Ephesians 5:22-33
Wives and Husbands
22 Wives, submit to your own
husbands, as to the Lord. 23 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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself
in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes
and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am
saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
I’m going to say some things that you
may not have ever heard about the Bible... and men... you’re not going to like it. First of all, no where in the Bible does it require the woman to love the man. But in today’s text, Husbands are commanded to “love your wives.”
Prove me wrong, and you will find out that this is right. The closest you will find is found in Titus 2:3–5 (ESV):
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to
much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
Here is my point (men), if love is to exist in a marriage... it starts with the man. God commanded Husbands to love their wives. You are to love your wife as Christ loved the church. Well... Jesus gave
it all to the church... even dying for her (the church). In fact, if you go back and read this, you realize that the husband becomes a servant to the wife. If you can serve your wife as Christ served the church... how can your wife not love you
back???? The servant in today’s text was not the wife, but the husband. Guys, if you find a loss of love in your marriage, then you need to look into the mirror. The scripture states: “28 In the same way husbands should love
their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.” Guys... I know you
may not like what I am saying... but read the bible and prove me wrong. If you want a good marriage, guys... it starts with you! These are hard words for us men, but go back and read the text again. If you can lover her in this way... she
will love you back.
I pray: O Lord, help me to love my wife as Christ loved the church. Help me to serve her and to give my life for her in service to serving you. Help me to appreciate the
gift of my wife and to cherish her like a prized jewel. Amen.