Coming out of the exposition of God's holy word in congregation, let me ask you, please, to take your Bibles out at this time. And we want to turn back to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, as we continue in our exposition of the book of Ephesians, we, of course, are considering in this second portion of the book these very practical words of instruction, words of practical Christian living And specifically, Paul is addressing in our text the subject of homes and godly marriages. If you will, please look with me in Ephesians chapter 5, beginning in verse 22. Again, we read these words. Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church. and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the Church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word. 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. So husbands ought to love their own 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 the Lord does the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Let's now join together before the Lord in prayer. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you again as we open up your precious Word. where we find in your word the infallible, inerrant, and very sufficient word to us of your will, of your desire for us, your people. Father, we are grateful that as we live in a world of lies and twisting of scripture and of truth itself, that we can open up your word and we can receive it and embrace it and believe it for what it says, the very Word of God. Father, we pray that today as we come to your Word, you will enable us by your grace to do just that. That we would be found not fighting your Word, but faithful to receive it and believe it. That we would have hearts that are humble and teachable and that we would seek not only to understand what you have declared, but to own it as truth and to implement it in our lives and families. Father, we thank you for this sure word, and we pray that you would bless your people, strengthen our homes and families and marriages, that they would truly be in accordance with your will and for your honor and glory. And Father, we pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. And for his sake, we pray. Amen. As we continue in our exposition today, we come to the duties of husbands specified beginning in verse 25. We of course are looking at what the Bible says about the family and what it says about a godly marriage. In a day where marriage duties are ridiculed, we seek to reassert the will of God on these matters. These matters especially need to be emphasized today because they are often neglected, are sloughed over, are repudiated, are ridiculed, so this is not a day to simply try to avoid the Bible, this is a day to declare the Word of God. Amen? This is a day to affirm the teaching of Holy Scripture. We recognize that the Word of God is infallible and it is inerrant. Now, we have already said, related to marriage, that marriage is God's institution. It is his provision. God alone created it. We looked at that several weeks ago. He constituted it, and therefore he defines it as he wishes. And who are we to speak anything contrary to that? Secondly, we have noted that God's purpose for marriage is the glory of God, And then, as a subsidiary reality, it is for companionship, procreation, and for the avoidance of sin. And we looked at that. We then talked about God's plan for marriage. And we actually find the verse in our text today. It is that verse in Genesis 224, leaving, cleaving, and becoming one flesh. We said that's God's blueprint for marriage. Critical to God-glorifying marriage is a clear understanding of those God-ordained roles for wives, for husbands, according to God's Word. Now, previously we have dealt with the responsibility of the wives, which is submission. We began with a message that gave a basic explanation of the text, and then we spent four weeks talking about those four aspects of submission. What are those four aspects? We already talked about these in those four different messages. Submission is a reverencing of the husband, obeying of the husband, assistance that is to the husband. She's to be his helpmate. And then last week we talked about modesty. You say, Pastor, why do we spend all of those weeks on the wife? Well, and I said this at the very beginning, because that is the template of how the Puritans and Reformed Christians have understood the duty of wife submission. It wasn't that we were just trying to hobby horse on a particular subject, but we were fleshing out what is the historic, Reformed, and Puritan view of what it means for a wife to submit. They identified four things, and so we spent four weeks talking about those four things. Today we want to come to the responsibility of the husband. And of course we have here the statement about love, but as we will see as we continue in our study, the Puritans identified two areas, not four, but two areas that identify the responsibility of the husband. Simply stated, and we'll cover this more in detail later, but it is loving and leading. Those are the two aspects of the husband's duty, two things that are identified. So let's look today, beginning with an overview of the passage itself, beginning in verse 25, and we note the instruction for husbands. The instruction