Let's take our Bibles once again
and turn with me again to the book of Ephesians chapter 5.
I'd like to read verse 22. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands as unto the Lord. Here's a great mystery. Here's
the second half of this great mystery. Submission is a grating thing to the flesh. We're proud by nature. We're
arrogant by nature. We're self-centered by nature. But for the grace of God, when
we read something like, submit, submit, we get in our minds what
that means, and what we do is we put the wrong twist on God's
Word. Wives, let me settle something
for you. This is the greatest position
that God ever put a woman in. The position of being a wife
that subjects herself to a husband that loves her. That's what the word means. Subject
yourself. again to your own husband. Your husband as a type of Christ. He's a type of Christ. If we
get this in our minds now, just remember, a marriage, a marriage. And the world by nature has no
idea what this is. They just, you know, first of
all have got an attitude where you don't have to get married.
Let's live together. That's just absolute rebellion. That's just rebellion. It's wrong,
it's rebellion. Marriage is ordained of God.
Here's the order. And Almighty God, the all-wise
God, ordered that marriage this way. He made and placed a husband
to be the head, to be the responsible one. To love his wife, we just looked
at. And he put a wife in the position of being the recipient. The recipient of all of the benefits
of a husband that loves her. Made her the recipient. Gave her a husband that loves
her, one that's gonna do all for her, and that she's the object
of his love and affection, care. He does all for her. He does
not look at her as rug. You think the Lord Jesus Christ
looks at his bride like a rug, that he put his foot on, put
her down, treat her disrespectfully. You think about how the Lord
loves His church. Brides, wives, this is the attitude
that your husband is to have to you. And submitting yourself
to him is not a grievous thing. That's a wonderful position to
be placed in. Submission is a divine order. I want you to, here again, hold
your place right there. 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians
11. While you're turning there, let
me read one verse here while you're turning to 1 Corinthians
11. In verse 21 of Ephesians 5, this is what Scripture says.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord. subjecting yourself between a
husband and his wife. A husband looks at his wife submitting
himself, subjecting himself in his responsibility to love her
and care for her, protect her. He submits to that responsibility. A wife submits herself to her
husband as the one who loves her. And she, as the submissive
wife, the recipient of his love, submitting yourself. But submission
is of God. Look at 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 1 to
3. Be ye followers of Christ, even
as I also am of Christ. I'm sorry, be ye followers of
me, even as I also am of Christ. Now, I praise you, brethren,
that you remember me in all things and keep the ordinances as I
delivered them to you. But I would have you know that
the head of every man is Christ. Every man is to be in submission
to Christ. The head of the woman is the
man. The head of Christ is God. As I told the men yesterday,
the Lord Jesus Christ as God. He's God. equal with the Father,
the Spirit. But when He made Himself, humbled
Himself, made Himself of no reputation, humbled Himself, He willingly
submitted to the will of the Father. You know why? The Father
loves Him. It's my beloved Son whom I'm
well pleased. You hear Him. The Father trusted
Him. That's who first trusted in Christ.
Before the foundation of the world, the Father saw the Lamb
slain. Father trusted Him and trusted
Him with the well-being and security and redemption and salvation
of all God's elect. Father trusted Him. A wife that
submits herself to her own husband trusts Him. He's going to do
all for me. Why? Because he loves me. You think on this. Wives, your
husband, and this is the great mystery, I was just telling brother
Gary a moment ago, if we could keep this in our mind. Lord help
me to remember, in my position as a husband to my wife, let
me treat her with this thought that I am a picture, I'm a type
of the Lord Jesus. And my attitude toward her, let
it be such. Wives, remember your role, your
position in the home toward your husband is a picture, is a type
of the submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. Believer, let me
ask you, Do you have a problem submitting yourself to the Lord?
