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Family Ministry Center │ Submitting to Your Husband

FAMILY DEVOTIONS

Wives

Part Ten

SUBMITTING TO YOUR HUSBAND

We have been reading about the practice of spiritual living in the family.  As we study various passages in the Bible concerning family devotions, we understand that the Word of God provides clear teaching that believers must follow within the family.   Gathering to pray and read the Bible together will always be a great goal for every family, but we each learn from following the examples of people we love and respect.  Behavior still counts.  Today, we will have a look at the role of wives in submitting to their husbands.  In contrast to the 1 Peter 3:1-6, page 1896 passage related to dealing with the winning of husbands disobedient to the Word of God, we see in Ephesians 5:22-24 the quality of submission that Jesus values in every wife.

Ephesians 5:22, Page 1833

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

As to the Lord.   In the original text, the words “be subject” do not appear in Ephesians 5:22, page 1833.  You may notice in your Bible that they appear in italics, which means the translators added these words to make the meaning clear.   At times, I would prefer the translators do not add words.  In this case, the original thought certainly comes in the context of how we all subject (“ὑποτασσόμενοι“) ourselves to one another in the church (Ephesians 5:21, page 1832).  Paul explains how we subject ourselves to one another in several different ways.  He divides his message into wives, husbands, fathers, children, slaves and masters.  Submissions comes in different forms for different people.  Submission controls and defines the relationships in marriage, parenting, and masters with servants.  We will look closely at wives today.  In Ephesians 5:22, page 1833, Paul literally says: “Women to their own husbands as to the Lord.”   This phrase means wives should be to their own husbands as they are to Christ.  We must always keep in mind, no matter who we are, that we follow Christ, and learn from Him how to act in all things.  Therefore, wives learn how to act toward their husbands from Christ.  He must be the Lord of the wives who seek to interact with their own husbands as they interact with Christ.

Ephesians 5:23, Page 1833

“For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.”

The Husband as Head of the Wife.  We have seen previously that God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of the woman (1 Corinthians 11:3, page 1794).  Christ never became less than God, and so when a woman recognizes that the husband is the head of the wife, she means nothing more, or less, than her husband stands before her just like her husband stands before Christ.  Christ will be the head of all things.  Remember  the standard set in Ephesians 5:22, page 1833 is that the wife will be to her own husband as she is to Christ.  Therefore, when we read the next verse, we are not surprised to learn that the man is the head of the woman.  Paul illustrates this point with the relationship of Christ to the church.  Christ is the head of the church.  Paul means that Christ leads and loves the church.  Paul points to the role of Savior which Christ fulfilled.  He saved the church, which Paul likens to the body of Christ.  The head in the body makes decisions, but it remains totally united as one with the body.  The husband makes the final decisions, which he gets from Christ.  He then passes on those decisions to the wife.  Together they live in Christ, as the part of the body of Christ. The concept of headship leads directly into the concept of submission.

Ephesians 5:24, Page 1833

“But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

The Example of Church Submitting to Christ.   For every “modern” woman who finds it unacceptable to submit to anyone except Christ, she should realize that she does not submit to Christ unless she submits to her husband like the church submits Christ.    In other words, if any wife claims to be submissive to Christ, she should do what Christ said.  In Ephesians 5:24, page 1833, Paul teaches us that each wife must submit to her husband like the church submits to Christ.  That standard means we all look to Christ as the Head, Leader and Teacher in the church.  In the same way, the wife looks through her husband to Christ for leadership in all ways.

       So we learn more about spiritual wives today and their role in daily devotions.

       ●  Being a wife in Christ means that you act towards your husband in the same way you act towards Christ.  You do not worship your husband, but rather your submit yourself to him, as part of your general submission to Christ.

       ●  Being a wife in Christ means that you will acknowledge that your husband is your head, just as God is the head of Christ, and Christ is the head of man.  Christ remains God, but willingly and voluntarily submits Himself to God’s will.

       ●  Being a wife in Christ means that you live before your husband just like the church submits itself to Christ in all things, and looks to Christ for leadership, love and unity. 

