Whatever you do—word and deed. Read on.
Colossians 3:18-19
At this point, Paul addresses what difference living for
Jesus should make in three sets of relationships—wives and husbands, children
and parents, and slaves and masters.
Today—wives and husbands.
Interesting in a male oriented society that he should
address women first. But he does so in
each of these three relationships—the one looked upon by their society as the
lesser is addressed first. Is Paul
raising the status by addressing them first?
In Galatians, Paul says in Christ, there is neither Greek
nor Jew, slave nor free, male or female.
All are equals in Christ.
So what does Paul say?
- Wives submit to your husband—he does not say, women submit to any man—or wives submit to any man—but wives submit to your husband. Why wives submit?
i.
Males were looked upon as leaders
ii.
Christian husbands are looked upon by God as leaders of
their families
iii.
If he is the leader, then others should submit
iv.
Apparently this submission—this placing yourself under
the other’s authority—is a voluntary thing—not something the man can
command. Choice of the wife.
v.
“As is fitting in the Lord”—apparently God wants
this—so in following Christ a wife is to submit to her husband
vi.
Not a doormat—doesn’t mean man calls all the shots—in
Ephesians 5, mutual submission is stated.
vii.
Ultimately the husband is spiritually responsible to
God for his wife and family. They may
discuss the issues, but ultimately the husband then makes a decision. Wife is then to support her husband in that
decision.
viii.
Some say the reason wives are told to “submit” is that
it was the greatest need of wives at that time.
Maybe they had more trouble submitting to their husband than other ways
of relating to him.
- Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them—Was this the tendency of men also—the greatest need—to truly love their wives and not treat them harshly?
- Love—“agape”—sacrificial love, giving love, godly love
- Paul says in Ephesians 5, “Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
- Do you love your wife as Christ loved the church?
- In their society, wife was like property—treat her anyway you wanted—just a social arrangement or convenient arrangement. Paul said it should be much, much more.
- Spiritual leaders are to help others grow spiritually—husband is to be spiritual leader in family--do you do that for your wife?
- Spiritual leaders pray about the decisions they make—especially those that affect others—do you do that for your wife and family?
- Further—do not be harsh—some men then had pretty mean tempers—easy to take it out on the wife who was closest to you. Still is easy, but not the Christian thing to do not the spiritual family leader thing to do.
- Is Christ harsh toward you? Then don’t be harsh toward your wife?
Someone once said that if the husband truly loved his wife
in this way, and especially as Christ loved the church, then it would be easy
for a wife to submit to her husband.
But each is responsible to God for their part—submission or
love and lack of harshness, regardless of whether the other does their part.
The issue here for both is discipleship—following
Jesus—living the Lord’s way in this wife/husband relationship.
“Whatever you do, in word and deed, do it all in the name of
the Lord Jesus.”
Does the way you relate to your husband or wife reflect your
love for Christ and honor Him?
Does the way you talk to or about your husband or wife show
that you are a follower of Jesus to others—other family, other believers, other
friends?
This relationship—marriage relationship—can be a tremendous
witness to the world of a life committed to Jesus. Or it can be a turn-off from following Jesus.
Does your relationship with Christ make your marriage
different from those who do not know Jesus?
Wives submit—this pleases God.
Husbands love wives and do not treat them harshly—this too
pleases God.
So how do you need to grow so you can do this more
effectively in your marriage?
No comments:
Post a Comment