for husbands. At the beginning in verse 25, part A, we have the duty stated. The duty stated. Husbands, love your wives. And so there, in a very simple statement, is this duty that Paul gives for the husbands. They are to love their wives. Now, if you'll hold your place here and just turn with me just a few pages over in your Bibles, look with me please over in Colossians. Some of you know that Colossians is something of a parallel as it relates to this subject of the home. So, in Colossians chapter 3, look with me please at verses 18 and 19. You see this same teaching, not worded exactly the same, but in verse 18, Colossians 3, wives, submit to your own husbands as is fitting to the Lord. Verse 19, husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. So there again you have those basic duties that are stated. It parallels, now turning back to Colossians chapter 5, you see that this parallels what we see in our text in Ephesians. So in verse 25 Paul says husbands have a specific duty. And what is this duty? They are to love their wives. That's their responsibility. The word that Paul uses here is that word agape love. Agapao is the Greek word. This is not the other words that we may expect to find in the Bible that is a word for love. You have the word eros, which is another Greek word for love, which talks about a kind of a lust. It's where we get our word erotic. You can almost hear the word erotic in that Greek word eros, erotic love. The kind of love that people fall into one day and then fall out of the next. And sadly, that's I think what happens often in marriages. It's not really agapao, agape love, but really it's that eros, that physical aspect. He does not use, secondly, the word phileo, which is that word of brotherly love. No, what he uses in verse 25 is this word agape, agapao, which is a word that speaks of a selfless, sacrificial love that is an unreserved devotion seeking her very best. That's the meaning of this word. That's what Paul is giving to us. And of course, God is giving to us through Paul to the husbands as their duty. Now, this idea of love, two things about the grammar here I just want to point out. It is a present tense and it is an imperative. The fact that it is in present tense means that this is to be a continual and unconditional duty that husbands are to follow. They are constantly, continually, and unconditionally be loving selflessly their wives. Secondly, we see that this is an imperative. It is a command. This means, gentlemen, husbands, that this is not some optional thing. It isn't like, well, I will love my wife if she submits to me, or if she pleases me, or if she's the ideal of what I think she ought to be. No, the responsibility of husbands is that they have this command that they are to love their wives. It is to be constant, continual. It is a command by God Himself to husbands related to the wife. Now, when we talk about the subject of love in general, we recognize that we are called to love. That is the mark of Christians. Amen? That we are to be loving. That is a mark of Christianity, an emphasis that is central God's love for us, our love for Him, our love for one another. And we are commanded repeatedly to have this love manifested. In fact, turn with me in your Bibles and we'll just look at a few verses talking about this subject of love. And I want to start in the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Leviticus 18. I'm sorry, Leviticus chapter 19. We're going to look at verse 18. Leviticus 19 and verse 18, and this should sound familiar because it's a verse and a statement that Jesus repeats and is found in the New Testament. Leviticus 19 and verse 18, you shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but, and here's what I want you to see, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Here in Leviticus is this command of loving your neighbor as yourself. Well, we know very well as we turn and please look with me over in Matthew chapter 5, this reality is repeated over and over. This duty to love others. And so in Matthew chapter 5 verses 43 through 48, we read this statement here, which would have been perhaps shocking in the ears of the Jews of the first century day. Jesus said, Matthew 5, 43, you have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. You may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For, verse 46, if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore, you shall be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. So we see here this idea of love and Jesus magnifies this. Yes, we are to love our neighbor. But Jesus says, you're to love, verse 44, your enemies. What a high bar the Sermon on the Mount brings to bear as it relates to kingdom living. Look with me, please, over in Matthew 22. And in Matthew 22, beginning in verse 34, we have another statement about love. Matthew 22 and verse 34, but when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him and saying, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. and the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Basically what Jesus is saying is a summary of the Decalogue. The first table of the Decalogue, commandments 1 through 4, you are to love God, verse 37, that with all of your heart, soul, and mind. And then the second table has to