What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Eph. 4:1-3 (NLT) Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
No matter what we do, every act within marriage should be an expression of our love! And, in God’s definition of what love is as we discussed in 1 Cor. 13.
Mark 10:43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In the first century, authority was totally different than what God intended.
Christ changed all of that. He made it clear that we are to act with love towards others, not focused on our own needs but the needs of those around us. - SERVE OTHERS!
Eph. 5:1 (NLT) Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.
Now that we understanding the proper definition of “authority,” it makes it easier to understand what ‘submission’ looks like in a marriage relationship. God asks both husbands & wives to submit to one another.
Eph: 5:21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
1Pet. 3:1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. 7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
So the question today of “Who’s The Boss?” lands us exactly where we ought to be...Who’s The Boss in our marriage? God. We must be imitators of Christ. Following after His perfect plan. His perfect love. His perfect will. When that happens, marriage will be everything we could ever want it to be.
Eph. 5:1 (NLT) Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.