Lesson 527

(Lesson 527)(01-25-13) Ephesians 5:17-Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 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 every thing. 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. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two 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."

In the first portion of today's lesson we are instructed, as Christians, to celebrate, and enjoy, our salvation. Paul said, And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;", this means that we are to refrain from consuming so much alcohol so as to lose control, instead we are to "get high" on the fact that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ. In the words of an old Merle Haggard son, "You don't have to be high to be happy", instead be drunk with the joy of the Lord.

Today's lesson covers another topic that in my opinion is not stressed nearly enough among Church members today. That is marriage, what constitutes it, and how the man and woman who are married to each other are to conduct themselves within that marriage.

Paul very clearly establishes the husband as the head of a marriage, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:".

However, Paul also lays out a very distinct set of rules for the husband to follow as he leads the marriage. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" In other words, we husbands are not to consider ourselves controllers of our wives, but instead we are to cherish our wives, considering them first in our every action involving the union.
In a perfect marriage, a man and a woman become as one person, both minds striving for identical results. Married people should remember "there is no I in team". A marriage is the definition of "team".
I recommend that every person even considering marriage should read the fifth chapter of Ephesians over and over again.~