(22:33):
For this reason, because I haveheard of your faith in the Lord
Jesus and your love towards allthe saints, I do not cease to
give thanks for you, rememberingyou in my prayers, remembering
you in my prayers.
That the God of our Lord, jesusChrist, the Father of glory,
may give you the spirit ofwisdom and of revelation in the
knowledge of him, having theeyes of your hearts enlightened
(23:00):
that you may know what is thehope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of theglorious inheritance in the
saints and what is theimmeasurable greatness of his
power towards us who believe,according to the working of a
great might, that he worked inchrist when he raised him from
the dead and seated him at theright hand in the heavenly
places, far above all rule andauthority and power and dominion
, and above every name that isnamed, not only in this age but
(23:21):
also in the one to come.
And he put all things under hisfeet and gave him as head over
all things to the church, whichis his body, the fullness of him
who fills all in all.
Are you seeing what Pauldesires for you to see?
Have the eyes of your heartbeen opened?
Do you understand?
These words are not aboutworldly relationships, but about
(23:45):
Jesus and his bride.
Do you understand your part inthis relationship?
If not, ask God to teach youand reveal the truth to you.
John, chapter 16, verse 12 to 14.
I still have many things to sayto you, but you cannot bear
them now.
When the spirit of truth comes,he will guide you into all the
(24:06):
truth, for he will not speak onhis own authority, but whatever
he hears, he will speak and hewill declare to you the things
that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he willtake what is mine and declare
it to you.
1 Corinthians 2, 9-16.
But as it is written, what noeye has seen or ear heard, nor
(24:27):
the heart of man imagined.
What God has prepared for thosewho love him.
These things God has revealedto us through the Spirit, for
the Spirit searches everythingin the depths of God, for who
knows a person's thoughts exceptthe Spirit of that person which
is in him?
So also, no one comprehends thethoughts of God except the
(24:49):
spirit of God.
Now we have received not thespirit of the world, but the
spirit who is from God, that wemight understand the things
freely given us by God, and weimpart this in words not taught
by human wisdom, but taught bythe Spirit, interpreting
spiritual truths to those whoare spiritual.
(25:09):
The natural person does notaccept the things of the Spirit
of God for they are folly to himand he is not able to
understand them because they arespiritually discerned.
The spiritual person judges allthings but is himself to be
judged by no one.
For who has understood the mindof the Lord so as to instruct
(25:31):
him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
When you have spiritual eyes,you will see that not only does
Scripture point to Christ, butthat all of creation and things
ordained by God, like marriage,do as well.
Let's pray Father, thank you forthe gift of marriage and the
(25:52):
work you do to reveal yourselfin and through it.
I ask that you would help us tobe faithful in our
relationships, to reflect yourglory by imitating Jesus, our
Lord and Savior.
I know we live in a world thathates this message and doesn't
want anything to do with thistype of sacrificial or
submissive love, because itrequires them to give up their
(26:14):
desires for yours.
My prayer is that you wouldsoften the hearts of people
struggling with this so thatthey may receive the full joy of
the Lord.
That is far better thananything we could ever strive
for in this life.
Father, we love you and wethank you In Jesus' name, amen.
I want to thank you for joiningus today, and I hope this
(26:36):
message helped you take a stepcloser in your relationship with
Jesus and that you have abetter understanding of just how
much God loves you and wantsyou to know him.
In our upcoming episode, we'regoing gonna look at the
parent-child relationship as yetanother example of imitating
God and reflecting his gloryinto this world.
It is yet another way in whichwe experience his love for us,
(26:57):
as we are able to relate to itthrough the love we have for our
children and the respect wehave for our parents.
Now, before we go, I wannaencourage you to send us a text
message from the link providedin the description of this
episode.
We would love to hear from youAny questions or feedback you
may have from today's show, asit helps us produce future
(27:17):
episodes that are beneficial toyou.
In addition, please feel freeto use this podcast as a
resource to help others andshine a light into the darkness.
God bless, and we'll see younext time on the Takeaway.
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens, and in today's episode
we're going to be coveringEphesians 5, verses 22-32, the
marriage relationship.
Before we begin, I want toinvite you to share any
questions or feedback you mayhave by using the Text Us link
in the episode description, asyour input is invaluable in
shaping future episodes episodeshere at the Takeaway.
