Marriage

IT Marriage, Christ & The Church

Ephesians 5:18-33

 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands 

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no-one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

What do we learn about marriage from this passage ? 

Origin of marriage is from God. V 31-32 Matt 19:4-6

This is made by God and his idea for all mankind. 

Nature of marriage V 22-25, 28-30, 33

Rev 19:7-9 Blessed are those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Eternal purpose of marriage - Church as bride of Christ

Parallels between marriage and the gospel

Identity - oneness and new, your people, my people

Covenant - a commitment to one another and shine for Christ

Mutual submission - V 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Colossians 3:16 

 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

We must rely on the Holy Spirit and practice mutual submission if we are to experience faithful and fulfilling marriage and faithful and fulfilling church.