Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  Ephesians 5:25-27

As we continue to look at Paul’s teachings on marriage and family, my last post we looked at the controversial scripture “Wives submit to your husbands” , but notice this is followed with the stipulation “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church”. Many women when they hear about “submitting” to their husband, they are repulsed or infuriated, mostly because their Husbands didn’t love them as Christ loved the Church. So how did Christ love the Church?

Well Jesus loved the Church so much , he laid down his life for us! Paul says in Romans “God demonstrated his love, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) We as husbands , as men of God, need to be more like Christ, conformed to his image (Romans 8:29) Most of us have failed to fill this role as the husband, as the man of God in the family, which is why we see the resistance to a Bilbical marriage today

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Ephesians 5:28-30

Husbands are to love their wives as their own body. I talked about this in my previous post also, the Bible says “Two become One flesh” (Genesis 2:24) everything the husband does affects the wife, just as everything the wife does affects the husband. Every sin you intake in your body, affects your spouse, sin is a selfish disease, your sins don’t just impact yourself but your whole family, think about that!

As Paul says we should “nourish and cherish our wives, just Christ did for the Church” A question for husbands, are you nourishing your wife? Are you cherishing your wife? 

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:31-33

As the Bible says “The Two Become One Flesh” , Marriage is a union, its a covenant with God. Marriage is not just about the husband or the wife, it’s about them together as one. If one of them are sick, they are both sick. Everything one does reflects both of them.

And verse 33 , I believe Paul gives a better explanation of wives submitting to their husbands, wives should show reverence or respect to their husbands. I think this is a more clear exegesis of the scripture. Marriage should have mutual love and respect for one another. Its not about dominance or control, its about love as Christ loves us! Amen!