do with our love to God as it is expressed horizontally with others. And so he says, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Now, of course, the question that often is asked, well, who is my neighbor? And Jesus actually answers that question in the parable of the Good Samaritan. We're not going to take the time to read that passage, but there in the parable that we're very familiar with, it is those who are close in proximity that we have the ability to help. And so that's the message there about who our neighbor is. But share with me please, if you will, over in John's Gospel chapter 15. So we are to love our neighbor, we are to love our enemies, we are to love our neighbor as ourself, and then in John 15 we see we are to love one another, which is basically a synonym of these things. And so Jesus again hearing his words in John 15 beginning in verse 9 As the Father loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. And then notice verse 12. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. So, we've already been told we are to love one another. Now we are told here by Jesus we are to love one another as Christ has loved us. Notice again verse 17. These things I command you that you love one another. Now, turn with me over, if you will, to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 14. 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 14, here we see something about how pervasive this love is to be. It is essentially to regulate everything that we do. Paul says 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 14, let all that you do be done with love. Congregation, that's pretty extensive. Amen? Let all that you do be done with love. And then, if you will, please look with me over in 1 Peter chapter 4. Again, as we're laying down this duty generally, before we get to specifically love of wife, we see again this general duty of love to one another by the Apostle Peter, 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 8. Peter gives us another insight into the kind of love we're to have for one another. 1 Peter 4 and verse 8, he says, And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. The word there, fervent, in the Greek New Testament Ektenes means earnestly and constantly. That's the kind of love we are to have one for another. It is to be earnest and it is to be constant. So, congregation, we acknowledge that when we talk about the subject of love, and here we're talking about loving our wives if we're a husband, we first of all recognize that there is this general duty to love one another, even our enemies. And it is to regulate everything that we do, and there is to be this fervency and constancy to that love we have for one another. Secondly, I want us to turn over in Luke's gospel, and please look with me in Luke, to chapter 14. Chapter 14. Because there is another thing about this general love that needs to be stated as we set the stage for what we're looking at in Ephesians. While we are commanded to love one another, love our neighbor, The duty of love involves various degrees of love. It involves various degrees of love. You say, where does that come from? Well, look at the words of Jesus. Luke 14, verse 25 and 26. It says, Now great multitudes went with Him, and He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also. He cannot be my disciple." Now, of course, this is the same Jesus who commands us to love one another and love even our enemies. And yet here he says that this idea, if it comes right down to it, is that we are to be prepared to even hate our own families for the sake of following and loving Christ and loving God. What is Jesus saying here? Jesus is not contradicting himself. Amen? He never contradicts himself. Jesus is not repealing the fifth commandment here and that we should no longer love our parents or our families. No, what Jesus is saying is that love for God must be preeminent in our lives, even if it means that our love for others are in opposition to that love of God. Congregation, this teaching is what we call the doctrine of ordered love, or the ordo amoris. How many of you have heard of that terminology? The Ordo Amoris, some of us have. This was articulated by Augustine, and it has become the hallmark of Orthodox teaching throughout the history of the Church. This idea of ordered loves. You say, well, what does that mean? Well, it means that love is not a one-size-fits-all command. We do not love everyone to the exact same degree in exactly the same way. I mean, that's just the reality. You're going to love your children more than you're going to love my children. Even though my children are very lovable, and I hope you love my children. But you're going to love your children more than you're going to love my children. That's not abnormal. That's not unbiblical. That's natural. That makes sense. That's a part of that ordered love. What is this idea of the ordo amoris? Well, it basically says ordered love is, number one, and there are three points I want to quickly share. Ordered love is, firstly, love for God It must be supreme. We love God supremely. And that's basically what Jesus is saying in our text, isn't it? We must love God supremely and put Him first, even if it means that we have to turn from our family, because we love God