(00:25):
We are committed to creatingcontent that supports your
spiritual growth, and we canonly do that with your feedback,
so please let us know yourthoughts, as we would love to
hear from you.
So, as we saw in our recentepisodes, we discussed how to
imitate Christ as we navigatethis world, first, by separating
ourselves from living as thosewho chase after the passions of
the flesh, and second, we are tobe fruitful in our walk by
shining our light into thedarkness made only possible by a
(00:47):
life transformed by the HolySpirit living in us.
As we have seen throughoutPaul's letter, we have learned
how to discern whether or not weare maturing in the faith or if
we are just a wolf in sheep'sclothing.
So now, as we move into thenext section, we're going to
learn how to imitate Christ asdisplayed within the marriage
relationship.
God has ordained the marriageto reflect his relationship with
(01:09):
us and the church.
The way we act and treat eachother is a huge indicator of a
transformed life, or one thatisn't.
If we are truly made new inChrist, we will have healthy,
functional and enjoyablerelationships that reflect
Christ's love in them.
Jesus gave us the best exampleof that by showing us that his
relationship with the Father washis primary concern, and
(01:30):
everything he did and saidflowed out of that.
He surrendered humbly to theFather, not as one who was less
than, but as one who was lovedmore than anyone or anything
else.
He knew the Father loved himperfectly and that by submitting
to his will, the Father wouldonly do what was best for him.
The marriage relationship isthe first one we come to that is
(01:53):
meant to reflect this truth inus.
When a wife submits to herhusband and her husband
sacrifices for her, they bothsubmit to the Father and glorify
Him as they model the type oftrust and love that Jesus has
for the Father.
As we will see, surrender leadsto submission, which should
result from love, not fear.
(02:15):
The question is what do wesubmit to?
Well, john 14, verse 31.
But that the world may knowthat I love the Father and as
the Father gave me commandment,even so I do Arise, let us go.
Hence Jesus submitted to theFather, demonstrating his love
for him.
(02:35):
His submission serves as amodel for the husband-wife
relationship, providing anexample for believers, to
imitate Ephesians 5, verses 22to 24.
Wives submit to your ownhusbands as to the Lord, for the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church, his body, and ishimself its savior.
(02:58):
Now, as the church submits toChrist, so also wives should
submit in everything to theirhusbands.
In verse 21 from our lastepisode, we saw that we are to
submit to one another out ofreverence for Christ, and now
Paul is giving us an example ofthat here in the marriage
relationship.
(03:18):
You might be wondering why it ismentioned that wives should
submit to their husbands and notthe other way around.
Well, it's because Paul isreferencing the creation story,
emphasizing that women or womanwas made out of man.
Genesis, chapter 2, verses 21to 23.
So the Lord God calls a deepsleep to fall upon the man and,
(03:39):
while he slept, took one of hisribs and closed up its place
with flesh and the rib that theLord God had taken from the man
he made into a woman and broughther to the man.
Then the man said this at lastis bone of my bones and flesh of
my flesh.
She shall be called womanbecause she was taken out of man
(04:00):
.
The woman was created to be ahelper to Adam, not a slave or a
servant.
Many people get this wrong, aswe see all over the world that
women are treated as lesser thanmen, and that shouldn't be the
case.
In no way are they a lesservessel meant only for man's
pleasure and satisfaction, as ifintended to cater to all his
(04:23):
needs.
They are to be seen astreasures and gifts from God to
help us accomplish what he hasplanned.
It is a team effort and weshould work together to
accomplish God's will for ourlives.
That's why Genesis 2.20 saysbut for Adam there was not found
a helper fit for him.
Even though Adam was created inthe image of God to reflect his
(04:46):
glory and take part in it,something was missing.
Giving Adam a helper showedthat he wasn't complete and that
the husband and wife workingtogether reflected more of who
God was than Adam on his own.
Wives are to be treasured asthey represent the son's
submission to the father and thechurch's submission to Jesus.
(05:07):
Their role is humbling and noteasy in any way, shape or form,
because husbands tend to make ithard.
So many men, so many, takeadvantage of the woman's desire
to help their husband wheninstead we should cherish them
and realize we are incompletewithout them.
Song of Solomon, chapter 7,verse 10.
(05:30):
I am my beloved's and hisdesire is for me.
