Day 11: And husbands should love their wives like that. They should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:28) #fireproofyourrelationship #40daylovschallenge #GoForthInFaithMinistries
What does Ephesians 5:28 mean?
Just as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:27), husbands should love their wives. In saying this, Paul sets the ultimate standard in comparing the marriage relationship with Christ and the church. Such an attitude makes abuse, mistreatment, or abandonment impossible to justify. In fact, Paul demands that husbands love their wives “as their own bodies.” This includes personal care, time, and provision. A man would not leave his body “unattended” or without care for a great length of time. He should likewise not treat his wife in this manner. The Old Testament even described abandonment by a husband as an act of violence (Malachi 2:16).
It’s important to remember that “love,” as used in the Bible, means much more than simple feelings. It always comes with an expectation of action: of doing good on behalf of that person. This verse uses the Greek root word agape, which refers to a selfless, sacrificial concern for the welfare of someone else.
For that reason, Paul notes that loving one’s wife—through actions—has practical benefits for the husband as well. If a husband desires a better life, he can do so in part by investing more into his own wife. Love expressed to one’s wife certainly offers numerous benefits to a husband, including unity, better parenting, less conflict, less stress, and other factors.
Context Summary
Ephesians 5:22–33 is an often-cited but frequently misunderstood passage. Here, Paul explains how Christian husbands and wives should apply their understanding of salvation within their marriage. Wives are commanded to ”submit” to their husbands as they would to Christ, and to show them respect. Often overlooked, however, is that men are equally obligated. Husbands are told to love their wives as Christ loved the church: with humility and sacrifice, as if caring for their own bodies. Despite popular myth, the Bible does not permit either sex to be abusive or unloving within a marriage.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 5 begins with an admonition to imitate Christ. In order to do so, Christians must avoid sexual immorality, vulgar language, foolishness, and other inappropriate attitudes. Paul warns that those who persist in these behaviors are not part of the kingdom of God. The passage then transitions to an explanation of mutual submission, including that between husbands and wives. Wives are to submit to their husbands, and respect them. Husbands are to love their wives in a Christ-like, sacrificial, and humble way.
Ephesians 5:28
by Grant | May 8, 2016 | Ephesians |
Read Introduction to Ephesians
28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
Verses 28 to 32 apply the principles of verses 25 to 27.
28 So
As Christ relates to the church, so the husband should relate to the wife. There is a similar oneness between husband and wife (v. 31). The husband and wife are the complement of each other. God designed the institution of marriage so that one is suited to the other.
husbands ought to love their own wives
The word “ought” carries the idea of obligation. There is no option of the husband loving his wife. He is also to love her with sacrificial love. He is not to love her only if it is convenient to him or she is nice to him. It does not matter whether she criticizes him or does not appreciate him, he is to love her.
The husband is to love his wife in the same way that Christ loves the church. As the church is Christ’s body, so the wife is the husband’s body. This is an intimate union.
as their own bodies;
To the extend a husband loves his own body, he is to love his wife. The word “as” has a quality of force in the Greek. As we take care of our bodies, we are to prudently care for our wives.
The word “own” occurs six times in verses 22 to 33. This word indicates a mutually exclusive relationship. There is no polygamy in God’s economy.
he who loves his wife loves himself.
A by-product of a husband’s love for his wife is his own personal welfare. Since his wife is part of him and intimately united with him, how he treats his wife affects him.
PRINCIPLE:
There is the same kind of love and union between husband and wife as there is between Christ and the church.
APPLICATION:
A husband’s love for his wife should be like Christ’s love for the church. Love is the highest responsibility of the husband to his wife. The husband should love his life as constituting his own body.
What Does Ephesians 5:27 Mean?
He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:27(HCSB)
Verse Thoughts
In the past, Christ manifested His love towards us in that He died to pay the price for our sins – He redeemed us by His blood. At redemption we were positionally sanctified and set apart for Him, but throughout our life on earth.. we are in a process of being sanctified, for He who started a good work in us has promised to complete it in the day of Christ Jesus.
This beautifying process, takes a lifetime to complete, is to transform us into the likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ, and is being carried out by the washing of the water by the word.. As we hear and obey the Word of God we are being cleansed and beautified, so that in the future we will be glorified.. when we shall see Him as He is.
The whole sanctification process from initial salvation to final glorification is to transform us into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who loved the church so much that He gave His life for us, so that we might be made holy – set apart for His pleasure and glory. Day by day as we read and meditate upon the word of God we are being washed and cleansed by the purifying water of His Word.
Throughout our life as we hear and meditate on the Word of God we are being refined and beautified through its purifying properties – and God did this so that in the day of Christ Jesus, His church (which is His body) will be perfected.. without spot or wrinkle of any such thing – instead we will be made holy and blameless and transformed into His likeness of the only begotten Son of God.. to the praise and glory of our Father in heaven.
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-5-27
Praying through Ephesians 5:27
Heavenly Father, how I bless Your holy name for the transforming work that You are doing in my life. I pray that I would be washed daily with the cleasning water of the Word of God so that I may be presented to You without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but be made holy and blameless – to Your praise and glory, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN.
“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.”
(Ephesians 5:27)
Source: https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Ephesians/5
My Prayer
You, O Lord, have done wonderful things for me and for those I love. Help me within the difficult times when I need you most, and be the master of my emotions and my thoughts, so that I can act in a manner that is worthy of You in All things and treat my wife with the upmost respect and love. All praise, glory and honor to you Lord Jesus Christ: AMEN
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