supremely. Secondly, number two, ordered love means that love for any created thing must be proportional to their place in God's order. Now let me repeat that if you're taking notes. Love for any creative thing must be proportional to their place in God's order. That is, we don't love everyone exactly the same. Most of us acknowledge that, and the illustration of loving our children shows that. And then number three, the third part that you want to take down. Disordered love means that sin is a disordered love. Sin is actually a disordered form of love. Someone who loves rest, well that can lead to what? Sloth and laziness. They love rest. to the point where it becomes sinful. And whenever you think of any sin, whether it's lusting or you can just fill in the blank, what it is is disordered love. We're setting our love on that sinful thing rather than love to God pre-eminently. So sin is disordered love. So we affirm what we would call ordered love when we talk about love, the idea of ordo amoris. Now this, I will say this parenthetically, this makes the heads of progressive and Marxist Christians explode when you say this. Because progressive Christians talk about equality and equity and victimhood and oppressor and oppressed, and that fills their thinking to the point that they think that there is this kind of indiscriminate love and there's no distinctions whatsoever. The congregation, that is unbiblical. You love your family more than you love other families. That's not wicked. That's normal. You love your country more than you love other countries. Amen? That's what we sometimes call America first. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not wicked. It's not evil. That's biblical and normal ordered love. You love your wife, as we're talking about love. You love your wife more than you love any other women, if you're a husband. Would anyone debate that that's proper in its expectation? This idea of ordered love is stated in many different ways. I want to look at just a couple of verses here. Turn with me in your Bibles over to Galatians chapter 6. A couple of examples of this. This idea of Ordo Amoris, Galatians 6 and verse 10. Here Paul is writing, again, a very practical word, Galatians 6 and verse 10. He says, therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all. So there's that universal statement, do good to all. But then notice what he says after good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. There is this idea of priority. There's this idea of an orderliness. Yes, we are to do good to all, but we are to have this unique sense of duty and affection to those who are of the household of faith and doing good unto them. That's not wicked, that's not somehow unequal love, that's what the Apostle Paul says is to be our perspective on this subject. Do good to all, especially, especially to the household of God. Notice again over in your Bibles, turn over to 1 Timothy chapter 5. this idea of ordered loves, ordo amoris, 1 Timothy 5 and verse 8. And again, this is just really setting the stage for what we're looking at. It's not a whole message on this subject. But 1 Timothy 5 and verse 8, we have these words, Paul writing to Timothy. He says, but if anyone does not provide for his own And especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. You see, there are these circles of concern and priority. And we are to be concerned here, speaking of caring for your own household, there is this responsibility of caring for your own and your own household. before the concern goes beyond that into other areas. And again, that's this idea of ordered love. It doesn't mean that we don't love other people. It doesn't mean that we don't do good to other people. It doesn't mean that we don't help other people. No, I'm not saying that. But what I am saying is that, yes, there is this orderliness to our love. Now, as we turn back to Ephesians chapter 5, I don't think anyone would disagree that when we read in verse 25 that our duty as husbands is to love our wives, that that love we have for our wives is going to be a lot more intense and devoted than the love we have for other sisters in Christ in the fellowship. or co-workers in the office place, or our neighbors. Yes, we should love all of those folks too, but there is this ordered love that is evidenced here. Husbands are to love their wives. Now, if you want to study more about this idea of the Ordo Amoris, there are some helpful resources online. One very excellent article on this subject is found on Founder's Ministry. How many of you are familiar with Founder's Ministries? Excellent Reformed Baptist articles that are found there. And there's a whole article on the biblical nature of this teaching. This is not some radical thing. This is in the mainstream of Christianity, yet it has been kind of subverted to some extent in our culture today. So now looking back in Ephesians chapter 5, we see first of all in verse 25 this duty that is stated. And what is this duty? Husbands, love your wives with this agape love, this selfless, sacrificial, unreserved love It is in the present tense, you're to do so constantly, and it is a command, it's not an option, you're to love her regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in. This is a command by God to all husbands. Now, notice beginning in verse 25 part B, running down through verse 27, we then have the manner of this love You say, what is the way in which we can think of this? What is the model? What is the pattern? What is the example for the kind of love that husbands are to have for their wives? Well, congregation, our example is Jesus Christ Himself. So notice, if you will, verse 25, part B. Number one, it is to be a sacrificing love. