The Husband-Wife Relationship
Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Ephesians 5:17-33. As we continue the study of the book of Ephesians, Paul talks about the husband-wife relationship and their relationship with God. Paul starts by telling us not to be unwise. We need to understand what the will of the Lord is. What do you think Paul means by that statement?
Paul tells us not to be “drunk with wine”; alcoholism will ruin your life. Not only will it cause you to make bad decisions, it will cause you to waste a lot of money. It will also cause you to ruin your relationships. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
Instead, we are to be filled with the Spirit, speaking in psalms, hymns, singing, and making music in our heart to the Lord. Doesn’t that sound like a joyful person? We are to give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of His precious Son, Jesus Christ.
Being filled with the Spirit is the opposite of being drunk with wine. Wine depresses you and causes you to make bad decisions. The Spirit stimulates you to do well, be happy, and make good decisions.
We are to submit to each other out of reverence to God. One of the definitions of submission is a voluntary attitude of cooperating. Submission isn’t something you are made to do, but it is something you do out of a willing heart. Wives are to submit themselves to their husband, as unto the Lord.
Paul compares the husband-wife relationship to Christ’s relationship with the church. As Christ is the head of the church, the husband is the head of the wife. It is a matter of a God-given order of authority.
The church is submissive to Christ, and wives are to be submissive to their husbands in everything. Notice the Scripture doesn’t say in “some things”; it says “everything.” It seems like the idea of submitting is hard for the women of today to accept. If you’re a wife, pray and ask God to help you to learn to submit to the authority of your husband.
We read in the Scripture how Paul talks about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church and gave up His life for it. If husbands love their wives in that way, it will be a lot easier for the wives to submit to them.
The Scripture says that husbands are to love their wives as they love their own bodies and that he who loves his wife loves himself. If you are a husband, pray and ask God to help you to love your wife the way God intended for you to love her.
The husband is to take care of his wife, lead her to maturity in Christ, and cherish her with tender love. The Bible says that a man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. The two of them will become one flesh this is where marriage comes in. The Scripture says the husband is to love his wife as himself and the wife is to revere or respect her husband.
As special as the husband-wife relationship is, no one can take the place of Christ in your life. Notice, that this Scripture compares the husband-wife relationship to Christ’s relationship with the church. Christ is the head of the church. As Christians we are to submit to Him, as our Lord and Savior.
For those of you who aren’t yet Christians, I hope this example of the husband-wife relationship will help you to better understand the relationship of Christ to His people. If God is speaking to your heart concerning your relationship with Him, pray and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart and life today.
Daily Bible Reading:
Ephesians 5:17-33
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
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 saviour 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 loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth 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.
Thing to think about:
- How does this Scripture say the husband is to treat his wife?
- How does this Scripture tell us the wife is to treat her husband?
- How does the husband-wife relationship compare to the relationship of Jesus Christ to the church?
- How has this lesson comparing the husband-wife relationship being to Christ relationship to the church impacted your life?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
As we read this Scripture in the book of Ephesians; help us to follow the guidelines that are set before us concerning the husband-wife relationship, so that we might have happy marriages. Help us as Christians, to love, honor, and respect You as the head of the church. For those who aren’t yet Christians, I pray they will accept You as their Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name, we pray. We love You, LORD. Amen.
Daily Bible Verse:
himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
– Ephesians 5:33
Featured Book:
The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus
by Deborah H. Bateman
The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It is a study of the book of Ephesians from the New Testament of the Bible. Ephesians is one of the Apostle Paul’s letters, which was written to the church at Ephesus.
In the book of Ephesians Paul reminds us that we are chosen of God. He encourages us to walk in unity in the church. He talks about our various relationships including our relationship with Christ, with each other, the husband-wife relationship and others. He also exhorts us to put on the full armor of God so that we are clothed for battle against the enemy.
The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus consists of twelve lessons, which can be used for an individual daily Bible study or a group Bible study. Each lesson consists of a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions for contemplation called, “Things to think about,” and a prayer for the day.
For those of you interested in Bible journaling, may I suggest you pick your favorite Bible verse from each lesson and journal about it. This will be a great reminder of the lessons you learn as you read and study this book.
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Have a blessed day,
Deborah
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