1 Corinthians 11, 3.
But I want you to understandthat the head of every man is
Christ, the head of a wife isher husband, and the head of
Christ is God.
Ephesians 1, 22-23,.
And he put all things under hisfeet and gave him as head over
all things to the church, whichis his body, the fullness of him
(05:52):
who fills all in all.
Titus 2, 3-5,.
Older women likewise are to bereverent in behavior, not
slanderers or slaves to muchwine.
They are to teach what is good,and so train the young woman to
love their husbands andchildren, to be self-controlled,
pure, working at home, kind andsubmissive to their husbands.
(06:12):
That the word of God may not bereviled.
A wife is a wonderful exampleof submission and can help her
husband gain insight into hisrelationship with the Lord.
Her daily demonstration ofsubmission to us teaches how to
submit to the Lord.
Men can sometimes struggle withpride, and our wives serve as a
(06:34):
powerful example of submission,reminding us that we also need
to submit to Christ.
Ephesians 4, verses 15-16.
Rather, speaking the truth inlove, we are to grow up in every
way into Him, who is the head,into Christ, from whom the whole
body, joined and held togetherby every joint with which it is
(06:55):
equipped, when each part isworking properly, makes the body
grow so that it builds itselfup in love.
So that it builds itself up inlove.
The relationship betweenhusband and wife, when united as
one, has the power to glorifyGod and receive his blessings.
Likewise, unity within thechurch is not optional.
It is essential.
(07:16):
When the church acts as acollective engaging in giving,
serving, fellowship and prayer,it glorifies God in unison.
Ephesians 5, verse 25-28.
Husbands, love your wives, asChrist loved the church and gave
himself up for her, that hemight sanctify her, having
(07:37):
cleansed her by the washing ofwater with the word, so that he
might present the church tohimself in splendor, without
spot or wrinkle or any suchthing, that she might be holy
and without blemish.
In the same way, husbandsshould love their wives as their
own bodies.
He who loves his wife loveshimself.
(07:57):
Husbands are expected todemonstrate sacrificial love
towards their wives.
This type of love necessitatesthe husband's willingness to
make selfless and unquestioningsacrifices for the well-being of
his spouse.
Wives, on the other hand, areexpected to exhibit a submissive
form of love within therelationship.
(08:17):
These dynamics serve as aprimary example within the
marital partnership.
John MacArthur said a Christianhusband should not be able to
bear the thought of anythingsinful in the life of his wife
that displeases God.
His greatest desire for hershould be that she perfectly
conforms to Christ, so he leadsher to purity.
(08:41):
The example of love set by Jesusis a lofty one that can only be
achieved with the assistance ofthe Holy Spirit.
This requires us to firstsurrender ourselves to God so
that we may imitate the love ofChrist, who selflessly loves us.
(09:01):
This is the standard of life towhich we are called.
Before we can live in this way,we need to acknowledge what
Christ has done for us and whowe are in relation to him.
Romans, chapter 5, verse 8,.
But God shows his love for usin that while we were still
sinners.
But God shows his love for usin that while we were still
sinners, christ died for us.
John 3.16,.
For God so loved the world thathe gave his only son that
whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life
(09:23):
.
1 John 3.16,.
By this we know love, that helaid down his life for us and we
ought to lay down our lives forthe brothers.
Galatians 2.20,.
I have been crucified withChrist.
Is no longer I who live, butChrist who lives in me and the
life I now live in the flesh.
I live by faith in the Son ofGod who loved me and gave
(09:45):
himself for me.
Ephesians 5.2,.
And walk in love, as Christloved us and gave himself up for
us, a fragrant offering andsacrifice to God.
It is so important for thehusband to take on the
challenges and responsibilitiesof spiritual warfare so that the
(10:08):
wife can thrive in a safeenvironment.
This doesn't imply that thewife is confined to the home.
Rather, it symbolizesprotecting her from spiritual
harm.
In times of spiritual attack,the husband stands as a shield
for his wife, while she upliftsand equips him to overcome the
adversary.
It's about tackling challengesas a united front rather than
(10:29):
facing them alone, just like ina physical threat.
The husband's role is tobravely confront the danger
while the wife seeks assistanceto ensure their safety.
The man is tasked withutilizing his strength to defend
his wife under allcircumstances, and the wife is
dedicated to supporting him inachieving this objective.