Application for Today

Today I want to remember that my wife has a spiritual obligation to submit to me.  Therefore, as her husband, I want to be just like Christ to her.  So, I must submit to Christ, and together we must submit to Christ.  This chain of submission must govern both my life today, and my wife’s life today.  Will you submit to Christ today, and submit to your husband today?  As a husband, will you submit to Christ today, so that you fulfill your duty to live in submission to Christ?  For all of us in Christ, we will live before the Savior of the Body of Christ (the church) in submission to His will today?

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Expository Studies

Daily Encouragement

 Family Ministry Basics

Christ Assembly dedicates this website to the Family Ministry Center. Special content on this website focuses upon fathers, mothers, children, families and spiritual life. The family of God relates directly to the kingdom of God. You cannot see the Kingdom of God without being born again. Likewise, you cannot join the family of God without being born again. Many people living in the family of God have severe spiritual challenges in their lives. Adult children who have embraced sin and fallen into a life of sin cause great concern. Spouses who do not believe. All kinds of issues face the family of God. At Christ Assembly, we seek to minister to all families, particularly the family of God. Christ Assembly provides free access to various studies from the Bible, the Word of God.

 Christ Assembly Basics 

Christ Assembly dedicates this website to the Family Ministry Center. Special content on this website focuses upon father, mothers, families and spiritual life. Christ Assembly provides free access to various studies from the Bible, the Word of God. The studies in this website are not inspired, but God produced the Bible, consisting of sixty-nine books (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament). The Holy Spirit inspired authors to produce original autographs of the Bible in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Those original authors wrote over the course of many centuries. They wrote divinely inspired words and every word was divinely inspired. The authors communicated in their own styles, and with their own vocabulary, but God breathed out every word of the final autographs. The words in the Bible really matter, and deserve careful study. 
 
As we study, we seek to love Jesus more because His word has instructed us so that we learn His ways. Eternal life consists in knowing God the Father, and Jesus Christ Whom God sent. As the eternal God of Glory, One with His Father, the Son of God took flesh and dwelt among us. Because of His death, He used His blood to purchase our redemption. He was raised for our justification. We now live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved us and gave Himself for us. By the grace of God, the Holy Spirit abides in every born-again believer and fills us with His presence and blessings. He leads us into all truth. Jesus is the truth, and the way, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, our Lord. 
 
We look forward to His imminent return to the clouds of earth, to snatch away the believers alive on earth, so that we may be forever with the Lord. When He returns to the clouds, He will bring with Him all those people in Christ who died before His return to the clouds. We encourage one another with the promises of God, Who makes our path grow brighter and brighter, until the full light of day shines forth. We love Jesus and look forward to seeing Him soon. After Jesus removes the believers from the earth, then a terrible period of seven years follows where God brings measured and precise judgments upon the people alive on earth. God cut those days of  Tribulation short, or no flesh would have been saved. Jesus will then return to earth, slay His enemies, and place His feet on the Mount of Olives where He ascended to heaven. He will then reign on earth for a thousand years, and believers will reign with Him. After the Millennial Reign of Christ, all unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment, and they will suffer according to their deeds done on earth. They will be cast into the Lake of Fire, a place of torment night and day for eternity, because they never received the free gift of salvation while alive on earth. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God. Today we invite you to come and see Jesus, and learn from Him, for He is gentle and humble in heart. Take His yoke upon you, for His burden is easy and His yoke is light. He will give you rest for your soul as you trust Him. We receive salvation only from Jesus, by faith alone in Jesus, Who gives us the free gift of eternal life. 
 
We accept the teaching of the Word of God. As born again believers, baptized by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, the anointing from God teaches us all things. We love to study the Word of God as we abide in Christ Jesus our Lord. God blesses all of us when we read His word, hear His word, and heed His word. We share original studies of the Word of God without cost and we do not receive donations. We support the finances of this ministry through private means, so that we are not a burden to anyone. We oppose charging people to read books, articles, journals or other studies of the Word of God. Such work should be supported by donations, but not in prescribed amounts and not as a requirement to gain access to what God has freely provided. What God has freely given, we should freely share. Just as Paul worked making tents, so we work to support this ministry. 
 

