#DailyDevotion What Does Submission To One Another In Marriage Look Like?
Ephesians 5:22–33
22You married women, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord, 23because a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the Head of the church, which is His body that He saves. 24Yes, as the church obeys Christ, so wives should obey their husbands in everything. 25You husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it 26to make it holy by washing it clean with water by the Word, 27to have the church stand before Him as something wonderful, without a spot or a wrinkle or anything like that; yes, it should be holy and without a fault.
The pericope skips verse 21 in which it is stated the whole Christian life is submitting to one another out of love for Christ. Verse 22 here starts on describing how that looks in the different vocations of the Christian life.
So while it is not popular in today’s world, in fact, it has never been popular in any world, Paul tells women who are married to obey their husbands in everything as they obey the LORD. I can hear all the shrills now. But in the order of creation wives are to be submissive to their husbands “as to the LORD.” The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, which is is body that he saves. Now note, Paul is not saying wives are worth less than husbands or they are not their husbands equal. He is saying to submit themselves to their husbands. And why wouldn’t they? Don’t they trust their husbands? What do they think their husbands are going to tell them to do? I realize there may be a few arraigned marriages out there, but even in Paul’s day that was not likely the case, and it certainly isn’t’ the case today. If you didn’t trust the guy you are married to, why did you marry him in the first place? Nevertheless, you are a Christian now and if married a wife now, and if a wife and you trust the LORD Jesus Christ, then show that by being obedient to your husband in everything as to the LORD.
Now husbands he tells them they should love their wives as Christ loved the Church. Paul is not saying be prepared to sacrifice your life for you wife at any moment by taking a bullet for her. That is not every day living. But he is asking you to sacrifice your life, your every day life for your wife. What does this mean? It means putting your wife above your own interests. It means putting her first in everything. If you love your wife then in all matters of the household, your relationship, what you spend the household money on, how you spend your time, you will be thinking how can I show my wife my love for her in these things. Many times you will be putting away what you want to do or buy, what you want to spend your time doing for the sake of your wife.
Now this is how Christ looks at the Church and therefore you, which informs you how you should look at your wife, holy, wonderful, without spot, wrinkle or anything else and without a fault. It’s a tall order for husbands to fulfill. You will be more joyful in the LORD if you adopt this attitude and life that is in Christ Jesus.
Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus submitted himself to your will in all things and sacrificed his life for people of the worlds that they might be saved. Give us your Holy Spirit that as Christians we may submits ourselves to one another out of love for Christ, and if we are married to help us live as you direct us here. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.