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. Jesus declared, greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. And this is the idea of sacrificial love. It is this daily, willingly, selflessly, to lay down ourselves for her sake. And this is our duty as husbands. This is what Christ did for us. Notice in verse 26, not only is it a sacrificing love, but it is a sanctifying love. He says, husbands, love your lives. And then he says, verse 26, that he, speaking of Christ, may sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. So there are two imagery statements made about Christ and His love for the Church here. First of all, He says it is a sanctified love. That word sanctify is the word hagios. It means to set apart, consecrate, to make holy. This is what Christ has done for us. Amen? In position, in our conversion, we have that definitive sanctification whereby we are set apart unto the Lord and then we progressively grow in sanctification. This is what Christ has done in His love for the church. Thirdly, not only is this love that Christ has for His church sacrificing and sanctifying, but look at the end of verse 26, it is purifying, purifying. For not only that He might sanctify, but cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word. this idea of washing. Of course, this is a picture that speaks of regeneration. This is a picture that speaks of cleansing. And whenever we baptize a convert in Christ, we dip them into the water. And what is that symbolically showing? That they have been washed and buried with Christ, and they have been resurrected to new life in Christ. Praise be to God. And there has been this cleansing of all filthiness, and sin, and anything that would keep one from a right relation to the Son of God. The Word of God, the Gospel, is that which brings that purifying for God's people. Look at verse 27. Again, as he just stacks up these different descriptions, Christ's love is not only a sacrificing love, a sanctifying love, a purifying love, But then in verse 27, it is a perfecting love. He says that he, Christ, 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. Congregation, when we think about this, this is what Christ has done for us in his salvation. Amen? that we have this wonderful reality. Now, we, as God's people, we still struggle with remaining sin. And we will battle to mortify sin all of our lives. And there never is a point where we kind of kick into a second stage Christianity where we have perfection. That's what some teach, but that's not biblical. But the reality is that we who are in Christ, we have this assurance that while we are being gradually cleansed and sanctified by God's grace, we will stand ultimately in glorification in absolute, actual, personal, real perfection before Almighty God. This is an encouragement to us because we battle with sin daily, but we know that as we walk in holiness, we have that hope that the battle will one day be over. Congregation, all of these things, verses 25 through 27, these are the ways in which Christ is the model, the pattern, the example to husbands as to how they are to love their wives. So notice in verses 28 through 30, he makes this connection. He gives the duty, we're to love our wives. Then he gives the manner, and the example is Christ. And then in verses 28 through 30, he connects these two things together. He says, verse 28, In like manner, so husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. You, if you have a wife, you have been brought into vital union with her in a sense. You have clung unto her, that leaving, cleaving, and what? Becoming one flesh. And so in that reality, this is how this doctrine applies within the system and institution of matrimony. Notice verse 29 and 30, the provision that you have for her. It says, for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of his body and his flesh and of his bones. He says, you are to love, verse 28, your wives as yourself. That's what husbands are called to do. And then he says, consider how you love yourself. You nourish yourself. You cherish yourself. Everyone does that because you take care of your basic needs. The idea there of nourish is providing basic needs. food, clothing, shelter, all the things that are necessary. The idea of cherishing in verse 29 is this idea of affection. How does this apply to our wives and our love for her? Well, we are to nourish her by providing everything needful to her. Not only her physical needs, but also her spiritual needs. That's our duty. And of course, we'll be looking at that in more detail in subsequent studies. But this is what Paul is saying here. We are to follow the pattern of Christ and the Church, and we are to be loving our wives like our own bodies. Christ is the head and the church is his body. We are the head and our wives are to be loved like our own bodies. That's