Well, we'll continue our meditation
in the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians and the fifth chapter,
and we'll read this evening from verse 21 to the end, verse 33. It's all really linked into the
one theme, so we won't divide it up. So the fifth chapter of
the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians and verse 21. Submitting yourselves, one to
another, in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the
head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and
he is the saviour of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto 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. And
he might sanctify and cleanse it with a washing of water by
the word, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church,
not having spots 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 cherishes it, even as the Lord
the church. that we are members of his body,
of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let
every one of you in particular, so love his wife even as himself,
and the wife see that she reverence her husband." Well, we should be thankful that
the word of God is so comprehensive toward us and speaks to us in
detail with regard to our own life as we journey on through
this world. and to realise the relevance
of such statements that we have here. As the Apostle says, submitting
yourselves one to another in the fear of God. It's a great
blessing to do just that, to submit ourselves one to another,
to do the will of God, and not to follow and do our own will,
but to be blessed with this attitude of submission, one to another. And of course, the great line
is in the fear of God. How important that is, that we
walk in the fear of God. And that fear of God is an unctuous
light to all that's right and a bar to all that's wrong. It guides us and it directs us
as you and I travel on through this little world, submitting
yourselves one to another in the fear of God. It's a very
humbling thing to submit ourselves one to another and to be willing
to do that and to seek for God's honor and for God's glory. And then he says, wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord." Again, a gracious
submission and it's important to realise it is as unto the
Lord. How needful that we should realise
and recognise such a truth as that because it will and must
influence our little lives as we journey on through this world
to see here a statement like this wives, submit yourselves
unto your own husbands as unto the Lord." Well, I'm sure we
can all recognise the need to submit ourselves as unto the
Lord. It's not always quite as easy
to submit ourselves unto our own husbands. And yet the Lord
graciously sets this before us so that His name may be honoured
and glorified. It's not therefore to elevate
ourselves, it's to elevate the name of our God. And then he
gives a reason, for the husband is the head of the wife, even
as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the saviour
of the body. And again that's a blessing if
we realise that Christ indeed is our head, the head of the
church, and he's our head. He rules and reigns, and we receive
grace to bow down before him as the great head of the church,
and to desire to do his will, and not to do our own will at
all. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and is the
saviour of the body. We can look back, can't we? Right
back to the beginning when Adam and Eve were brought into this
world. The Lord created them and the
Lord made Eve subservient to Adam. Not in a wrong way, not
in a harsh way, but in a way of love which sets God as on
the throne, and God as the one who rules and reigns. For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church, and he is the saviour of the body. Well, what a blessing
it is tonight if you and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ is
our saviour, the one who saved us from all our sins, the one
who has made us spiritually alive, the one who's come to us in our
unregeneracy and called us out of darkness into the marvellous
light of the everlasting gospel. And to believe therefore that
this word is indeed true and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Well, it's a blessing for us
tonight to realize the need there is to submit ourselves unto the
Lord. That we may realize the Lord
is our master. He is the one who rules and reigns.
And that's why we have this statement. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of
the wife. even as Christ is the head of
the church, and he is the saviour of the body. And this of course
is not in a wrong way, but this is in a way with love one to
another. And of course it sets before
us the love of Christ to such unworthy sinners. For the husband
is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church, and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore, as the
church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in everything. Again, that's a very comprehensive
statement, isn't it? It's a very important statement
to realise that the church is subject unto Christ. Well, I
hope we are all concerned to be subject unto Christ as the
head of the church. and to realise that He is the
Saviour of the body. Therefore, as the Church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything."
The Lord knows what that refers to in our lives. Again, it's
a very comprehensive statement, but it is for the honour and
glory of God. It is that the Saviour should
be lifted up and honoured and glorified. And so the Apostle
goes on to say, as the church is subject unto Christ, so that
the wives be to their own husbands in everything." Well, I'm sure
the Lord gives us grace to realize that we are subject unto Christ. And if that is so, to recognize
this great truth, so that the wives be to their own husbands
in everything. And then he comes and says, husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave
himself for it. Well, I hope we can understand
the great truth here that Christ is the head of the church as
the church is subject unto 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. What
a mercy for us tonight if we have the evidence that Christ
has loved us with an everlasting love, that he might sanctify
and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Because we are bought with a
price, and that price of course is the shed blood of the Saviour,
nothing less than that. And what a mercy if we have a
spiritual understanding of that, to know that Christ did die in
order to atone for our sins and gave himself for it, that he
might sanctify it and cleanse it with a washing of water by
the word, the word of God, the truth of God's word as it's applied
to our souls. Can we bless God tonight for
the word of God, 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. Well, all those who are blessed
with this great and glorious gift of being born again by the
Holy Spirit are cleansed from all their sins through the precious
blood of the Saviour. We have to come and say, invaluable
blood, how vital it is that all of us find ourselves under the
blood, 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. And then he carries on. So ought
men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his
wife loveth himself. Well, that's a good example that's
a good testimony for us all to recognize the truth and be concerned
that we do love our wives even as ourselves for no man ever
yet hated his own flesh but nourished and cherished it even as the
lord the church well i'm sure if we analyze that carefully
we'll find that we don't hate our own flesh but bless god He's
given us that desire, therefore, to walk in His way. For we are
members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. What does that
mean? Surely it means united to Christ, united to Him. We are members of His body, of
His flesh, and of His bones. And then He says, for this cause
should a man leave his father and mother and should be joined
unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great
mystery that I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless,
that every one of you, in particular, so love his wife, even as himself
and his wife see that she reverence her husband. Well, it's a blessing
if God gives us all grace to hear such words as this, such
precepts as this, and to desire to really Walk it out, in the
fear of God, that every one of you, in particular, so love his
wife, even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her
husband. God bless this world.