Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Last week looked at v25
• Today looking at the rest of the verses
• The New Testament spends more time talking about the husbands role than the wifes
• The keyword for the wife is submission and for the husband is love
• Christ loves righteousness and wants a righteous people
• We must ask ourselves are we causing a stain to come upon the Church of Christ
• Christ wants a perfect bride (the Church)
• The husband's role
• He is there for his wife
• Not about them gaining respect
• Love her, serve her, lead her in Christ like ways
• For her benefit
• We realise our inadequacy and depend on God/the Holy Spirit (v18)
• Three things:
• Think about Christ and the Church
• Think about your wife
• Marriage is a glorious union

Think again on Christ and the Church (v25-27)

• The Christian ethic is never put in terms of do's and don'ts but in the Gospel
• Christian marriage is first and foremost about Christ
• Paul writes in glorious tangents
• Christ loved His people and died upon the cross for His Church in order that He might purify her
• As the Church reads and receives the word of God we are washed
• First think about Christ
• If we spent more time mediating in and look to Jesus, it would transform our lives
• Washing of regeneration through the word
• The word also sanctifies us
• The Church is made holy through the word of God (through the whole teaching)
• cf 4:25-27
• God desires our holiness
• Psalm 45:11, 13
• We have imputed righteousness
• But God also imparts righteousness to us in our lives
• Christ wants His people to be like Himself
• His desire is for His people

Consider how you are treating your wife (v28-29)

• Are we concerned for their holiness?
• We are to love them as our own bodies
• She is not just your 'partner' - she is your other half, the two of you are one
• Loving your wife: nourishing and cherishing
• Concern for her spiritual progress
• Tender, thoughtful, nourish her, pray with her, encourage her in the life of the church
• Often the women are more committed than the men
• Learn from her
• Encourage one another in the faith
• Protect her and desire her purity
• Concern for the physical body
• v29
• Not to neglect or abuse your wife
• Not to ignore your wife
• Not putting down or fault finding but encouraging her
• Love
• Example of George Muller
• We must fulfill 1 Cor 13:4-8 (and also Titus 2 - to the wife)
• Patience
• Kindness
• Forgiveness and not remembering transgressions
• Love never fails

Marriage is a glorious union (v30-33)

• The leaving of the parents and together as one flesh
• Paul is speaking of the Church
• Just as woman came from man
• So the Church is born out of Christ
• Marriage is about union
• The Church and Jesus Christ are one
• We partake of the very nature of God
• A deep union
• Example from local church
• Example of Winston Churchill and Robert Quinin
• Marriage is an exclusive relationship
• Nothing should interfere with it
• A correct separation from parents - Christ left the splendour of heaven to cleave to His Church
• Everyone one of us - we are to love our own wife

Closing Remarks