Christ and the Church
Ephesians: Alive in Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Intro
Good evening students! It is so good to see everyone today. I hope that you have had a great week. Tonight, we are going to finish up chapter 5 of Ephesians before we venture back into the book of Mark next week. Last time, we look at how we as Christians are to be imitators of God seeking to live holy lives free from immorality. This week, Paul continues to teach these Ephesian believers how to live out the Gospel in every aspect of their lives. Likewise, he is teaching us as believer the same thing. As we are followers of Jesus, we are called to glorify Him with every aspect of our lives.
This week, Paul shifts to speak about marriage. Now, before we begin tonight, I understand that none of you are married. However, many of you will probably be married one day in the future. Because of that, it is important that you have a biblical view of marriage. If you understand the biblical view of marriage now, it is likely that one day have a biblical marriage. With that in mind, we are going to see how marriage is a picture of Jesus and the Church.
Let’s look together at Ephesians 5:22-33
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 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. 28 In the same way husbands should love their 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 Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Pray.
Here, we see that Paul has outlined the roles of husband and wife in view of Christ and the Church. We currently live in a culture that is drifting away from marriage. A large portion of our culture believes in individuality and freedom. Because of this, we have seen a decline in marriages over the past few decades. Men and women are getting married later in life or never getting married at all. Likewise, marriages do not last as they once did. However, as Christians, we understand that marriage is not simply something that a man and a woman simply decide to do. Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman before God. You see, marriage is not manmade. God instituted marriage all the way back in the book of Genesis with Adam and Eve.
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
This was the first marriage. Marriage is between one man and one woman for life. It is a covenant meaning that it is a bond or commitment to one another and God.
Within marriage, there is one husband and one wife. Marriage is between one man and one woman. Within marriage, Paul points out to the Ephesian believers and to us that there are separate but equal rolls within a marriage. While there are separate but equal rolls for husbands and wives, marriage has one sole purpose and that purpose is to glorify Christ.
Tony Merida writes, “Marriage in this life is a shadow of the ultimate marriage of Christ and His bride, as Paul illustrates in this text.”
Paul reveals to us that marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church. The Church is the bride of Christ, and Christ will one day return to take His Bride, the Church, home to heaven to be with Him forever. Within this picture of Christ and the Church, the wife and husband are called to be an earthly representation of Christ and the Church.
The wife is to submit to her own Christ-exalting husband as the Church is called to submit to Christ.
The wife is to submit to her own Christ-exalting husband as the Church is called to submit to Christ.
Look back with me at verses 22-24
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Now, I understand the connotation or the feeling that the word submit brings about in our world. Oftentimes the word submit is viewed as negative in our culture; however, if we look at the context of this verse, we will better understand what Paul is saying here.
Remember, Paul is pointing out how marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church. Likewise, he has just mentioned at Christians are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Look back at Ephesians 5:21.
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
We as Christians are to submit to one another for Christ. Within marriage, Scripture calls for the wife to be submissive to her husband. We are looking at a biblical marriage. So, the wife is to submit to a husband that is literally willing to die for her. This submission is fueled by love for Jesus and a respect for a husband that loves her as Scripture calls him to love her, sacrificially.
One commentator writes, “While some view submitting to one’s husband’s authority as something negative, a more accurate way of looking at marital roles is to understand that wives are called to follow their husband’s loving leadership. (God, Marriage, and Family).
Here, we understand that the godly wife will submit to a loving, Christ-exalting husband. Also, notice that the Scripture calls for the wive to submit to her own husband. This means that the wife is submissive first to Christ and second to her own husband. She is not called to be submissive to all men. She is called to be submissive to her husband who loves her sacrificially in a biblical marriage. This is all for the sake of glorifying Christ. As the wife is a picture of the church, she is a picture to the world of how the church submits to Christ.
This in no way means that the wife is inferior to the husband. Both husband and wife are created in the image of God. This is the way in which God has ordered His creation. The husband and wife have separate but equal roles. Husband and wife are equal. Look with me at Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
As Christians, every person is equal before God. Men and women are equal, but have differing roles.
Owen Strachan says, “The man is summoned by God to revere and protect the woman; the woman is summon by God to respect and trust the man.”
