A. Jesus Christ’s love for His church. “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church” (Eph. 5:25). “Nourish and cherish her, just as the Lord does the church” (5:29). While we cannot attain equality with Christ, yet the quality of our love should be the same m His. How, then, does Jesus Christ love His church?
1) Genuine, without hypocrisy. His love was so real and intense that He died for the church.
2) Free, without conditions before or expectatiom after. He gave Himself to cleanse His church, implying she was no beauty beforehand. The husband must draw love from her by his own love. True love is more about bettering the object loved than enriching the subject.
3) Holy, without impurity. Christ loved the church “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (5:26). This teaches the husband to labor diligently to further the sanctification of his wife.
4) Great, without comparison. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). This is what Christ did for His church (5:25).
5) Constant, without change. Even until He presents her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle” (Eph. 5:27). Many times has Christ been put off by them, and yet He continues to love them. Husbands should copy His example. No bad behavior on her part is grounds to stop loving her.
6) Active, without neglect. He “nourishes and cherishes her” (5:29). He must do his utmost to supply all her needs, whether for support, or constant friendship, or a nurse for her illness.
Love is the foundation of all other duties toward her. Everything flows from this. Without love, every performance of duty toward her seems hard. Tenderness, honor, care, and kindness are merely the beams from the sun of love.
1. The Dimensions of a Godly Husband’s Love. The love of a husband to his wife is peculiar to this relation. It is distinct from parental love and from animal lust.
A. The ground of it. Your are married to her and God commands husbands to love their wives. This alone will last forever, since she may become less attractive in many ways.
B. The extent of it. You must love both her body and soul. Therefore you should choose a wife that is physically and personality/spiritually attractive to you, or you do her disservice.
C. The degree of it. Above his love for all others, including his parents and children, and certainly above any person outside the family. “Always be enraptured with her love” (Prov. 5:19).
D. The duration of it. “Always” (Prov. 5:19 quoted above), not only in public but in private, not for a week or month or year, but until death. Your love should daily increase through old age. You had her beauty and strength, so why not her wrinkles and illnesses? Inner loveliness usually increases as outer loveliness decreases. There are many biblical reasons for a husband’s perpetual love.
1. Living with Each Other. He must “leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” (Gen. 2:24), and she must “forget her own people also, and her father’s house” (Psa. 45:10). He must “dwell with his wife” (I Pet. 3:7), and she must not “depart from her husband,” even if he is an unbeliever (1 Cor. 7:10). The other duties of marriage require living together, as regular sexual relations, which they both owe each other (I Cor. 7:3-5). The OT prohibits husbands from going to war during their first year of marriage (Deut. 24:5). This shows the importance of living together.
2. Loving Each Other. This is both the husband’s (Col. 3:19) and the wife’s duty (Tit. 2:4). Love is the great reason and comfort of marriage. This love is not merely romance, but genuine and constant affection and care for each other “fervently with a pure heart” (1 Pet. 1:22). Marital love cannot be based on beauty or wealth, for these are passing, and not even on piety, for that may decay. It must be based upon God’s command which never changes. The marriage vow obliges “for better or for worse,” and married persons ought to consider their own spouses the best in the world for them. Marital love must be durable, lasting even after death has severed the bond (Prov. 31:12). This true-hearted love brings true content and comfort in its train. It guards against adultery and jealousy. It prevents or lessens family trouble. Without it, the marriage is like a bone out of joint. There is pain until it is restored.
3. Staying Faithful to Each Other. Every man should have (sexually) his own wife, and every wife her own husband (1 Cor. 7:2), and only their own. Imitate the first Adam who had but one wife and the second Adam who has but one church. The marriage covenant binds you to your spouse as the dearest, sweetest, and best in the world. The slightest infidelity, even in the heart may lead to full-blown adultery. Without repentance, adultery destroys both earthly happiness and reasonable expectation of heaven. It almost dissolves marriage, and in the OT was a capital crime (Deut. 22:22). Be careful to avoid temptations to this sin. The man who is not satisfied with one woman will never be satisfied with many, because this sin has no boundaries. Faithfulness also involves keeping each others secrets. These must not be disclosed unless there is a greater obligation. Telling your spouse’s secrets is bad when accidental, worse when the result of temper, and the worst when it is motivated by hate.
4. Helping Each Other. The wife should be a “helper comparable to her husband” (Gen. 2:18), implying they should both help each other. They should carry these things together:
A. Their work. If she works at home and he works outside, both their work shall be easier. For motivation, let him give attention to all of Proverbs, and her to the last chapter especially.
B. Their crosses. Though newlyweds expect only pleasure in marriage, trouble is bound to come (1 Cor. 7:28). You may face loss of worldly goods, harm to your children, afflictions from both friends and enemies. Spouses must be friends to each other through thick and thin.
C. Their commitment to Christ. Live “as being heirs together of the grace of life” (1 Pet. 3:7). The highest end of marriage is to promote each other’s eternal happiness. Cooperation here is very important. His knowledge must aid her ignorance, and her zeal his discouragement. When the husband is home, he must instruct and pray with his family and sanctify the Sabbath, but in his absence, she must look to these things.