(10:51):
That is what Jesus did when helaid down his life freely.
On one hand, he was submittingto the Father's plan to redeem
the world and, on the other hand, sacrificing himself for his
bride, the church.
See a picture of this inRevelation 9, verses 13-14.
He is dressed in a robe dippedin blood and his name is the
(11:12):
word of God.
The armies of heaven werefollowing him, riding on white
horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
His robe was dipped in bloodfrom the winepress of God's
wrath.
He was the one who did thedirty work, as the husband of
the church, and the church wasseen following him clothed in
(11:34):
fine linen, white and clean.
That is a beautiful picture ofwhat a sacrificial love looks
like.
Wives, make sure you see this.
Your husband will not alwaysgive you what you think you want
, like sitting down and having apleasant conversation, bringing
flowers home, complimenting youwhen you get your hair cut, and
so on.
(11:54):
It's not that those thingsaren't good and men should do
that.
But a godly man is or at leastshould be out in the world
working hard to provide for hisfamily, sacrificing his needs
and wants for his wife andchildren.
That is how God designed it tobe, and if your husband is doing
(12:16):
that, it would only be rightfor you to help him by cooking
dinner and cleaning to make itpossible for him to rest when he
comes home so that he can goand do it all over again
tomorrow.
Now, I know this isn't the waymost families operate anymore.
Usually, both spouses areworking and the kids are in
daycare.
(12:36):
However, just because you mustdo that, for whatever reason,
doesn't mean that's how Goddesigned it.
My wife left the workforcedecades ago to stay home with
the children and care for thehouse.
We lost half our yearly incomeand I had to work twice as hard
for half as much.
Half our yearly income, and Ihad to work twice as hard for
half as much.
But what we lost in finances wegained in unity, love and
(12:57):
respect for each other, not tomention the benefits for the
children of having mom who wasable to be there for them in
every way possible.
I believe this is why Godshowed favor to us by giving us
two very bright, god-fearingyoung men as sons.
As we decided to put God firstin our relationship and do it
His way, we found that heblessed us in unimaginable ways.
(13:18):
So many families work multiplejobs to gain material things
like large homes, fancy cars andto pay for all the sports
activities the kids do.
These are people who value thethings of this world and not the
eternal promises of God.
Our people who value the thingsof this world and not the
eternal promises of God.
Our primary desire should be tosee our spouses and children
(13:39):
saved and devoted to living forGod as real life is found there.
Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 29to 30.
For no one ever hated his ownflesh but nourishes and
cherishes it just as Christ doesthe church, because we are
members of his body.
Just as we care for ourselves,we are to care for our wives.
(14:00):
We are to nourish and cherishher in such a way as to make her
pure before God.
We are the living example ofGod's purification process for
us.
Christ gives us all that weneed for holy living, and we are
to make it possible for ourwives to do the same.
2 Peter 1, verses 3 to 4.
(14:21):
His divine power has granted tous all things that pertain to
life and godliness, through theknowledge of him, who called us
to his own glory and excellence,by which he has granted to us
his precious and very greatpromises so that through them
you may become partakers of thedivine nature, having escaped
from the corruption that is inthe world because of sinful
(14:42):
desire.
Do we do that for each other,as God has done for us, or do we
use all he has given us forself-satisfaction and the life
we want?
As we finish this chapter, paulwill try his best to explain
why this is so hard tounderstand.
He realizes something about theheart.
(15:04):
We are dull and blind and needour eyes opened, like he did, to
see the truth.
The mystery of God's word canonly be revealed if we have the
veil removed from the eyes ofour heart that was placed there
because of our sin.
Even now, as believers, the sinof the flesh blinds us and
dulls our minds.
We cannot see unless we submitto God and confess our sins to
(15:47):
him.
1 John 1, verses 5-10.
He is in the light.
We have fellowship with oneanother, and the blood of Jesus,
his Son cleanses us from allsin.
If we say we have no sin, wedeceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us If we confess oursins.
He is faithful and just toforgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from allunrighteousness.
(16:08):
If we say we have not sinned,we make him a liar and his word
is not in us.
2 Corinthians 4, verses 3-6.
And even if our gospel isveiled, it is veiled to those
who are perishing In their case.
The God of this world hasblinded the minds of the
(16:29):
unbelievers to keep them fromseeing the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who isthe image of God.
