Be Subject to One Another - Part 1

Ephesians 5:21 NASB95

and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Each member is Responsible for doing this for every other member

Pastor is not exempt

Men are not dominating

Single people are not left out

1 Corinthians 12:13–14 NASB95

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

1 Corinthians 12:25–27 NASB95

so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

We are bound together - even if in America we sometimes forget.

Ephesians 4:3 “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

This still stands.

NOTHING we can say about marriage or anything else can happen outside of this idea.

Husband and Wife

Parent’s and Children

Masters and Slaves

All subject to one another - in the fear of Christ.

Reverence

Be subject to one another.

Wives

Husbands

Marriages

+ + + + Pray + + + +

Wives

Ephesians 5:22–24 NASB95

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Wives submit…

People don’t love this topic.

But its because they forget the context

“Everyone submit to one another….”

Now, Specifically, Wives to your husband.

As to the Lord

This has to be the foundation!

Not because men are wiser, stronger, more prone to be right about things.

Wives submit to their husbands ULTIMATELY as part of submitting to CHRIST.

Which means, the degree to which a wife respects and honors her husband’s leadership indicates her respect and honor of Christ.

Submitting to your husbands is good for your marriage, but even more so for your personal worship.

Be subject… as to the Lord.

Your marriage becomes an avenue of worship.

*** “What if my husband is in sin or abusive or a cheater - I just submit?”

Quickly:

3 steps to my thinking

Ephesians 5 shows what a healthy , God honoring marriage should be from both sides.

IF man or Wife are failing to live the way they should, reference 1 Peter 3:1 “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,”

IF husband or Wife is completely devoid of christlikeness and utterly resistant to repentance, 1 Corinthians 7:15 “Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.”

vv 23-24 begin the Glorious Analogy of Marriage.

Just as the Church is subject to Christ, Wives are subject to the Husband.

Christ is the head, Husband is head.

About as much as I can say…

Husbands (25-30)

Ephesians 5:25–30 NASB95

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.

v.25

Love your Wives

Give yourself up for her

“love means doing whats best even at great cost to yourself”

NOTICE

This is how the husbands submits to the wife!!

GIVES HIMSELF UP FOR HER in LOVE.

This is a WRECKING BALL to ANY sentiment that men are to be dominating their marriage, kings in their own homes.

The obliterates any sense in which a man might take “head of his wife” to mean “its my way or the highway, wifey.”

This commands to love as Christ loves is - in my opinion - abounds in humility and responsibility

Men, you are no longer your own when you enter into marriage.

You belong to her.

You have given yourself up to her.

To what end?

Sanctification.

Ephesians 5:26–27 NASB95

so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Men, you have a job to do.

Sanctify your wife.

As Christ sanctifies us and the church, so you sanctify your wife.

That means, Lead her into more and more Christlikeness.

v.26

Wash her in the Word!

Such a great picture.

Men , LEAD your wives in The Word!

Sanctifying her doesn’t mean molding her into your image of the perfect wife.

It means molding her, through the word, into Christ’s image.

Are you doing this, men?

Are you washing your wife in The Word the way Christ is washing us?

“I don’t know how to do that.”

It’s simpler than you think it is.

> > > It is typical, in my experience, for the wife to be the more biblically literate between her and her husband.

Typical.

Typical for her to be more spiritually minded in practice.

Typical for her to be the strong pray-er.

Just practically, my mom had a job that allowed her to be at home. So she had more time in the day to study her bible and pray than my dad Did.

Practical ways. For every man.

Initiate Bible reading time with your wife and family.

Pray over your wife.

Champion Church

There is not a Christ following woman on the planet who would be turned off by her man leading in these areas.

Men, when you lay your life down for your wife, it makes it easy for your wife to submit to you as the leader.

Men, you simply have to lead out. You have to. Your wife cannot fulfill her role in your marriage if you aren’t fulfilling yours.

Lead.

V.28 -31

To love your wife is to love yourself.

Taking care of your wife should happen as diligently as you seek your next meal.

Taking care of your wife should be as important as getting enough sleep.

As steadily as you breathe air, you should be seeking ways to love your wife.

Because she’s your flesh.

Marriage (32-33)

Ephesians 5:32–33 NASB95

This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Paul comes out with it: Its a Mystery.

Its confusing and elusive and hard to grasp.

But “I am peaking in reference to christ and the church.”

Marriage exists to point to Christ.

Marriage, from the beginning, was in place to illuminate the relationship between Christ and us.

Aim for that in your marriage.

V.33 says “husbands, love your wives as yourself, wives respect your husband.”

Closing: Its for Everyone.

We are all to be like Christ. - Eph 5:1.

We are all the church. Eph 4:1-3.

Love

Respect

Sanctifying

Washing in the Word