No, no. Oh, no. Wives, your husband loves you. Submit to his protection, his
care. He loves you. He loves you. As the bride of Christ, submits to the Lord. What's God's
promise to her? Now listen to this, as the bride
of Christ submits, I just read in 1 Corinthians 11, that a man
submits himself to Christ. Christ submitted himself, God
the Father. It's submission. Submission is
God's order. What is God's promise to those who submit? Look at
Philippians 4.19. If you're in Ephesians 5, just
turn over a couple of pages toward the back. Philippians 4.19. Here it is. Here's God's promise. But my God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now bride, the bride of Christ. Church, listen. This is God's
promise, God's promise, God's promise to the bride. My God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, a wife
that submits herself to her own husband. She's sensitive concerning her
husband, his job, his ability. A wife that submits herself or
subjects herself to her husband that does all he can to provide
for her and comfort her, console her, be her husband. She's not going to go and try
to purchase more than her husband is lovingly able to give her. A wife that submits herself to
her husband recognizes and honors and is thankful for. Her husband's
ability, now I'm not, I'm not, we got a lot of wants. You know,
well I want this, my parents has got this, my sister, her
husband, they get this. A wife that submits herself to
a loving husband that's doing all he can to provide for her
He's going to do all within his ability to provide for her needs,
her needs. Wives, your husband, according
to his ability and his love for you, is not going to let you
go hungry. And I'll tell you this, he's
not going to let anybody hurt you either. He's going to defend
you. If it's going to come between
somebody else and you, somebody else is going to have to take
the brunt of this, because he's going to take care of you. Paul
says, my God shall supply all of your need. Oh, listen, like
I said, we've got a lot of foolish wants, selfish wants. But a wife that submits herself
unto her own husband, as unto the Lord, a believer, one sensitive,
to his position, he's not, you know, he's not going around,
you know, in the name of Jesus, I command you to so and so, I
want this, I want this car and I want this bank account. One
that is sensitive to his Lord's love for him says, Lord, as you
say, that you supply all my need according to your riches in glory
by Christ Jesus, a wife submits herself to her husband's loving
ability. Wives, submit yourself unto your
own husband as unto the Lord. Speak well of him. Speak well
of him and to him. Let me ask you this. How do we
speak? to the Lord in prayer or of the
Lord to each other. When we speak of the Lord, what
is our attitude? You don't hear a believer flippantly
speaking disrespectfully of the Lord. You're not going to hear
that. You're not going to hear these filthy, silly jokes, you
know, of spiritual things, you know, Peter and Pearlie, How do you speak? Wives, submit
yourself. Subject yourself to your husband.
With this thought, I'm subjecting myself to him.
He loves me. And I'm going to speak to him
and of him respectfully toward others. To others. Lord, turn
over to Titus, I'm going to touch on this for a minute. Titus,
Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus. Titus chapter 2, there's a taught
women, aged women, that's what he's talking about. We don't
want to talk about age, do we? But Titus chapter 2 speaks of
the aged. These are believing women that
have been taught something of their responsibility in the home. They're ordained of God in submission
to their husbands. Listen to these things. And this
is in subjection to their husband. This is a role. Titus 2, 3, that the age women
likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness. Walk as a believer. Exhibit yourself
as a believer. Scripture says not false accusers. That is always going around spreading
malicious gossip. Had you hear Did you? Scripture says, not given to
much wine, temperate. Temperate, I don't think I need
to go too much farther on that. Teachers of good things, instead
of foolishness and worldly cares, teachers of honorable things,
godly things. edifying things. Look at verse
4, that they may teach the young women to be wise. Wise. Placing God's honor and
God's glory ahead of all things. 1 Corinthians 10 31, whether
therefore you eat, you drink whatsoever you do, do it for
the glory of God. The next time Something comes
up. Back in 1 Corinthians 13, we
were talking about love and something comes up. Somebody's character
comes up. Somebody's failings come up. Something comes up.
Let me ask you, remember what Brother Henry said that time.
Number one, is it true? Number two, is it kind? Your
answer, whatever it's going to be. Before you say something,
is it true? Is it necessary? You know, that
right there nipped a whole lot of stuff in the bud on it. I'm
telling you, this right here, teach the young women to be wise
and teach them to love their husbands. Aged women, taught
women, believing, sober-minded women, wives of husbands that
love them, listen, teach women, others to love their husbands.