For what we proclaim is notourselves, but Jesus Christ as
Lord, with ourselves as yourservants for Jesus' sake.
For God who said let lightshine out of darkness, has shown
in our hearts to give the lightof the knowledge of the glory
(16:51):
of God in the face of JesusChrist.
Hearts to give the light of theknowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Paul emphasizes the incrediblesignificance of finding all
truth in God and emphasizes theimportance of having our eyes
open to perceive it.
He stresses that only throughhim can we truly comprehend the
truth in his word and theparallels between his decrees,
(17:12):
such as marriage and the conceptof unity.
Living in unity, both withinmarriage and within the church,
is fundamental to understandingthe profound mystery of this
truth.
John, chapter 10, verse 30,.
I and the Father are one.
John 14, 9,.
Jesus said to him have I beenwith you so long and you still
do not know me, philip?
(17:33):
Whoever has seen me has seenthe Father.
How can you say show us theFather?
Ephesians 5, verse 31.
This is from Genesis, 2, verse23.
(17:54):
Then the man said.
Matthew Henry states that thewoman was made of a rib out of
the side of Adam, not made outof his head to rule over him,
nor out of his feet to betrampled upon by him, but out of
(18:16):
his side to be equal, with him,under his arm to be protected
and near his heart to be beloved.
Ephesians 5, verse 32.
This mystery is profound and Iam saying that it refers to
Christ and the church.
However, let each one of youlove his wife as himself and let
(18:37):
the wife see that she respectsher husband.
1 Corinthians, 2, verse 7.
But we impart a secret andhidden wisdom of God, which God
decreed before the ages for ourglory.
The word mystery hereidentifies some hidden reality
from the past that is now madeknown to us in the New Testament
(18:57):
.
The marriage has alwaysreflected God's love for us.
That mystery is now made known.
From the beginning, god hasrevealed his glory.
However, we need our eyesopened to see it.
2 Corinthians 3, verses 12 to 18.
Since we have such a hope, weare very bold.
Not like Moses, who put a veilover his face so that the
(19:21):
Israelites might not gaze at theoutcome of what was being
brought to an end, but theirminds were hardened, for to this
day, when they read the oldcovenant, that same veil remains
unlifted, because only throughChrist is it taken away.
Yes, to this day, wheneverMoses is read, a veil lies over
(19:42):
their hearts, but when one turnsto the Lord, the veil is
removed.
Now, the Lord is the Spirit,and where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is freedom, and weall, with unveiled face
beholding the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the
same image from one degree ofglory to another, for this comes
(20:02):
from the Lord, who is theSpirit.
Paul is attempting his best toremove the veil from people's
eyes by comparing the love thatGod has for us, to the marriage
relationship which all culturesand people should understand.
Even with Paul's best attempts,this veil can't be removed
unless God decrees it to beremoved.
(20:24):
Matthew, chapter 13, verses 10to 16.
Then the disciples came andsaid to him why do you speak to
them in parables?
And he answered them to you, ithas been given to know the
secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been
given.
For to the one who has morewill be given and he will have
(20:44):
an abundance, but from the onewho has not, even what he has
will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them inparables, because seeing they do
not see, and hearing they donot hear, nor do they understand
.
Indeed, in their case, theprophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled.
That says you will indeed hearbut never understand.
And you will indeed see butnever perceive.
(21:05):
That says you will indeed hearbut never understand.
And you will indeed see butnever perceive.
For this people's heart hasgrown dull and with their ears
they can barely hear, and withtheir eyes they have closed.
Lest they should see with theireyes and hear with their ears
and understand with their heartand turn, and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes forthey see and your ears for they
hear.
For truly, I say to you, manyprophets and righteous people
(21:29):
longed to see what you see anddid not see it, and to hear what
you hear and did not hear it.
Jesus clarifies that it hadonly been given to some to
understand and see the truth.
That is, to fulfill God's word,meaning that he keeps the truth
from some and gives it toothers.
I was always baffled by thisscripture until I saw it through
(21:51):
the lens of election.
I always skirted over it from afree will perspective because I
couldn't explain this in anyway that made sense.
But, as we have seen, throughthis letter, paul has made it
abundantly clear that God makesthe choice and that he alone
removes the veils from thehearts of men so that they can
know the truth.
