portion of God's holy and infallible Word. We're going to look at Ephesians chapter 5 and verses 24 to 27 which reads, Therefore as the church is subject of the Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it might be holy and without blemish. Amen. May the Lord bless the reading of his holy word. The message we're going to be looking at here on this very happy occasion is a wonderful Christian marriage. A wonderful Christian marriage. It's a joyful day. It should be a joyful day. Weddings and marriage is a joyful, wonderful thing. Why? We have to ask ourselves why? Did it come from man? From man's wisdom? No. It's a wonderful thing because it is a gift from God. God's wonderful, beautiful design. So we pray as we look at this portion of Scripture that not only the happy couple here in front of us, but also all those who are married and thinking about marriage would see the blessings of marriage, see what it means to be a husband who loves their wife, and a wife who loves her husband. The first point that we're going to look at, we're gonna look at two things. Number one, a wonderful example, a wonderful example, and that is Christ himself. You see it here in the text. It says in verse 25, husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Verse 24, it says, the church is subject unto Christ. In all these things, the great example that we have is Christ himself, how he lived and how he laid down his life for his bride. God is good. Friends, if I was to ask you here this afternoon, on this wonderful afternoon, what does good mean? If you could define what goodness is, by what standard do we measure what goodness is? Have you ever heard of someone who came into this world and lived a perfectly good life? There's only one, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just an example alone, but the perfect example who died in the place of sinners such as you and I. And praise God, we can say our brother here, Kieran, was trusted in Jesus Christ, turned away from his sin, loves Christ, a sinner saved by grace, and also our dear sister, Chloe, saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But in that, trusting in Christ, it means following that perfect example. In marriage, and in every part of life, because we see that he is good. Altogether, lovely. Wonderful, and if you look up to someone, dear friends, if you think they are wonderful, If you have an older brother or an older sister you think highly of, or perhaps a father or a mother, you may try to imitate them in many things that they do in their lives. Imitate Christ. However, if you're seeking to go to heaven by your own imitation of Christ, you'll fall far short. Our greatest works are but filthy rags, Isaiah 64 verse six tells us. But yet at the same time, though we fall short, we still seek to follow after him. So Kieran, I say to you here this afternoon, the greatest example you will ever follow is Christ himself. And it's a high standard, look at it in our text. As Christ loved the church, Are you called to love your wife a little? A little bit more than your neighbor? Oh, I don't want to be like him. You know, so-and-so down the road. No, friends. We're to love. All who are husbands here, we're to love our wives as Christ loved the church. And what did Christ do for the church? He died. He laid down his life for the church. Thank you, Lord. in your submission out of love toward your husband? Who is the greatest example to follow? Who humbled himself even unto death at the cross? Christ is the supreme glorious example. And we give Him all the praise, all the honor, and all the glory. It says in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 8, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Marriage is wonderful, but it's also challenging. Why? Because we're sinners. We have many blemishes. We have many imperfections. We have to be patient with each other. We have to care for one another. But the next time we think, hmm, I can't do that, that's too lowly for me, think about Christ. Think about what he did. Think about what he was willing to endure for his people, his bride, the church. Our second point that we're going to look at here this afternoon is this, a wonderful expression. So a wonderful example, Christ. He's the greatest example we will ever follow. He is the one by whom we are saved. We can't be saved by our own works, only by His finished work at the cross. But also, there's a wonderful expression in this marriage, love relationship between Christ and the bride. There must be a relationship shared. There must be tokens of affection. There must be sweet communion, one with another. And that's what Christ does for his bride. Reassuring, comforting. It says in Song of Solomon, let him, that is Christ, kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine. The church yearns, the bride of Christ yearns after her husband. She longs for those sweet, wonderful kisses from his mouth, which is speaking, of course, about the word of the living God, those wonderful promises. And Song of Solomon is called the Song of Songs. It is the ultimate expression of love. That's why I can't be talking about a human relationship. I'm sorry about that. It is speaking about Christ and His church. If you want to see the ultimate example, I know we come across marriages and we think, I would love to have a marriage like those two people. But the most wonderful expression of love is between Christ and His bride. Wonderful, the song of songs, the ultimate expression of love. You will not find it anywhere in this world quite like what Christ has for the bride and what the bride has for her husband. She is drawn, look at verse 26 in our text, that he might sanctify and cleanse with the washing of water by the word. Your love, Kieran, for your wife, what is it to do? What is the purpose of it? Now, of course, you will seek to please your wife, and Chloe, you will seek to please your husband, but it has to be more than just pleasing each other. You must place Christ first in your relationship. If you're so blessed to have children, Don't make idols out of your children. Don't make idols out of your marriage. It's a wonderful gift from God, but place Christ first. The closer you are to Christ as a couple, as individuals, the closer you will be to one another. But of course, take the example of Christ. Take the example of that wonderful expression that he would cleanse his bride. You see that? Through the husband's love of the wife, it's to seek that she would be more godly, closer to Christ. You see the emphasis? And it ought to be the same for the wife toward the husband. The wife thinks, is my love and affection, is these expressions of my love for my husband, drawing him closer to Christ, cleansing him by the word of God. And of course, we fall short. And of course, you will fall short. And you will have to ask the Lord for forgiveness like we all do in marriage. All those blessed to be married, but learn from him who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who loves his bride, the church. And as we conclude, Looking at this portion, this glorious, wonderful portion of Scripture. Friends, are you married? Love your spouse. Are you not married? Love your neighbor. Love as Christ loved. And of course, yes, we will fall short. But look unto Christ's finished work, dear friends. Look unto Him and be ye saved. All the ends. of the earth. You cannot be saved in your own works. You cannot be saved in your own efforts. We're all sinners. I am a sinner. The Lord took pity upon me in March of 2009. Opened my eyes to see the heinousness of my sin. And he opened my eyes to see the wondrous beauty of Christ. And so I fled away from my sin. to the beauty of Christ. And we pray for the Lord's blessing upon this couple, beginning something new here this day, before God, joined by God together. And friends, may you be blessed by God here this day, but it's only in and through Jesus Christ. There's no other name under heaven. by which we may be saved. Amen.