Ephesians 5:21-33

Ephesians 5:21-33

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

As we submit our motive is reverence for Christ.  Pride is the biggest reason there is no submission.  None of us want to willingly put ourselves under the authority of another.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.


This is very unpopular.  Men have abused this and turned their wives into slaves.  Some men have decided that they earn the money and the wife runs the house and makes all the family decisions thus neglecting their leadership role.  That is not how God intended.

How does a woman submit to the Lord?  She trusts Him, talks with Him, bring her requests and ideas to Him knowing that the Lord has her best interests at heart.

How does the Church submit to Christ? They trust Him, talk with Him, bring their requests and ideas to Him knowing that the Christ has their best interest at heart.


Why do women not submit?  

• Pride and control:  They just want to be in charge.  
• Trust issues: Something in their past just won't allow them to trust anyone for anything.
• Absent husband:  This could mean he died or he just isn't there physically.  It can also mean the guy is just not leading and out of desperation the wife just takes over.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

To whom will we be compared as to weather we loved our wives?  Jesus Christ Himself.  That's right gents, we have the higher calling and the tougher task.  All those power hunger abusers throughout history are now standing before Christ and being compared to Him.


Ask yourself:

• Are you giving up your life for her?
• Are you making her Holy? That is setting her apart as special.
• Are you leading her in the scripture?

²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body.

This morning I got up and had breakfast.  There is a nice cup of coffee with me as I type this.  I intend to go to the gym today.  So I ask you married men, have you taken care of your wife today?  Make time everyday to spend with you wife and take care of her.  I don't care if it's just 5 minutes when you first start doing this.  

Give up your TV time or golf or (insert hobby here).  Jesus Christ DIED  for his bride the church.  Die to yourself for your wife's benefit.  You will lose her if you don't.  First you will lose her heart, then her love and eventually you could lose her all together.  It happened to me. Learn from my mistakes.

³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Marriage is a picture of Christ's realationship with the church.  It's designed as a relationship that lasts a lifetime.

³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

A wife will have not problem submitting to a man who is God's man, however please note that these are commands for us to do REGARDLESS of the spouses response.


God Bless