What Does It Mean to Become One Flesh? Ephesians 5:31–33, Part 1

Please be cautious of sexual sin. I know we live in a world filled with temptation but here is a thoughtful loving warning...

Ephesians 5:28-29

 

Ephesians 5:28-29

Care for Your Wife Like You Care for Your Own Body!

 

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 

            1.     Men Need to Love Their Wives Above Themselves – vs. 28

a.      Love your wife like you love yourself - Galatians 5:13-14

b.     To love your wife is to love yourself

                                               i.     When you put your wife above yourself, you will find the greatest fulfilment in your relationship

1.     Your sacrificial love for your wife should be exclusive

a.      Ephesians 1:4-6 

2.     Your sacrificial love for your wife should empower her

a.      2 Corinthians 5:14-15 

3.     Your sacrificial love for your wife will bring you great joy

a.      Hebrews 12:1-2 

b.     “It is not selfish to be willing to die for another so that you might find pleasure in the eternal pleasure of the other.” – John Piper

            2.     Men Need to Tenderly Care for Their Wives – vs. 29

a.      Care for your wife as you care for your own body

                                               i.     A husband leads his wife by taking initiative - 1 John 4:19 

                                             ii.     A husband leads his wife by providing for her every need

1.     Ephesians 4:15-16 

                                            iii.     A husband leads his wife by protecting her - 2 Timothy 4:18 

                                            iv.     A husband leads his wife by seeing her full potential - 1 John 3:2 

                                              v.     A husband leads his wife by never forsaking her - Matthew 28:19-20 

b.     Care for your wife as Jesus cares for His Church

                                               i.     Jesus shares with us His life - Colossians 3:4 

                                             ii.     Jesus shares with us His name - Revelation 3:12 

                                            iii.     Jesus shares with us His standing in heaven

1.     Ephesians 2:5-6; Revelation 3:21 

                                            iv.     Jesus shares with us the love of the Father - John 17:23 

                                              v.     Jesus shares with us His wealth - Romans 8:15-17 

Ephesians 5:26-27

 

Ephesians 5:26-27

That He Might Present to Himself a Glorious Church

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Eph 5:27  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. 

           1.     Jesus Sanctifies His Church – vs. 26a*

a.     Jesus wants more than a forgiven Church; He wants a purified one

                                               i.     Ephesians 1:7 

b.     Jesus shows us the path to sanctification is through self-denial

                                               i.     Romans 8:3-4 

c.     A husband leads his wife through his own self denial

                                               i.     Mark 8:34-36 

           2.     Jesus Washes His Church with the Water of the Word – vs. 26b*

a.     In ancient Greece a woman would ritually wash the night before her wedding, signifying her purity

                                               i.     Ezekiel 16:8-12 

b.     There is a cleansing that happens in the life of the believer through the baptism of the Holy Spirit

                                               i.     Ezekiel 36:24-27; Titus 3:5 

c.     Water baptism is symbolic of the internal cleansing that goes on in the heart of the believer

                                               i.     Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21 

            3.     Jesus Presents Himself a Glorious Church – vs. 27a*

a.     The Church has nothing to offer - Romans 7:18 

b.     The Church hasn’t done very well in the past - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 

c.     Yet Jesus sees potential - Revelation 21:1-4 

           4.     Jesus Purifies His Church – vs. 27b*

a.     The Church is to accomplish great things - Titus 2:14 

b.     The Church will one day attain glory - 1 John 3:1-3 

c.     The Church cannot be defeated - Matthew 16:18 

           5.     Jesus Makes His Church Holy – vs. 27c*

a.     What is the mode by which Jesus makes His Church Holy?

                                               i.     James 1:18; James 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; John 17:17 

Ephesians 5:25

 

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, Love Your Wives!

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

 

           1.     Husband’s Love Your Wives

a.      Is marriage a social construct?

                                               i.     No, it is God’s plan to bless mankind and protect the family

1.     God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman

a.      Genesis 2:24 

                                             ii.     Yet the story of Genesis, like the story of mankind, is an almost unbroken misuse of this beautiful ideal

1.     The 1^st child of a marriage committed murder - Genesis 4:8 

2.     The 1^st polygamist ruled with terror - Genesis 4:23 

3.     Noah curses Ham’s son because of his father’s sexual misconduct

a.      Genesis 9:24-25 

4.     Abraham commits adultery - Genesis 16:3 

5.     Sodom and Gomorrah are full of homosexuality - Genesis 18:20 

6.     Lot commits incest - Genesis 19:36 

7.     Judah is addicted to prostitution - Genesis 38:25-26 

8.     Shechem rapes Jacob’s daughter Dinah - Genesis 34:5 

9.     Yet, hope found in a choice to resist temptation - Genesis 39:9 

            2.     As Christ Loved the Church

a.      So, if we cannot find hope for marriage within man, where do we turn for help?

