As we consider the “headship” of a husband and the “submission” of a wife, we must understand that the goal is a people who are an acceptable offering to God. In Romans 15:16, Paul explains that a goal of his ministry is that the Gentiles are an acceptable offering to God. Isaiah 66:20 prophesies a people from every nation brought “as an offering to the Lord”.
The relationship between a husband and wife is a profound mystery that refers to the relationship between Christ and the church. We should behold this mystery and follow the guidance given to us in the Scriptures. If a man will love his wife rightly, he will love her as Christ loved the church, not as a disrespectful ogre who barks orders and belittles. The difference is huge! He will give himself up for her daily. Yes, he should be willing to doe for her, but more practically, he should be willing to live each day working hard to provide physical and spiritual health. His goal should be her holiness and beauty as he speaks the Word of God into her life daily. And if he love her and leads her in Christ-likeness, it will not be so hard for her to submit. She will gratefully accept and welcome such tender and unselfish care.
God’s design is never chauvinistic or belittling. It is actually quite beautiful. John Stott explains this process appropriately… “So husbands and wives should not expect to discover harmony without conflict; they have to work at building a relationship of love, respect, and truth…Now to lose oneself that the other may find his or her self – that is the essence of the Gospel of Christ.”
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3 comments:
His goal should be her holiness and beauty as he speaks the Word of God into her life daily...what does this mean? I do not understand or get what it is trying to say...
Awesome!!
To respond to Carle (although admittedly rather late), it's that the focus of the husband is to be the advancement of the wife in her growth in Christ.
To explain, it all starts with that all we do on earth is absolutely useless if it does not help other people to come closer to Christness. The only thing that's lasting is people. Why are we supposed to be examples to the world? So that the world can see us and our Christness shines through our actions and lays down exactly how we are not of the world.
The husband's devotion to his wife is so that he can help her become more like Christ. His central focus is his family, and the center of his family is his wife, so she comes before anyone or anything else. As it says in 1 Timothy 3:5, "But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God?" Although this is in reference to elders, it's true for everyone. If a man can't teach his own family to be more Christlike, and specifically his wife, how is he going to be able to show it to anyone else?
Because he is to love his wife, he's going to desire the best for her. And the best that anyone can achieve is to be Christlike. Without that, everything fails, and with it everything falls into place.
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