(22:11):
So that brings us all the wayback to Ephesians, chapter 1,
where Paul started off thisepistle by praying for all who
would read it that their eyeswould be open to the truth.
Since then, paul has made everyattempt to illuminate the truth
of who God is and what he hasdone so that we would obey the
Father's will.
Ephesians 1, verses 15-23.
(22:33):
For this reason, because I haveheard of your faith in the Lord
Jesus and your love towards allthe saints, I do not cease to
give thanks for you, rememberingyou in my prayers, remembering
you in my prayers.
That the God of our Lord, jesusChrist, the Father of glory,
may give you the spirit ofwisdom and of revelation in the
knowledge of him, having theeyes of your hearts enlightened
(23:00):
that you may know what is thehope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of theglorious inheritance in the
saints and what is theimmeasurable greatness of his
power towards us who believe,according to the working of a
great might, that he worked inchrist when he raised him from
the dead and seated him at theright hand in the heavenly
places, far above all rule andauthority and power and dominion
, and above every name that isnamed, not only in this age but
(23:21):
also in the one to come.
And he put all things under hisfeet and gave him as head over
all things to the church, whichis his body, the fullness of him
who fills all in all.
Are you seeing what Pauldesires for you to see?
Have the eyes of your heartbeen opened?
Do you understand?
These words are not aboutworldly relationships, but about
(23:45):
Jesus and his bride.
Do you understand your part inthis relationship?
If not, ask God to teach youand reveal the truth to you.
John, chapter 16, verse 12 to 14.
I still have many things to sayto you, but you cannot bear
them now.
When the spirit of truth comes,he will guide you into all the
(24:06):
truth, for he will not speak onhis own authority, but whatever
he hears, he will speak and hewill declare to you the things
that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he willtake what is mine and declare
it to you.
1 Corinthians 2, 9-16.
But as it is written, what noeye has seen or ear heard, nor
(24:27):
the heart of man imagined.
What God has prepared for thosewho love him.
These things God has revealedto us through the Spirit, for
the Spirit searches everythingin the depths of God, for who
knows a person's thoughts exceptthe Spirit of that person which
is in him?
So also, no one comprehends thethoughts of God except the
(24:49):
spirit of God.
Now we have received not thespirit of the world, but the
spirit who is from God, that wemight understand the things
freely given us by God, and weimpart this in words not taught
by human wisdom, but taught bythe Spirit, interpreting
spiritual truths to those whoare spiritual.
(25:09):
The natural person does notaccept the things of the Spirit
of God for they are folly to himand he is not able to
understand them because they arespiritually discerned.
The spiritual person judges allthings but is himself to be
judged by no one.
For who has understood the mindof the Lord so as to instruct
(25:31):
him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
When you have spiritual eyes,you will see that not only does
Scripture point to Christ, butthat all of creation and things
ordained by God, like marriage,do as well.
Let's pray Father, thank you forthe gift of marriage and the
(25:52):
work you do to reveal yourselfin and through it.
I ask that you would help us tobe faithful in our
relationships, to reflect yourglory by imitating Jesus, our
Lord and Savior.
I know we live in a world thathates this message and doesn't
want anything to do with thistype of sacrificial or
submissive love, because itrequires them to give up their
(26:14):
desires for yours.
My prayer is that you wouldsoften the hearts of people
struggling with this so thatthey may receive the full joy of
the Lord.
That is far better thananything we could ever strive
for in this life.
Father, we love you and wethank you In Jesus' name, amen.
I want to thank you for joiningus today, and I hope this
(26:36):
message helped you take a stepcloser in your relationship with
Jesus and that you have abetter understanding of just how
much God loves you and wantsyou to know him.
In our upcoming episode, we'regoing gonna look at the
parent-child relationship as yetanother example of imitating
God and reflecting his gloryinto this world.
It is yet another way in whichwe experience his love for us,
(26:57):
as we are able to relate to itthrough the love we have for our
children and the respect wehave for our parents.
Now, before we go, I wannaencourage you to send us a text
message from the link providedin the description of this
episode.
We would love to hear from youAny questions or feedback you
may have from today's show, asit helps us produce future
(27:17):
episodes that are beneficial toyou.
In addition, please feel freeto use this podcast as a
resource to help others andshine a light into the darkness.
God bless, and we'll see younext time on the Takeaway.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.