DATE: – 15TH AUGUST, 2021
TOPIC: – GOD’S KIND OF MARRIAGEE (Part 7)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Ephesians 5:21 – 33
MEMORY VERSE: – “Nevertheless, let everyone of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and, and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (Ephesians 5:33).
INTRODUCTION: – the standard of God has remained unchangeable from generation to generation. The modern world changes can never influence God’s unchanging standard and that includes marriage. Of all institutions of man, marriage is the only one that god set what should be the standard therein. Husband as the head takes the lead for loving his own wife together with their children and the wife follows suit in reverence of her own husband.
LESSON OUTLINES
1) Husband As The Head
God has established the family as the basic foundational unit in the society. Every family must have a leader. For this reason, God has assigned to the husband the role and responsibility of being the head of the wife and the family (Eph.6:4). His leadership role must be exercised in love, gentleness and consideration for his wife and family. The husband’s God given responsibility as the “head of the wife” includes:
i) Provision for the family’s spiritual, domestic, social and emotional needs. He is to nourish the family as the head spiritually, physically and otherwise (Gen.3:16-19, 1Tim.5:8).
ii) Love, protection and interest in her welfare in the same way, Christ loves the Church. Any love that is not selfless, sacrificial and serving is not of Christ (John13:1-13). The love of the husband must reflect the characteristics described in 1Corint.13:4-7.
Truly, both husband and wife are commanded to love each other but should be pointed out that while the wife was commanded once (Titus 2:4) to love her husband, the husband was commanded at least three (3) times to love his wife as Christ loved the Church (Eph.5:25,28,33; Col.3:19). The probability is that woman naturally has greater capacity to love. Love is kind, love shows approval and affection, love can be rekindled. Women generally respond easily to love. Christ must be Lord in our lives and homes. The responsibility to love should be seen as a commandment, which must be obeyed by every heaven bond man.
iii) Honour, understanding, appreciation and thoughtfulness (Col.3:19; 1Pet.3:7).
iv) Absolute faithfulness to the marriage relationship (Matt.5:27-28). Infidelity is the bane of togetherness in marriage. Everyman must learn to drink water only from his own cistern (Prov.5:15-21).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Just as the head is important to the body, so also is the husband as the head in a marriage and family. But the head cannot exist alone or its own without the body. Every part of the body is important to the head and it coordinates them well in a properly functional body. So also in marriage and family, every member should be seen as important to the smooth and peaceful running of the home. The husband as the head should provide the necessary coordination of other members of the family.
QUESTIONS
- What are the God ordained responsibility of husband in a marriage?
- True or false, love is a one way traffic?
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