God’s Plan for Marriage is Best

God’s plan starts with mutual submission.

What is most difficult about submission?

Give examples of this submission—

Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

1 Peter 5:5 “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””

Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

In marriage we are to put our spouse before ourselves.

The motivation for this is not based on our love or thoughts for our spouse but out of respect for Jesus. It is our relationship with Christ that allows us to put our spouse before ourselves.

What are some ways we can submit to one another?

God’s Plan for Wives

Wives are to submit to their own husbands. Paul is making clear that this is a relational submission and not some societal rule of women submitting to all men.

Wives are to submit in the same way they do with Christ.

What are some ways wives can submit to their husbands?

This is good news.

It means this submission can be practiced long before marriage.

It means there is a level of openness and intimacy involved.

While it does require work, this is something that can be done unto the Lord.

With submission wives help their husband fulfill his call to lead the family.

To go against a husbands Godly leadership makes his obedience to God’s call on his life difficult. As we saw in the first verse we are to be lovingly submitting one another and there isn't more of a loving act than those that help others in their relationship with Christ.

Husbands, your wives all have the same Holy Spirit you have, while they are called to follow our lead they also are valuable counsel and should be treated as such.

Lastly this is to be an all in submission. When we submit to Christ we arent supposed to do it part way. We are supposed to give everything over to Him. Wives are called to hold nothing back in submission to their husbands. This creates a closeness and image of our submission to Christ and helps our marriage fulfill it’s purpose, to glorify God!

God’s plan for Husbands

Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, giving ourselves for them.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Based on that passage what are some ways we can love our wives?

This passage defines what love looks like and as husbands what we should strive for. We should have it memorized and on our minds daily. This is our calling from God toward our wives for it is how Christ loved the church.

Christ gave Himself for the church even when the church had nothing to give. He gave out of His character. Our love for our wives must be based on our relationship with Christ. We are all imperfect and if we love based on others we will go down a never ending spiral of less and less love.

Our purpose for loving our wives is not to be loved in return or to receive anything from them.

Our purpose for loving them is that they be made holy.

God has been gracious and equipped us with for this calling with the Word.

The greatest thing we could ever do in our marriage is to present our wives to Christ more radiant, more pure, and more holy by our following His will to love and lead them.

Paul continues on and says we are to love our wives as we do our own bodies, caring for them.

When we love our wives we are also loving ourselves. They are a part of us. If they suffer we suffer. If they thrive we thrive. The best for them is also the best for us.

God’s plan is best, it takes work and often goes against our flesh, but it is best.