Ephesians 5:25

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her." Ephesians 5:25

Here, we find, similar to verse 22, where an emphasis to do something we are "all" suppose to do, was given to wives, but here in verse 25, the emphasis is for husbands now, to "love". And again, I do not believe it was written strictly for the church at Ephesus. To me, it seems quite evident that wives struggle more with being subject to their husbands than they do expressing love, and with husbands, the struggle is more with expressing love than being subject to their wives... even more so today than in Paul's time. This is tied to "the day is evil"... the fallen nature of this world, going all the way back to the garden incident of Genesis, chapter 3.

Though husbands have already been given the command to both, "be subject to and love" one another, the emphasis to love is again, related to the curse which is still upon the world today, and just as wives must give additional attention to being subject to their husbands... So too, husbands must give extra attention to expressing love to their wives, to overcome the bend of this world.

Now, how can Husbands do this? They must look to Christ, because the verse says, "as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her," It's interesting that Love is the emphasis for husbands, with "headship" being the context. For the One whom it is said of, "No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends", Jesus, Himself said, "For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve". So, with Christ's example of "love" from One who is "head" over another.... someone who is responsible for another, leading another, yet He, Jesus clearly puts Himself in a serving position at the same time. How does a Husband do both lead and serve at the same time? Well, he can't unless the husband love and be subject to Christ, first... following the leading of the Holy Spirit, studying The Word of God. He will then have the wisdom and heart needed to lead his wife and family in the things of God, while serving them also, unto death!

If a Christian man or woman has married a non-Christian, they have done so against the Word of God, which says, "Do not be unequally yoked", and they bring into the marriage only half of the secret solutions to overcoming the curse that the world is under. But for the husband and wife whom both love and are subject to Christ, they will pay special attention to these two emphasis' from verses 22 and 25, and will have very successful and fulfilling bonds in Holy matrimony.

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 5:26 next time.

I love you.