Marriage – Christ’s Example I
Daily Confession: The word of God is the truth and the light inside of me. My life is filled with peace each and everyday. The LORD has erased every sorrow, He has given me oil of gladness in place of heaviness. He has given me Joy that overflows in all that I do. The Lord orders my steps everyday, therefore I will never be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Favour of God catapults my destiny to place of fulfillment therefore my dreams in life can never be truncated. I am blessed and favoured always. Hallelujah!
Memorize: The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Ephesians 5:23
Bible Reading: Ephesians 5: 22-30
22. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Message
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 2:24
“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:32
The union of a man and woman in marriage is a mystery because it conceals, as in a parable, a truth about Christ and the Church. The divine reality in the concept of marriage is that God ordained a permanent union between His Son and the Church.
Marriage between a man and a woman is the earthly representation of this divine plan. As God willed for Christ and the Church to become one body (Galatians 3:28 ; 1 Corinthians 12:13 ), so He desires for marriage to reflect this pattern.
Husbands and wives should consciously copy God’s model for the relationship between Christ and the Church. Some essentials of this divine model are as follow:
First, the Church is to be led by Christ as the woman is to be led by her husband. The responsibility of the man is to see the vision for the family and that of the woman is to submit to the leadership of her husband as they work together to fulfil it.
It is also the responsibility of Christ to provide while the Church puts the resources into use so as to achieve the joint goal.
The man is to provide for the home; in fact, 1 Timothy 5:8 describes anyone who does not provide for his home as worse than an infidel, having rejected the faith.
The wife being a help mate should however support the resources provided by the man (while also supporting as much as she can) for the good of the home, not for buying frivolous jewelry or shoes, except where the man has provided specifically for that.
The wife being a help mate should however support the man as much as she can (Genesis 2:18, Ephesians 5:22 ).
If we could pattern our marriages according to the relationship between Christ and the Church, we would have many more fulfilling marriages today.
Prayer Points:
Thank You, FATHER, for establishing the marriage institution for companionship, sexual fulfilment and for procreation.
Thank You, FATHER, for giving me a better and deeper understanding of marriage, as the relationship between Christ and the church.
FATHER, let every evil arrow of incessant and unnecessary quarrel, separation and divorce, fired into my home and marriage, go back to sender, in Jesus name.
FATHER, let every spirit of selfishness, self-centeredness and pride, in my life and in the life of my spouse, that is threatening the foundation of my marriage, be consumed by Your fire, in Jesus name.
FATHER, silence every storm kindled by outsiders, in-laws, extended family members, wrong counsels, lack and financial difficulties, in my marriage and home, in Jesus name.
BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 8:1-36
Proverbs 9:1-18
Proverbs 7:1-27 KJV