Ephesians 5:22-33 is meant to encourage the betrothed bride of Christ. Specifically, Paul addresses husbands and it is also a message to wives by comparing their marriage relationship to that of Christ and the church.
This analogy is something that faithful Christian couples should always remember, as well as the rest of us who are not. In our future, we will not die, and Christ will not divorce a righteous wife. Our marriage relationship with Jesus Christ will not end. There is no indication in the Holy Scriptures that our marriage to Christ ever ends. It too is eternal.
Turn with me to Ephesians 5, verse 24. Now there is another point we need to discuss before we move on to the practical application of Paul's instruction regarding the specific responsibilities and duties of husbands toward their wives and vice versa. This is truly priceless to us personally as we grow in understanding our relationship with Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, and as we learn our role as the bride of Christ.
There is another thing we have to make sure we do, is respect our spiritual Husband as the betrothed bride.
It is only natural at this point to realize that the husband gives certain things to his bride. So let us examine what Christ as the Bridegroom of the church bestows upon her. Now as we go through this, you will be amazed at what a wonderful privilege it is to be a saintly bride. It is essential, even vital, to recognize these privileges and promises we are given. We must realize that these privileges are eternal.
Possibly the biggest problem today is the failure of the average Christian to understand the privilege and dignity of being members of God's church, the Body of Christ, and the betrothed bride of Christ.
Whoever God calls into His church brings with him a significant amount of the ways of this world. Satan's influence does not stop bombarding us at baptism. He does not stop trying to entice us with the world's entertainment and celebrations. And thankfully we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist Satan's influence. It is very heartbreaking to see Christians fail to understand what the Bible teaches about ourselves and what it means to be part of the Body of Christ.
While the world places its great importance on honors and status, we sometimes undervalue our membership in God's church as ambassadors for Christ. It seems that some may even see our membership as a kind of dignity that they bestow upon the church instead of realizing that it is of the highest and most glorious privilege that anyone could ever have or know bestowed upon us.
Some view their membership in the church strictly as a duty and take pride in themselves when they fulfill it. What that attitude reveals is a complete failure to understand what it really means to be members of the Body, which is the bride of Christ Himself.
So let us develop an appreciation for some of the privileges Jesus Christ gives us, some of the things that are true of members of God's church. What does Christ bestow on us? Let us look at this from the physical type of this marriage relationship.
The first thing a husband bestows on his wife is his life. He gives her a part of his own life, and she becomes a sharer in his life. When a man gets married, he moves from living alone to sharing his life with his wife. And since she is part of him, she shares in his life activities and everything that is true about him.
The first thing a married man must learn is that when faced with various situations, he now he needs to do something different. Before, his primary concern was, how does this affect me? What is my reaction to this? But when married, he no longer stops at that. He now considers how it will affect his his wife. He no longer lives an isolated life like a bachelor on his own. He has another person he must always consider who shares his life. Some things that are acceptable before marriage now need to be viewed from the perspective of two individuals who … . . .
That, brethren, includes every member of that church. Back now please a couple chapters to chapter 2 in Ephesians.