Be an example to them in submission to your husband. Depend on him. Rest in his ability, his love
for you, depending on the husband that loves you particularly. And love your children. Teach
them God's Word. We can go back and I'll, for
sake of time, I won't. Remember how Timothy's mama,
his grandma, they read God's Word to him. Love your children. There's nothing that you do more
for them. Read them God's Word. Teach them
God's Word. I said, well, you know what,
we come to the services, they hear it then. I'm telling you,
you speak to your children. Parents, you wives that are with
your children, if you've got children at home, you're with
them. You teach them. You teach them God's Word. How
do you know God may bless you? Look at Timothy. Love your children,
and in loving your children, discipline them in a God-ordained
way. I'll just read, there's a bunch
of them, I'll just read Proverbs 13, 24. You know, this world
today, we've got this mindset, everything's got to be politically
correct. This thing of corporal punishment
is just, you know, you can't do that. Well, I'm going to tell
you something. We ought to obey God rather than
men. Now listen to me. If you think that, you know,
now I'm not going to spank my children. I'm going to tell you
right now, your disobedience will be dealt with. If you're
a believer, your disobedience is going to be dealt with by
God. I used to tell my kids, if I don't spank you now, and
I'd spank them for disobedience, if I don't spank you now, and
if I'm disobedient to God according to God's word, the Lord will
spank me later. Sarah told me later, she said,
I never understood what she was talking about. She said, until
I grew up and started seeing the attitudes in my children,
if I didn't discipline them. Proverbs 13, 24. He that spareth his rod, hateth
his son. But he that loveth him, chasteneth
him betimes. How many times should I chase
them until they get the point? Until they get the point. Sarah
called me again one day. I don't know what it is about
Sarah, I guess her kids, you know. Called me one time, she's
just crying. Dad, she said I had to spank
one of the girls, she said five times today. I'm just the worst mother. What
do you think?" I said, well, let's just hope she doesn't need
number six. Until they get the point. I'm
not talking about beating them. I'm not talking about abusing
them. But a parent that loves their child. Teach these younger
women, you age women, to love their children. Teach them. Love their husbands, love their
children. Verse 5 in Titus 2 says, to be discreet. To be moderate
in your passion and in your opinion. In your opinion. Be discreet. You know, just, just, it's, often
it's better to just be quiet. Think, think on your answer.
To be chaste. Modest in dress, in words, and
in actions. Why? For your husband's sake. Your husband's sake. Chase. Scripture says, keepers at home.
Told the men yesterday, I looked the word up, keepers, it means
guards. The guards. Guards are the watchers
of the home. Now, the husband is the the head
of the house, he is the one responsible to love you, to provide for you,
to keep you, do all he can for you. The scripture says that
a woman in subjection to her husband is to be keepers at home. Keepers at home. Managers. Managers. A wife sensitive to the home's
needs, manages it. She manages it. Would you like
to take over, Mitch, that position? Manage the home. Keep it up. Whatever it needs, grocery store.
There's not a husband in this room today that wants his wife's
responsibilities at home. I've watched Glenda. I just can't
do it. I'd try, but I just don't think so. She might say, you
don't want to. Well, that may be. Maybe. She's
a keeper of home. She's the watcher. She's the
guard. In subjection to her husband. Keepers at home. Good. that He is kind, obedient
to their own husbands, recognizing your husband to be the loving
authority for your well-being as unto the Lord. And why is
this? That the Word of God be not blasphemed. That the Word
of God be not ill-spoken of. Back in Ephesians 5, Verse 22 says, Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband
is the head of the wife, verse 23, even as Christ is the head
of the church. He's the savior of the body. Therefore, as the
church is subject unto Christ, willingly, gladly, let the wives
be to their own husbands in everything ordained of God. for the order
of the home. Somebody, you know, I'm telling
you, your husband that loves you, protects you, what wife? Now listen, and I'll close with
this. I know the world's distortion
of submission. And as soon as you hear that
word submission, you think, I'm going to be put down. I'm going
to be treated with disrespect. My word is not going to mean
one thing. Husbands, now you listen. You
listen to me. You're the head of the house
in having the responsibility in love to your wife and to watch
her, guard her, protect her, be her comfort. But your wife
has a brain. She has a brain. She is the one
that's been given the responsibility to look to you and to trust you
and submit and subject herself to your authority. As I said
a moment ago when I asked this question, does any believer have
a problem submitting themselves unto the Lord? No. Wife, if your husband is doing
all for you because he adores you. He loves you. You are, in his eyes, the queen
of that home. He has not relinquished his responsibility. He's still the head that has
been given the responsibility to take care of you. Fellas,
it's your responsibility and my responsibility to provide
for that home. And I said, well, I'm going to
just let my wife take over. That's not God's order. Husbands,
you're the head. You're responsible. You take
care of your wife. You protect her. And all of the
needs, wife, that you have for comfort, for security, Provisions
for your home, for your food, for your clothing. If your husband
is doing all that he can out of love for you, as Christ does
the church, why would you not want to subject yourself to him? He's doing all for you, providing
for you. If I were to say, If a person
says they're a believer, they said, I don't find any need to
submit myself to Christ and to His provision and for His protection. And you say, well, I'll tell
you what, you're not a believer. A believer won't say that. A
wife that submits herself to her husband is not submitting
herself to a tyrant. She's submitting to one that
loves her. Husbands, Love your wife as Christ loved the church
and gave himself totally for the church. Wives, submit yourselves
unto your own husbands as unto the Lord, as a believer does
to the Lord because of his love, his ability, his care, and his
unceasing love for her. For Christ's sake, amen.