                                               i.     Love is being willing to die for those that hate you - Romans 5:8-11 

                                             ii.     Love is being prepared to be treated like a slave - Philippians 2:5-8 

                                            iii.     Love is not prideful - 1 Corinthians 13:4 

                                            iv.     Love has self-restrain - 1 Corinthians 13:5 

                                              v.     Love never fails - 1 Corinthians 13:8 

                                            vi.     Love treats others with honor - 1 Peter 3:7 

                                           vii.     Love forgives - Colossians 3:19 

           3.     As Christ Gave Himself for Her

a.      Jesus died for His Church - Galatians 1:3-4 

b.     Jesus loves His Church - Galatians 2:20 

c.      Jesus serves His Church - Matthew 20:28 

d.     Jesus forgives His Church - Ephesians 1:7 

e.      Jesus draws His Church close to Himself through His sacrifice for Her

                                               i.     Ephesians 2:13 

Ephesians 5:23-24

 

Ephesians 5:23-24

Jesus is Head Over All!

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

         1.     The Husband is Head of the Wife – vs. 23a*

a.     What does Paul mean by the word head?

                                               i.         A head is a leader and protector

1.     Judges 10:18; Judges 11:11; Psalm 18:43 

         2.     Even as Jesus is the Head of the Church – vs. 23b*

a.     Jesus’ authority comes from His resurrection

                                               i.         Ephesians 1:20-21; Colossians 1:18 

b.     Jesus’ authority comes from His ability to provide everything that the Church needs

                                               i.         Ephesians 4:15-16 

         3.     The Husband is to be the Savior of His Wife Just as Jesus is the Savior of the Church – vs. 23c*

a.     It is easy to submit to a head that is full of sacrificial love

                                               i.         He washes Her with the word - Ephesians 5:25-26 

                                             ii.         He delivers Her from wrath - 1 Thessalonians 1:10 

                                           iii.         He redeems Her with His blood - Revelation 5:9 

        4.     The Church is to be Subject to Her Head, who is Jesus – vs. 24a*

a.     The Church obeys Jesus by trusting Him

                                               i.         Hebrews 5:9 

b.     The Church obeys Jesus by loving one another

                                               i.         1 Peter 1:22 

c.     The Church obeys Jesus by examining Her motives

                                               i.         1 Peter 4:17 

d.     The Church obey Jesus by listening to Him with all Her heart

                                               i.         Romans 6:17 

e.     The Church obeys Jesus by going where He wants Her to go

                                               i.         Hebrews 11:8 

         5.     Wives are to be Subject to Her Head, Who Her Husband – vs.24*

a.     Wives are to be a representation of the Church’s relationship with Jesus

                                               i.         Revelation 21:1-4 

Humble Leaders Lead Better Teams with Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink | ...

This is a great discussion of servant leadership. There is so much to learn from as a husband, pastor etc. Warning there are a couple of choice words in this discussion.

Ephesians 5:22

 

Ephesians 5:22

Wives are to Submit to Their Own Husbands!

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

            1.     Wives are to Submit to Their Own Husbands

a.     Is this something that the Apostle Paul invented because he was caving to a culture that demeaned women?

                                               i.     Paul tells us that, wives submitting to their husbands, was God’s design from the beginning

1.     1 Timothy 2:9-15 

                                             ii.     Gensis tells us that wives are to submit to their husbands

1.     Genesis 3:15-16 

                                           iii.     Even before the fall wives were created to be a helpmeet

1.     Genesis 2:18 

                                            iv.     Peter tells us that wives are to submit to their husbands

1.     1 Peter 3:5-7 

                                             v.     Peter tells us that wives are to submit to even unsaved husbands

1.     1 Peter 3:1-2 

                                            vi.     Yet Paul sees men and women as equals

1.     Galatians 3:27-28 

                                          vii.     God sees men and women as equals

1.     Genesis 1:27-28 

                                        viii.     Willing submission does not mean inferiority

1.     John 5:19-20 

                                            ix.     Willing submission will be rewarded with great exaltation

1.     Philippians 2:9-11 

           2.     Wives are to Submit to Their Own Husbands as Unto the Lord

a.     Why are women to submit to their own husbands?

                                               i.     Because submission is something all Christians are commanded to do

1.     Ephesians 5:21 

                                             ii.     Because submission is how all Christians are saved

1.     Ephesians 5:23; Romans 10:9 

                                           iii.     Because submission is an act of love

1.     John 14:15 

                                            iv.     Because submission is to be the correct posture of the Church

1.     Ephesians 5:24 

                                             v.     Because through her submission a woman’s husband can sacrificially love her

1.     Ephesians 5:25; Ephesians 5:33