what he is saying. We are to take care and provide and we are to see to all of her needs. We are members, verse 30, of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. So, throughout this consideration, Paul is using this language pointing us to the picture of Christ and His Church, which he already has done in the text, and he continues to follow in that same vein. So, having noted this instruction for husbands, here's the duty, love your wives, and then what's the pattern? like Christ loves the church, and then the application of that, you're to love your own body, nourish and cherish it. Notice verse 31 through 33, what are the implications of all of this as it relates to marriage? Well, three things we want to note here. Number one, look at verse 31. Marriage involves this intentional union. It involves this intentional union. He says in verse 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. This of course is what we've already quoted. It's Genesis 2 verse 24. We call this, and really it was Wayne Mack who originally called it this, that blueprint for a godly marriage, a leaving, a cleaving, and a becoming one flesh. And so here we see again this verse in Genesis as it is repeated by the Holy Ghost here in this context as Paul speaks of it as it relates to marriage. Marriage involves this intentional union that is a priority. Again, we're to love all indiscriminately, but there is this special love and devotion found in that context of holy matrimony. Love your wives, husbands, as Christ loved the church. And do that as you love your own body. Look at verse 32. He says, not only does marriage involve intentional union, Marriage presents a spiritual illustration, which of course he's already been hinting at. So in verse 32 he says this striking statement, this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. That word mystery there is the word musturion in the Greek New Testament, and it has this idea of a truth that previously has been concealed, but now has been revealed. It was hidden, but now it's made open and well known in this present gospel age. And he says here, as he's talking about the husband and wife relationship, he says, this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Listen to the words of Dr. Stephen Ball. He is a professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary. He says, and I quote, by mystery, Paul means the hidden plan of God that has come to fulfillment in Christ Jesus. Thus, this quotation about marriage from Genesis 2.24 ties into the relationship between Christ and his church. Paul's meaning is profound. He interprets the original creation of the husband and wife union as itself modeled on Christ's forthcoming union with the church as his body. Therefore, marriage from the beginning of creation, Genesis chapter 1, was created by God to be a reflection of and pattern after Christ's relation to the Church. Thus, Paul's commands regarding the roles of husbands and wives do not merely reflect the culture of his day, but present God's ideal for all marriages at all times, as exemplified by the relationship between the Bride of Christ, the Church, and Christ himself, the Son of God. So, what we see here, this profound reality, is that when we think about the Church and Christ, Christ is the head of the Church. Amen? Now, He has ordained under-shepherds, pastors, but those under-shepherds are under-shepherds. They are under Jesus Christ. There is only one head of the church, amen? And that is Jesus Christ. Yes, He has ordained leadership and He has given them the authority to be ministering in the name of and for the sake of Christ, but Christ is the head of the church. And the church is what? It is the body of Christ. And we could run all kinds of references seeing that this imagery is stated over and over again in the scriptures. He is the head. We are the body. Paul talks about how some of us are like arms and legs and foots and hands and we all have different parts to play. We're not all the same members, but we're all united under the head who is Jesus Christ. And we are part of that body. Another language and imagery that is used is that Christ has a what? A bride. And that is the church. So whenever you think about the relationship of Christ and the church, that becomes a template. It becomes a go-by for us to think about the marriage relationship. The marriage relationship has a definite head, doesn't it? And that is the husband. He is the head of the family. And again, we recognize that's not popular by unbelievers and those who hate God's Word, but it's clearly stated. And we've looked at so many verses in the past showing that to be true. The husband is the head And there is this close, inseparable, absolutely essential relationship of the body with the head. Speaking of the wife. I mean, you think about it. Men, we may be the head, but if you decapitate the head from the body, you're not going to live very long, are you? You're not going to be useful. Because there is that necessary connection to the body. And so this is exactly what we've already seen. While he states this mystery in verse 32, he's already talked about it. If you look back up in verse 23, For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church, and He is Savior of the body. That's the