Ephesians 5:22-33 (NKJV) Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ……. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.The relationship between a husband and a wife is like the relationship between Christ and the Church.
Christ loved the church, provided for her and laid down His life for her.
A woman’s prime need is for security and love and a man’s prime need is for significance.
The husband needs to love his wife in order to meet her needs of security. The wife needs to respect her husband so that she may satisfy his need of being significant. If a husband cannot feel significant in his own home, then it is very difficult for him to perform to his maximum potential in the work place. If the wife does not feel loved in her home – this love producing a security – then she will not be able to properly fulfil her role either. The primary role of the woman according to the Bible is to be a helpmate to her husband.
Christ loved us because His love is based on His nature – God is Love. His kind of love for us is Agape love, unconditional love.
When God tells the husband to love his wife – it is always Agape love, an unconditional love.
Why? Because there will be a lot of changes in marriages, adjustment to each other, different habits, people always put up the best before marriage.
A successful marriage takes two people to achieve it. A husband needs to love his wife , sacrifice for her, listen to her concerns, take care of her, be as sensitive to her needs and her hurts as he is to those of his own body.
Ephesians 5:21(NKJV) submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Submission is necessary when the husband loves his wife as Christ loves the Church. Godly submission is about responding to leadership and acknowledging the husband’s responsibility and accountability to God as the head; not about domination and control.
The husband is commanded to love his wife and the wife is to respect her husband. Respect him, listen to him, praise him, be unified in purpose and will. The husband is the head of the house. Being the head simply means caretaker and protector of his wife and children.
Sermon Series: Husbands and Wives
神的爱
以弗所书5:22-33 你们作妻子的，当顺服自己的丈夫，如同顺服主。 23因为丈夫是妻子的头，如同基督是教会的头；他又是教会全体的救主。 24教会怎样顺服基督，妻子也要怎样凡事顺服丈夫。 25你们作丈夫的，要爱你们的妻子，正如基督爱教会，为教会舍己。 26要用水藉着道把教会洗净，成为圣洁 …… 33然而，你们各人都当爱妻子，如同爱自己一样。妻子也当敬重她的丈夫
丈夫和妻子的关系如同基督与教会的关系一样。
基督爱教会, 供应她, 为她舍命。
女人的首要需求是安全感和爱, 男人的首要需求是追求意义。
丈夫需要爱他的妻子，以满足她对安全感的需求。
妻子需要尊重她的丈夫，这样她才能满足他被重视的需要。
如果一个丈夫在自己的家里都无法感到自己的重要性, 那么他就很难在职场发挥最大潜能
如果一个妻子在自己的家里都无法感到被爱 – 带来安全感的爱 – 那么她也无法完成她的角色。基于圣经, 一个女人的首要角色是成为丈夫的助手。
基督爱我们，因为祂的爱源自祂的本性 – 神是爱。祂对我们的爱是AGAPE爱, 无条件的爱
当神叫丈夫去爱他的妻子时 – 永远是AGAPE的爱, 无条件的爱。
为什么呢? 因为在婚姻中会有很多变化, 对彼此的适应, 不同的习惯。在走入婚姻之前, 人们往往只展示自己最好的一面。
以弗所书 5:21 又当存敬畏基督的心，彼此顺服。
当丈夫爱妻子如同基督爱教会那样的时候, 顺服是必要的。敬虔的顺服是要回应领导，并认同丈夫作为头, 在神面前所担负的责任和担当；与统治和控制无关。
对丈夫的要求是爱他的妻子, 妻子则要尊重她的丈夫。尊重他, 听从他, 称赞他, 在共同目标和意愿中联合。丈夫是一家之主。做头仅仅意味着要照顾和保护他的妻子和孩子们。
讲章系列： 丈夫与妻子