06/08/10 HUSBANDS AND WIVES
1- Praise is given to aggressive women.
2- Condemnation is raised against authoritative husbands.
Something is wrong with this arrangement.
Women should be free to express themselves, but they should be motivated and guided by grace and wisdom.
Men should head their homes, but they should love their wives as Christ loved the Church.
Without grace, rights often become wrongs.
NO MOUTHY WOMEN, NO BOSSY MEN.
GOD SAID...
Ephesians 5:22-33
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 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.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 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.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Colossians 3:18-19
18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Titus 2:4-8
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
1 Peter 3:1-7
1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
JUST A THOUGHT...
Today people want to reinvent marriage and reinvent the roles of the genders. God's plan cannot be improved upon. A truly loving and successful home is going to be built upon the foundation of God's revelation. We are not to follow God's word as one might mechanically follow instructions from a How To book. We must follow with our heart as well as with our head. It takes constant, increasing grace to become and to keep becoming the husband or wife that God wants us to be.
Remember, we cannot make anyone be, or do, what they are suppose to be or do; we can only determine what path we will take personally. My wife cannot make me be the husband I should be, but she can encourage me to be the husband I should be.
Don't forget, it is not just a matter of BECOME, but a matter of constantly BECOMING the person God wants us to be and it is done by humbling ourselves and walking in grace.
The success of the chef is not determined by obtaining academic recognition from a School of Culinary Arts, it is determined by the consistently good dishes served. Successful marriage is not determined by a single action, but by a lifetime of submission to Christ.
