Wives, submit yourselves.

Introduction

Review foundational teaching of Christian Living from last two sermons...

Living our best life now we: 1) live in exactness to the word of God, 2) make the most of every opportunity, and 3) we don’t live morally foolish but understand the Lord’s will (Eph 5:15-17).

Living a Spirit filled life we do not live the old way of life, instead we ask to be filled with the Spirit, daily. Evidence of a Spirit filled individual is one’s joyful worship and thankfulness to God for everything and our submission towards one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph 5:18-21).

Today, many people will probably take issue with a wife submitting to her own husband, but the Christian should not and must not because its God’s word.

Submission (hupotasso) is a military term

Relationship between enlisted and officer

This has nothing to do with value but authority and order. Everyone is valued the same in Christ Jesus.

Genesis 1:27 ESV

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Galatians 3:28 ESV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

However, this has everything to do with our disposition towards one another, specifically, roles in Christian households.

Remember, we live with an attitude of submission to authority and to one’s needs.

If any Christian wife or single Christian woman takes issue with what is being said here today, by making statements like: That’s why I will never get married or I am not submitting to no man/husband, than you must examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith because you are clearly rejecting the biblical command found in Ephesians 5:21. Matter of fact, your not filled with the Spirit.

Single Christian women, do not think Scripture is absent of specific guidelines on the way you should live.

1 Corinthians 7:8–9 ESV

To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

1 Corinthians 7:25–39 ESV

Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 ESV

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Why did God give such instructions for the Christians home, specifically, the Christian wife? God did this to restore order between husbands and wives that was perverted by Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden. God commands this to redeem marriage by Christ Jesus, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 3:16 ESV

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Proper interpretation of passage gives clarity to the command in Ephesians 5:22-24. This is judgment on woman. The words “desire” (teshuquah) and “rule” (mashal) are used together in a phrase twice in the entire Bible (here and Genesis 4:7). In light of this, God’s judgment against woman, consequently, wives, is she will be ruled by her husband because her desire or disposition towards her husband is to be against or usurp his authority. Or, to take his place in the creation order.

Proper disposition between husband and wife in creation. Helper suitable for her husband to glorify God in love, unity, and governing. Therefore, . . .

Submit to your own husband as you do to the Lord

Ephesians 5:22 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

The object of the wife’s submission is to her husband. The key to submission is you do so as you do to the Lord.

Colossians 3:18 ESV

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

He is the Head

Ephesians 5:23 ESV

For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

The role of the husband in marriage is a direct reflection of Jesus’ role with the Church.

“Head” can be argued from two perspectives: source and leadership but it should be both.

As Christ is the source and leader of and in the Church, the husband is the source and leader of and in the home.

1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Now, submit in everything as the Church submits to Christ

Ephesians 5:24 ESV

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

What does it mean by everything? Everything morally and ethically according to God’s word. Example is the Church’s submission to Christ.

Ephesians 5:33 ESV

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Even towards an unbelieving husbands, wives must submit and show respect

1 Corinthians 7:12–16 ESV

To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

1 Peter 3:1–6 ESV

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

Conduct of a Christian wife

Look back a qualities found in 1 Peter 3:1-6.

Titus 2:4–5 ESV

and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Christian wives living contrary to these qualifications blaspheme the word of God.

Conclusion

Proverbs 31 ESV

The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.