For SCC - Love and Respect 6-10-07

Sunday was about Mr. and Mrs. Imperfect showing love and respect to one another. We took a brief look at a few verses found in Ephesians 5:21-33 that offer some instruction on a relationship between a husband and wife. We focused on a husband showing love for his wife and a wife showing respect towards her husband.

I prefaced what was presented with the following comments. Family is very important to God. It was His idea. Marriage, the union between a man and woman is very important to God. It was His idea. In Scripture you will find various roles that a husband and wife will fulfill in a marriage. Friends,partner, counselor, lover, confidant, encourager, corrector, buddy. You will not find in Scripture that the wife is too stay at home and be a homemaker and the husband is to go to work and earn the income and the wife is to take care of "homemaker stuff" and the husband is to take care of "manly stuff". You will find that a husband and wife are to honor one another, lift one another up and honor God in their relationship. In Ephesians 5:21-33 you will find that out of honor to Christ we are all to submit to one another and respect one another. You will find that a wife is to submit to her husband as she does to Jesus Christ and that a husband is to love his wife as much as Jesus loved the church and gave His life for the church.

A husband is to love his wife. The Greek word used for love in this passage means an unconditional love, a welcoming love, a love that bestows life into a person. It is the type of love that God has for us. It is not a "I love you if... or a I love you because..." It is a "I love you (period). This love is much more than a feeling. It is an action word. It is self sacrificing, giving, other oriented, and very considerate of the other. This love that the husband is to show for his wife is relational. It moves past rules, regulations, guidelines and preconceived roles. In this type of love the husband is committed to is wife's fulfillment, joy, purpose and beauty.

A wife is to respect her husband. The Greek word used in this passage means for the wife to submit to her husband. It means to arrange under, to submit to one's control, to obey. In the military sense it means to troop divisions under the command of a leader. In the non-military sense it means to have a voluntary attitude of giving in.., cooperating, carrying a burden, to place yourself below the other. a wife is to honor and respect her husband. When a wife submits to er husband as she does to Jesus Christ she is honoring her husband and God. This does not mean that a wife is n to be heard. This does not mean a wife is to be a doormat. this does not mean that a wife is to stay at home and take care of all the "wife stuff". It does mean that a wife is to willingly submit to her husband. It does meant that a wife is to honor her husband. It does mean that a wife is to lift up her husband and respect him.

Love and Respect is not all there is to a marriage relationship. There is much more, but the Ephesians passage is about love and respect. the two words if fleshed out taught in this passage will produce satisfying fruit in a marriage relationship.

As a Hope Deal I have to opportunity to be involved in wedding ceremonies of various types, but every couple has one intent in their marriage, "BLISS". These truth of love and respect can lead to marriage bliss.