Ephesians 5:25-33 - The Vocation of Husbands

Ephesians 5:25-33 - 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are parts of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Message: The Vocation of Husbands

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying: This is possibly one of my favorite verses in the Bible because it has taught me so much about my marriage and yet it is so simple - Husbands, love your wives. It is amazing what can be accomplished by these simple words. These words keep me out of trouble. I find that when I take my eyes off of my bride and knowing her, I get sidetracked and off in areas I should not be involved in. 

But right now, in this month's lessons, I am looking at vocations and this is the vocation of a husband. As I read this text I noticed some things:

• Husbands, Love your wives - again, first and foremost we are to love them. 
• We mirror Christ's love for His Church, His called ones. He wants always the best for His Church and we should always want what is best for our wives.
• Jesus gave Himself up. He died for the church. And we as husbands should have the same type of willingness to give ourselves up for our wives. 
• Jesus had a purpose in giving Himself up - to sanctify His people and present them as clean. This is also my job as a Husband, to make my wife the best she can be always and present Her before God.
• I present my wife as Jesus present me with all glory. This is my greatest prize on this earth. 
• I love her like I love myself. 
• And yet me and my wife are part of a bigger body of believers. So we should not ever think of ourselves too highly. 
• Before Him, my wife and I are one. That is hard to fathom, but it is true. 
• After all this, the wife will respect her husband. She must. 

As a reminder, Protestantism doesn't elevate certain people or positions as having greater calling than others. The priesthood of all believers says all have a similar level of calling, just some called to serve in the church and some as leaders in our world. Some are ordained for ministry and some are not. 

Marriage was established by God in creation and the role of husband is a nonordained vocation. The husband has a calling and a special role, first and foremost to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Yes, husbands lead but not in a domineering way. It is a leadership based upon a deep love. A wife's needs are more important than a husbands needs. Just as the Son of God took on the form of a servant. 

Philippians 2:5-11

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is the role of man - to empty Himself, be a servant and humble himself. Interesting that the submission of the woman to the leadership of the husband includes the husband humbling himself as a servant. He is to serve His wife. This seems opposite to what our traditional values have taught. 

Summary: Husbands have a nonordained vocation to love their wives, humbling themselves as Christ did towards His church, and serving their wives. 

Promise: Husbands must love their wives as Christ loves the church, which means they must be willing to die for their wives. The husband's willingness to die for his wife may take the form of actual, physical death, but for most husbands, being willing to die for their wives entails living sacrificially for them. 

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for my wife and I thank you for your words that encourage me daily how I am to sacrifice for her, put her first, and serve her. You show me the correct way to live and in the process, this reaps incredible benefits on my life and my enjoyment of my wife and how we serve You together. Thank you God for knowing exactly what I needed. Keep me humble and help me continually to look to You for answers and not the world. Shield me from this world and how it distracts me away from these purposes continually. Draw people to yourself and right wrongs in our nation and world over these issues. I praise You God.