Glorify God in marriage…

While this is not a popular teaching nor is it often preached, the Bible says this:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:22–33)

Rather than stumble over that “submission” word (it does not mean doormat), I see the bigger intent in this passage; the relationship between a husband and wife is supposed to mirror the relationship between Christ and the church. 

Sadly, I remember the Christian woman who said if her hubby acted like Christ, she would be willing to do what he wanted. The other side is that many men will do what their wives want to avoid stress or conflict of any kind, so they do what she says. Both excuses fail to demonstrate what God intended. 

I don’t know the stats, but Christian couples are not immune from fights, separation, splits, divorces, and unfaithfulness. God stresses the seriousness of this, not only because of the emotional damage to families, but the spiritual purpose of love and respect. A divorce and whatever causes it does not reveal how Christ is toward His bride nor does it reflect how the church should respond to our Lord and Savior. 

In reading 1 Corinthians  this morning, I felt deep sorrow. God told to Paul convey this to the church:

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:9–13)

He also wrote about our responsibility to judge any sins, and not take disputes to a court of law. Nor are we to think that someone in the church who is caught in any sin is okay.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9–11)

And this includes cheating on your spouse and calling it severe because, “Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:18–20)

PRAY: Father, we know the weakness of many who cannot exercise self-control, and how badly they need to marry rather than let passion rule their behavior. Your Word stresses walking in the Spirit for the Spirit produces the ability to say NO to temptation. Today I pray for those who need to yield to You, both men and women, that each of us is able to reflect Your great love for us and our response of love to You — with the way we live and the way we relate to our marriage partners. And may those who are not married also rely on the Spirit to keep their lives pure so they glorify Your goodness.