"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."
Yesterday's lesson gave instructions as to how a Christian wife is to interact with her husband. Today's quote relates how a Christian man is to interact with his wife.
The commandment Paul herein laid out for the Christian husband is far more demanding upon him than the commandment made to the wife in that a husband bears the responsibility for both. With the exception of adultery (a different lesson), the good or bad in a marriage as well as the way it is confronted reflects solely upon the husband seeing that he is designated as the responsible part of the union.
When a man and woman marry they are no longer two distinctly different people but rather they become one body with two individually interacting parts. A Christian husband is to love his wife; "even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." That means that a Christian man is to devote himself entirely to his wife and to cherish her as if she were a part of his own body.
In the final analysis, Paul's commandment to Christian marriage partners is; "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."
If these simple rules were applied in all marriages today, what a wonderful world this would be.~
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