These roles we are speaking of does not mean that a woman is limited to household work. The Bible simply calls for the wife to submit to her husband as they both seek to follow Christ. The wife can still work outside the home in the world. Likewise, the man can do household work as well. Scripture simply calls for the husband to lead his family spiritually and love his wife sacrificially. Likewise, the wife submits to Christ and her husband all for the glory of Christ.
God created for man and woman to be together in marriage and to complement one another and carryout the task of representing Christ and the church.
The husband is the head of the wife, which we will look at later, and the wife willingly submits to him. This is important. This is vitally important. The reason I have continually stated that the wife submits to a Christ-exalting husband is because the wife should never followed the leadership of the husband if he leads her to sin or does not love her sacrificially exalting Christ. Likewise, young ladies, your boyfriend is not your spiritual leader. You dad is your spiritual leader until you get married, then your husband is the head of the home and spiritual leader. The woman is not dependent upon man to grow spiritually. Likewise, a husband cannot save his wife. Only Christ has the power to save through His work on the cross. Women are called to imitate Christ as a Christian. However, the husband will give an account for how he leads his family spiritually.
This leads us to our next point in which we will now address the role of the husband.
The husband is the spiritual leader of the home as Christ is the head of the Church.
The husband is the spiritual leader of the home as Christ is the head of the Church.
Let’s read verses 25-33
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 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. 28 In the same way husbands should love their 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 Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Paul has finished speaking about the wives. Now, Paul turns his attention to the men. Notice young men, Paul has eight verses to address husbands with.
First, Paul mentions that the husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. This is the call for men to love their own wife so much so that he is willing to give his live for her as Christ gave His life on the cross for us. Jesus loves us so much so that He died on the cross for our sins. Husbands living according to the Gospel as imitators of Christ are called to have the same love for their wives in order to clearly show the relationship between Christ and the Church.
Husbands are called to sacrificially love their wives; moreover, this is described as a footwashing love. This means that men are to love their wives so much so that they would serve her out love love. Remember, Christ washed the feet of His disciples. Men are called as the head of the wife to love her as Christ loves the Church. Remember, everything about marriage is about Christ in relation to the Church. Christ came to serve not be served. As husbands and imitators of Christ, the call is to serve your wife out of love for her as she submits to your leadership in the home.
Secondly, the husband is to be the spiritual leader in the home. Look back at verses 26-27.
26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 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.
The husband is responsible for leading his family to walk closely with God. Husbands must pray for their wives. Likewise, this passage of Scripture calls for husbands to be washing his wife with the word. The Word is the Bible. We are saved by Christ and Him alone. Men and women are saved by Christ and sanctified by Christ, not by anyone else. However, the husband should seek to help his wife and build her up in the process of sanctification. The husband should seek for his wife to grow closer and closer to Christ each and every day. This is the call of the husband.
You see, the husband has a huge responsibility to his family to lead them closer to Christ at all costs. This is a picture of Christ and the Church. Christ died and gave Himself up for the church to be saved when He died on the cross for our sins. After He ascended back to heaven after His resurrection, He promised that He would come back again.
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Jesus is coming back for His Bride, the Church. As the Church is to be pure and working for Christ until He returns, the husband is to seek to lead his wife to grow in her relationship with Christ. Husbands should always ask themselves the question, “Is my wife more like Christ because she’s married to me?”
Young men in this room, you may not think this applies to you, but one day, you may have a family and you are responsible to lead your family according to the Word of God. So, you need to understand this passage of Scripture and what it calls you to do and start growing in your own relationship with Christ now before you are responsible for leading your family. You are called to be a biblical man that lives for Christ each and every day. This life is to be lived all for Christ.
Young ladies in this room, Scripture clearly outlines the expectation of the husband. As young women, seek to marry someone who loves Christ and will lead you closer to Him.
Lastly, the husband is called to love his wife as himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
As the husband leads spiritually, he is also to cherish and love his wife as Christ love the church. Once you are married, you have made that commitment for life as a covenant between the man and woman and God. The two are made one and should love and cherish one another as Christ loves and cherishes His Church. This is the mystery of marriage as it refers to Christ and His relationship to the Church.
Paul then closes this passage of Scripture with a summary.
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Invitation
Christian: If you are a Christian, are preparing now to be the godly husband or wife God may one day call you to be?
God may call you to a life of singleness. If so, will you devote your entire life to following Christ at all costs as Paul did?
Non-Christian: Maybe tonight you are hearing this message and are not a Christian. Tonight you can be by repenting and placing your faith in Christ Jesus.