Ephesians 5:25-33 “A Word to Christian Husbands”
Intro: Christian view marriage: 1 man and 1 woman; temporary (no marriage in heaven); particular roles (husband leading)
-Marriage and romantic love are gifts, but not ultimate: spouse cannot satisfy, only God can!
-God calls us to honor Him in our marriage and TODAY we see God’s Word toward the HUSBAND:
–M.S.: God calls husbands to sacrificially and tenderly love their wives, just as Christ sacrificially and tenderly loves us!
*CONTEXT: Instructions for Christians as we seek to live worthy of the gospel.
-Eph 1-3: DOCTRINE; Eph 4-6 APPLICATION.
-This section (5:22-6:9) is on various relationships: Marriage; Children and Parents, Slaves and Masters
-Last week: Word to Christian Wives—‘Submit to your husbands’
-TODAY: Word to Christian Husbands—‘Love your wives!’
*CAVEAT: This is not just a sermon for husbands or men!
-It also reminds us of the amazing love of Jesus for His people, the Church.
-And it can also equip you to help other Christian men who are married—or will be married!
–M.S.: God calls husbands to sacrificially and tenderly love their wives, just as Christ sacrificially and tenderly loves us!
IMAGINE, your friend just married a beautiful godly woman and you could only give him ONE piece of advice.
-Shared bank account; Stay friends; Be quick to forgive; Remember, your wife’s needs; Listen don’t just give advice
-HEAR THE APOSTLE’S INSTRUCTION to Husbands: LOVE your wife!
I. Instruction to Husbands: Love Your Wives Sacrificially (25-27)
-Instruction Given: Husbands love your wives (25a) 25 Husbands, love your wives,
–HUSBANDS: Referring to Christian men who are married.
-This (ch 5) is assuming you have read and experienced ch 1-3 and in particular Eph 2:8-10.
–INSTRUCTION: LOVE your wives!
–Call to act for the good of your spouse.
-NOTE: Not, ‘be in love’, but love your wives!
-Being in love is wonderful, but God calls us to love our wives:
-LOVE= an active posture and responsibility of the husband toward the wife.
-Manner: As Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (25b)
-This is a sacrificial love, a willingness to die to self for your spouse,
-This LOVE is seen in Christ for the church: Rom 5:8
-STOP, marvel afresh at the AMAZING LOVE of Jesus for His Church.
-We were dead in our sins, uninterested in God, and Jesus died for us!!
-This is an amazing love, better than we could imagine or conceive.
HYMN: ‘Amazing love, how can it be, that though my God should die for me!’
*Husbands, YOU are called to love their wives in this way.
*QUESTION: Are you sacrificially loving your wife?
*ARONLD: “Many husbands would claim a readiness to die for their wives if some violent intruder threatened her, but it becomes
much more difficult for men in the grind of daily life to deny themselves, put their wives first, and demonstrate love in tangible ways
that may interfere with other conflicting desires of a lesser priority.” (404)
-OUR HELP AND HOPE: Christ’s LOVE to the Church (26-27)
–SANCTIFYING: that he might sanctify her, (to make his people HOLY)
–CLEANSING: having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (SPIRITUAL WASHING)
–TO THIS END: 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. (NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH)
*PAUSE: Believer, Jesus has done this for you!
-Behold the great love of Jesus and the new reality that is yours through the gospel.
-See yourself in light of the cleansing work of Christ and husbands, sacrificially love their wives.
QUESTION: HOW DOES IT LOOK FOR A HUSBAND TO SACRIFICIALLY LOVE HIS WIFE? ARNOLD:
“-to grow in a willingness to deny himself to ensure his wife’s well-being and care
-to care for her in a compassionate and loving way when she is sick
-to be willing to lovingly care for his wife as long as she would need it if she were to become disabled or terminally ill and could provide nothing to him in return
-to resist the impulse to spend money on things that are outside of the priorities that the two have established for the household
-to be vigilant to guard against tones and language that could wound his wife
-to spend regular quality time with his wife and consistently make her feel precious to him
-to take every precaution not to demean his wife by looking at other women in inappropriate ways and desiring them in his heart
-to deny himself of the desire to relax when his wife needs to talk or engage (e.g., turning off the sports channel when his wife has an emotional need he should attend to)”
- Instruction to Husbands Restated: Love Your Wives Tenderly (28-32)
KIDS—Do you take care of your bodies? What are some ways we do this?
-We naturally take care of our bodies, and we show a tender love and care for them.
-This is the kind of love and care husbands are to show for their wives.
-Love your Wife as your own Body (28-29a)
-MANNER: Love your wife in the same way your love your body.
–LOGIC: you show an attentive care and tenderness to your body. Show this kind of love to your wife.
-ABSURDITY OF NOT LOVING YOUR WIFE THIS WAY (28b-29a)
He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it,
-Christ the model: nourishing and cherishing body of Christ (29b-30)
-The CHURCH is the BODY of Christ: Christ the head (because we are members of his body)
-Jesus nourishes and tenderly loves the church (just as Christ does the church,)
*Pause: Consider JESUS’ TENDER LOVE TO THE CHURCH!
-Giving the Holy Spirit;
-Leaving the Apostles;
-Hearing your Prayer
-Bringing Opportunities to Grow you
-Forgiving all of your sins
-Covering you in righteousness
-Correcting you when you go astray
-Giving you other Christians in your life
-Leaving you with good works to do
-Saving you by His grace
-Assuring you of His presence
-Speaking to your through the Bible
-Quotation of Genesis 2:24 and Explanation (31-32)
-Genesis 2:24: 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
–Original Context: God made Eve and gave her to Adam to be married (no animal fit for helper)
-In marriage a man and woman are united and “become one flesh”—spiritual union
-Relates to what instruction to husbands: you are one flesh with your wife, so love her tenderly
as you would your own body, for you are one body with her!
-Paul’s Surprising Use of Genesis 2:24:32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
-There is a PROFOUND mystery of two coming together and forming one new body.
–SURPRISE: Genesis 2:24 also refers to Christ and the church!
-Paul held the original understanding (human husband and wife becoming one flesh)
–ALSO, held an allegorical understanding: This really is about Christ and the church!
–Remember: the mystery of the gospel revealed to Paul: Eph 3:6
*Pause: Believer, you are united to Christ in a way closer than you can imagine!
-Because of the GOSPEL, you have been united to Jesus in way that is more satisfying that any human relationship.
UNBELIEVER: You were made to know and love God and draw close to Him.
-You have rejected His love and lived your own way
-Jesus is a Savior of sinners, and came to bring us back to God: dying on a cross and rising again
-If you come to Jesus in faith, you will be forgiven and brought back to God.
III. Summarizing Instruction to Husbands and Wives (33)
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
-Husbands love your own wives as yourselves (33a)
-HUSBANDS: Let this be the guiding principle in your marriage.
–GOSPEL: Christ died of your selfishness, faithless, and sin within marriage.
-Look to Jesus, and ask for H.S. to empower you to love your wife.
-NON-HUSBANDS: Encourage and pray for your married brothers, that they would live this out!
–GOSPEL: Hear the good news again of Christ sacrificial and tender love for you!
-Let the love of Jesus satisfy your hearts again.
-Wives, respect your husbands (33b)
-Helpful brief summary: Wives need to feel loved and husbands need to feel respected!
CONCLUSION: Husbands, love your wives!
