30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 18 The covenantal relationship of marriage 08 Husbands, love your wives - 1
📖 Luke 16:18
25Apr2020 - *Husbands, love your wives - 1* - _Luke 16:18_ - Bible reading: _Ephesians 5:25-31_
_Luke 16:18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery._
We have begun learning about the covenantal relationship of marriage. As always, we must let the word of God bring healing in our lives and in our marriages
What are we saying? Does a husband desire his wife to be wise? Then he knows now, where it all begins. He has to help his wife deal with her inclination of being contentious, to empower her to overcome this habit and be submissive, which is a command for the wife. For in doing so, she will be wise to build the house.
Let us turn our attention on the command for the husband. _Ephesians 5:25-31 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (28) So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. (29) For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. (30) For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. (31) "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."
The key to understanding the person of love the husband is to be is _vs 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones._ The Lord has made us to be one with Him, of His body, flesh, bones and spirit _(I Corinthians 6:20)_. This intimacy is the basis for love.
Why has God specified that the husband must love his wife? We considered that the husband must bring in the leadership qualities that God displays to His bride, the people of God. We also considered that the husband and the wife must live in an atmosphere of a submissive spirit toward each other but besides all of these, which are important, the word of God emphasises that the husband must love his wife.
What hinders a husband from loving his wife? When talking to husbands they are quick to enumerate all the sacrifices that they have made for their wife and family, the long hours of work, buying all that the wife and family need, taking them out on vacations and so forth. The question that they struggle with is, “what more does my wife expect from me? Am I not doing all of these things for her?”
The issue that hinders the husband from loving his wife is detailed in _(28) So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. (29) For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church._ *The husband loves himself*. This is the issue. Deep down the husband is centred on himself. This is not so with the wife. For her, she is always last. She will think first for her husband, children and family and last for herself.
For the husband to start loving his wife, he must deny the self. This he cannot do by his own strength but by the power of the cross and by His Spirit. He can learn much by observing his wife, as to how she is selfless.
When the husband is centred on himself, it will result in the wife becoming contentious, which leads us to the second hindrance for the husband to love his wife, which is found in _Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them._ He becomes bitter toward his wife.
Bitterness is expressed in being resentful, irritated, dissatisfied, disgruntled, discontented, sullen, sour and morose. What does this cause the wife to be,?…more contentious. Submission for the wife to her husband now becomes extremely challenging.
The lesson for the husband to love your wife is to stop being centred on yourself. Start learning from your wife on how to be others concerned. You will find love beginning to flow. When love flows from the husband to his wife, marriage will be a glorious experience.
*Thought to ponder*
```The self must go to the cross, repeatedly, and our wives will alert us of the ‘old man’ in us for she is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.```