connection. This headship and submission. Just as the church submits to Christ, wives submit to their husbands. That idea of headship and submission. And this is the mystery. This is the glorious reality of how we are to view and see the marriage relationship. Now, obviously, as we continue in our study, we will see how it is fleshed out that the husband represents Christ in the home, and there are various duties related to that. But this is this spiritual illustration that Paul speaks of in verse 32. Notice in verse 33, as we conclude this morning, we see not only this intentional union related to marriage and this spiritual illustration, but we see that marriage requires this dual obligation. Verse 33, Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. So there again you see this dual obligation. First, the husbands, what is their obligation? You are to love your own wife Verse 33, as yourself, love your own wife as himself. And what is the responsibility of the wife? She is to respect or reverence her husband. And we hinted at this the other day, but the word there, respect, is that word phobia, which is where we get our word phobia. It's the idea of an exceeding reverence for So that makes perfect sense when you understand this analogy of headship. We reverence Jesus Christ. Amen? We ought to. And that is what Paul says is the pattern for our marriages as well. Husbands are called to love their wives. They are called to love their wives, not just with a kind of general love as we have seen in the Scriptures. We're commanded to love one another. We're commanded to love our neighbor. We're commanded to love our enemies. We're called to let love regulate everything we do. And we're to love everyone with that fervency that Peter speaks about in 1 Peter 4. But as it relates to this duty of husbands, we have this duty to love our wives, verse 33, as ourselves. And this is a great love. That love that is selfless. That love that is unreserved affection. That devotion that speaks of her highest good that we have for her. So the question for us husbands today is, are you doing that? Are you loving your wife like Christ loves the church, sacrificially, and with this spirit of this intensity and priority that is laid before us in this text? Husbands, that's your duty before God, to so love your wife. Husbands, your example and model and pattern is not just looking at what other husbands and they're doing and saying, This is kind of how they love their wife. No, don't be looking at other people. Paul says, look to Jesus Christ. Jesus is our example. Jesus' love is sacrificing, sanctifying, purifying, and perfecting, as Paul declares in this text. And so that's the intensity of the love that we are to have for our wives. Husbands and wives, we see at the end of this verse that marriage as a spiritual illustration exemplifies Christ and his headship and the church as the body and the bride of Jesus Christ. In marriage, the husband is the head and wives are the bride, and there is this unique, integral devotion and commitment that is found. This requires this double obligation of loving and of submitting and respecting. Purgation, it's simple, it's straightforward, but this is exactly what we need. Amen? This is practical words. Practical words for us here today, maybe you've been married for 50 years. Maybe you've been married for 5 years and you need some more of this. And so as we think about these messages, it's not just for those who say, you know what, I already know all that stuff. We have marriages here at various stages of maturity and development and they all need to hear these words related to the home. God's Word is a call to all of us to submit, obey, and follow what God says. My friend, if you are not in Jesus Christ, then these things, they are foreign to you. They are repulsive and repugnant to a lost heart. But to those who know Jesus Christ, it is that which is a delight because it reveals to us what God's will for us is. And those who love Christ, they desire with all of their hearts to do what He says. My friend, if that is not you, then the call of the Gospel to you is to turn and repent and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord. May you be a part of that body where Christ is the head. And you have union with Him and life eternal, ultimately perfection in all eternity with Jesus Christ. Let's bow together in prayer. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word today. Again, very practical, straightforward preaching that deals with these issues that hit us right where life is. Help us, Lord, that we would seek to be followers of Christ. rather than our culture. Help us that we would hold high the standard where people want to avoid controversy. Help us, Lord, in these days where marriage is under attack with great intensity from our adversary, to not shy away, but to be ever more bold. Yes, humble and loving, but bold in declaring your truth. And Father, may we not only declare it, but help us by your grace that as husbands and wives, as our marriages develop and mature, that we would be found following what your word says. We love you and we want to follow what you have declared and what you have commanded that you might be pleased and honored. Father, we pray all of this. In Christ's holy name, amen.