5. Being Patient with Each Other. This duty we owe to all, but especially to our spouse (Eph. 4:31-32). There are many temptations in marriage to become impatient! Hot tempers ignite civil wars indoors, and no good ever comes of them. Both need a meek and quiet spirit. Learn to hold your peace to keep the peace. Withdraw until the storm is over. You aye not two angels married, but two sinful children of Adam. Wink at lesser faults, and be careful in confronting greater ones. Acknowledge your faults to one another and confess them all to God. Yield to one ano rather than to the devil (Eph. 4:27).
6. Saving Each Other. 1 Corinthians 7:16 insinuates that our great duty is to promote the salvation of our spouse. What good is it to enjoy marriage now and then go to hell together? If you let your spouse be damned, where is your love? Both should inquire into each other’s spiritual state, and use the means appointed to improve it. Chrysostom said, “Let them both go to church and then discuss the sermon together.” If both are Christians already, then they should do what they can to help each other to become thorough saints. Speak often of God and spiritual things, Be fellow-pilgrims to the Celestial City.
7. Maintaining Regular but Moderate Marital Sex. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). Marital sex is designed to remedy impure affections, not excite them. You cannot follow every sexual folly you can imagine with your spouse, just because you are married. Owning wine gives you no permission to get drunk. Be moderate and sensible. For example, you might abstain for a time to give yourselves to prayer (1 Cor. 7:5). Even in marital relations we must show reverence to God and respect for each other. True love does not behave rudely.
8. Lookng Out for Each Other’s Interests in All Things. Help each other’s health, and be sick together, at least in spirit. One should not be rich while the other suffers want. Advance each other’s good reputation. A husband naturally and rightly cares for things that are of the world, how he may please his wife, and the wife does the same (1 Cor. 7:33-34). This brings honor to their faith, comfort to their lives, and a blessing on all they have. They should be bosom friends, laughing and weeping together, with nothing but death separating their interests.
9. Praying for Each Other. Peter warns against “their prayers being hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7), which suggests they should pray for and with each other. “Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren” (Gen. 25:21). We should pray for everyone, but especially our spouse. The purest love is expressed by earnest prayer, and prayer will preserve love. Seek times for prayer together. Mr. Bolton prayed twice privately, twice with his wife, and twice with his family, each day. Prayer elevates Christian marriage above heathen marriages and the cohabitation of animals.
“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” (Ephesians 5:33).
Marriage is the foundation of all society, and so this topic is very important. Explaining marital duties to you is much easier than persuading you to do them. Conform your will to Scripture, not vice versa. Take Ephesians 5:33 to heart.
1. The Connection. “Nevertheless” is a transition from the spiritual reality of Christ’s relationship to the church. It either means that in spite of the unattainable ideal, strive to attain it, or because of the noble example, imitate it, in your relationship with your spouse.
2. The Direction.
A. The universal obligation of it. “Let each one of you,” no matter how good you are or how bad your spouse. All husbands are entitled to their wives’ respect, whether they are wise or foolish, intelligent or slow, skillful or clumsy. All wives are entitled to their husbands’ love, whether beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, sub- missive or rebellious.
B. The particular application of it. “In particular,” each and every husband and wife should apply this to their own particular case.
3. Summary of Duties.
A. Every husband’s duty. To love his wife. This is not the only duty but it includes all others. He should love her as himself. This is both how (the Golden Rule) and why he is to love her (because they are both really one, loving her will result in blessings to him).
B. Every wife’s duty. To fear (Greek) or reverence (KJV) or respect (NKJV) her husband, both for his person and his position. This necessarily includes love, because if she loves him, she will try to please him, and avoid offending him.
hehehe..Ito po ay kuha ng digital camera na hiniram ko lamang sa bespren kong raquel noong martes, ika-labing walong ng septyembre. Sila po ay ang aking mga kaopisina na nagtungo sa mismong kaarawan ng aking unikang hija na si ELIANA NICOLE SANGO ENGBINO. Siya ang nagdiwang ng ika dalawang taon sa Mcdonalds. Ngunit subalit datapwat, sa likod ng kahirapan na aming natamo buhat noong umalis ang kanyang ama na si Eric patungong Hongkong para lamang sumakay ng barkong KGold. Hindi ko po sukat akalain na magkaroon ako ng relasyong pangtelepono kumbaga. Minsan nang ako’ y mag-isa sa aming bakuran hindi ko mapigilang umiyak dahil sa kalungkutang aking nadarama noong panahon na yoon. Oo, nagsasakripisyo siya para sa aming kinabukasan. Ngunit hindi ko na makaya ang kalungkutang ito. Hindi ko lubos maisip na habang tumatagal ay mas lalong lumalayo ang loob naming mag-ina sa pinakamamahal kong asawa.
Dito na lang muna dahil kinakaylangan ko pang idaos ang mga natitirang oras ko para ako ay makapasa man lamang ng mensahe sa kanya.
Welcome to my blog.
I want to have my own blog which I can write my latest insights, not just as a person but as a wife whom missed her husband so much. ahahaha…(Drama!!!@#$#$%$)
In this blog, you will find it a very interesting to read on. I will post a different moods of a woman. I’ll make it sure that the one who will read this will understand my feelings as well as my thoughts.
Me? well, ako? some will say kalog ako. Actually, I really don’t know. hehe. As long as i’m happy then wla happy nga ako. But then, out of my being funny. I am living in a lonely world.
Happiness means contented; satisfy, in-love. Honestly, i am only happy if and only my family is complete.
HAPPY = ERIC + LEA + BABY NICOLE : And that makes me feel completely happy.