Husbands, Love Your Wives

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 should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. - Ephesians 5:25-30

    This is still and always will be the key to any relationship. Because Christ loved us, he gave himself for us! Because we love Christ, his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Because we love our children, we never forsake them nor leave them to provide for themselves. Because we love our parents, we would never think of disowning nor neglecting them. Well, marriage is the establishment of a new home; a new family of parents, children, and people united in love and holy vows before God; and there should be no thought of any member of that family casting off, deserting, nor forsaking the others. The world may do this, but not believers. Our Lord plainly defined the evidence and proof of discipleship; “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another” (John 13:35). Love does not leave a beloved! Love bestows the best on the object of affection. In verse 28 Paul insists that we are to “love one another as we love ourselves.” No man, he says, ever hated, deserted, forsook, nor disowned his own body. So, I insist that the very thought of forsaking wife and children and the testimony of Christ would be offensive to a believer. Christ has never forsaken me; how can I turn my back on those I love?