 Christ Assembly License

The author of all original material on this website retains all legal and equitable rights to the properties at issue. The author granted Christ Assembly a limited-use, revocable license to publish material on this website, while reserving all ownership rights to the original author. You may use any original material on this website to the glory of God, but you may not receive anything of value for such use. You may not receive any donations related to any original material on this website. All use of original material on this website is subject to the revocable, limited license above. You must conspicuously indicate on any use of the original material that it originated from ChristAssembly.org.  Any revocation of the license shall be posted on this website and all rights to use material may be revoked without prior notice. By copying and using any original material from this website, you consent to such license. Christ Assembly opposes any payment for access to studies, articles, journals, or other publications of studies concerning the Word of God. As God has freely given, so also the products of His grace should be freely shared. 

Lorem 

 Christ Assembly Basics 

Christ Assembly provides free access to various studies from the Bible, the Word of God. The studies in this website are not inspired, but God produced the Bible, consisting of sixty-nine books (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament). The Holy Spirit inspired authors to produce original autographs of the Bible in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Those original authors wrote over the course of many centuries. They wrote divinely inspired words and every word was divinely inspired. The authors communicated in their own styles, and with their own vocabulary, but God breathed out every word of the final autographs. The words in the Bible really matter, and deserve careful study. 
 
As we study, we seek to love Jesus more because His word has instructed us so that we learn His ways. Eternal life consists in knowing God the Father, and Jesus Christ Whom God sent. As the eternal God of Glory, One with His Father, the Son of God took flesh and dwelt among us. Because of His death, He used His blood to purchase our redemption. He was raised for our justification. We now live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved us and gave Himself for us. By the grace of God, the Holy Spirit abides in every born-again believer and fills us with His presence and blessings. He leads us into all truth. Jesus is the truth, and the way, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, our Lord. 
 
We look forward to His imminent return to the clouds of earth, to snatch away the believers alive on earth, so that we may be forever with the Lord. When He returns to the clouds, He will bring with Him all those people in Christ who died before His return to the clouds. We encourage one another with the promises of God, Who makes our path grow brighter and brighter, until the full light of day shines forth. We love Jesus and look forward to seeing Him soon. After Jesus removes the believers from the earth, then a terrible period of seven years follows where God brings measured and precise judgments upon the people alive on earth. God cut those days of  Tribulation short, or no flesh would have been saved. Jesus will then return to earth, slay His enemies, and place His feet on the Mount of Olives where He ascended to heaven. He will then reign on earth for a thousand years, and believers will reign with Him. After the Millennial Reign of Christ, all unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment, and they will suffer according to their deeds done on earth. They will be cast into the Lake of Fire, a place of torment night and day for eternity, because they never received the free gift of salvation while alive on earth. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God. Today we invite you to come and see Jesus, and learn from Him, for He is gentle and humble in heart. Take His yoke upon you, for His burden is easy and His yoke is light. He will give you rest for your soul as you trust Him. We receive salvation only from Jesus, by faith alone in Jesus, Who gives us the free gift of eternal life. 
 
We accept the teaching of the Word of God. As born again believers, baptized by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, the anointing from God teaches us all things. We love to study the Word of God as we abide in Christ Jesus our Lord. God blesses all of us when we read His word, hear His word, and heed His word. We share original studies of the Word of God without cost and we do not receive donations. We support the finances of this ministry through private means, so that we are not a burden to anyone. We oppose charging people to read books, articles, journals or other studies of the Word of God. Such work should be supported by donations, but not in prescribed amounts and not as a requirement to gain access to what God has freely provided. What God has freely given, we should freely share. Just as Paul worked making tents, so we work to support this ministry. 
 

 Christ Assembly License

The author of all original material on this website retains all legal and equitable rights to the properties at issue. The author granted Christ Assembly a limited-use, revocable license to publish material on this website, while reserving all ownership rights to the original author. You may use any original material on this website to the glory of God, but you may not receive anything of value for such use. You may not receive any donations related to any original material on this website. All use of original material on this website is subject to the revocable, limited license above. You must conspicuously indicate on any use of the original material that it originated from ChristAssembly.org.  Any revocation of the license shall be posted on this website and all rights to use material may be revoked without prior notice. By copying and using any original material from this website, you consent to such license. Christ Assembly opposes any payment for access to studies, articles, journals, or other publications of studies concerning the Word of God. As God has freely given, so also the products of His grace should be freely shared.