CHRISTLIKE LOVE ❤️ COMMANDED:
In Ephesians 5:23-32, The Holy Spirit through the pen of Paul the Apostle tells Christian husbands how to love ❤️ their wives.
THE HUSBAND:
“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. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the LORD the church: For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
Ephesians 5:23-32 KJV
The above verses suggest that the husband-wife relationship should be like the Christ-church relationship. In other words, the husband should be to the wife what Christ is to the Church. The question therefore is, what kind of relationship exists between Christ and the church?
A. Christ Loves the Church REALISTICALLY. Christ love ❤️ for the Church is neither fake nor feigned. Consequent upon this realistic love, He never withhold anything from the Church. The love ❤️ of Christ for the Church never diminishes even when the Church does not deserve His love ❤️. So, the husband is expected to love ❤️ his wife realistically too. Whatever the condition of the wife, the husband is expected to love her.
B. Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY. In manifestation of His love ❤️ to the Church, Christ gave up great glory. He sacrificed His Eternal Glory for the sake of the Church. How sacrificial should the love of the husband for the wife be?
The husband must be willing to give up everything to love the wife. He must be willing, if need be to give up his personal interest, time, pleasures, hobbies, friends and parents to love ❤️ and care for his wife.
C. Christ loves the Church PURPOSELY. We are told that Christ loved the Church that He ” might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” This is Christ’s purpose for loving the Church. Your love ❤️ for your wife must have a purpose. And this purpose must not be selfish.
D. Christ loves the Church WILFULLY. Have you ever realised that there was no motivating force in the Church to compel the love ❤️ of Christ? All the motivation of loving the Church came from within Christ.
He Willed to love ❤️.
He Determined to love ❤️.
He Purposed to love ❤️
Where there is the Will to Love, there will be affection and love that will not be tasking. Your love ❤️ for your wife must be a willing love ❤️. You must tell yourself many times, ” I have No Alternative; this is my Wife, I Must Love ❤️ her”.
E. Christ loves the Church ABSOLUTELY. This, in its simple form implies that Christ neither has limits, conditions nor reservations in loving the Church. The husband should love ❤️ his wife without any reservation, limit or condition. Your love ❤️ towards her must be absolute. Don’t submit to people’s derision that you are too fond of your wife.
THE WIFE:
What The Wife Should Know:
The wife generally feels she should be understood. If the husband does not understand her she becomes unhappy . She feels neglected and empty if the husband does not give her attention. She becomes demanding and critical because her need for love ❤️ and affection is not met. This situation is ironic.
The wife, in the right perspective, needs to be understanding rather than demanding. In 1Peter 3:1-6; women are taught to ” be in subjection to your own husbands… for after this manner in the old time the Holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands; Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” Ephesians 5:33 also admonishes every wife to ensure that she honour her husband.
You should however note that love ❤️ between husband and wife is more than smiling, or grinning. The wife should be patient with her husband and tolerant of the husband’s shortcomings or failures. Loves in the wife’s heart ❤️ will make her strive to meet the needs of her husband. Love ❤️ will make her avoid criticisms. Love gives.
As a woman, you marry to leave some categories of people including your parents and cleave to your husband. You should, therefore, abandon all dependencies upon your own parents and discontinue all criticism of your in-laws. Never criticise your in-laws. Your husband may sometimes show resentment against his own parents but your attitude should be a meek and quiet one. You should even encourage him to seek peace with them.
As much as possible, don’t sputter domestic problems at your husband as soon as you both returns home. You should not tell him news which will upset him when both of you just arrives home tired and maybe hungry. Reserve every unpleasant news till he has had his meal , a cold or hot bath, and is more relaxed . Shower praises and show appreciation for his effort hitherto before saying whatever you have to say. Be courteous, careful and compassionate when you are presenting your case to him.
As a wife, you need a radical change. If you really want to be loved, you must make yourself loveable. Learn the real meaning of love ❤️. Don’t let a day go by without loving your husband. No husband ever complained about having received too much love ❤️. Neither criticise, complain, condemn nor attempt to control him. It is against the Word of God to do so.
To Be Continued in September 2017 if our LORD JESUS TARRIES:
To the married: May the good LORD continue to bless our homes in JESUS Mighty name amen .
To The Singles: May the LORD connect you with the bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh as HE did for Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Zachariah and Elizabeth, Aquila and Pricilla at the appointed time in JESUS Mighty name amen .
Allow the WILL of God, DIY (Do It Yourself) is a recipe for disaster. You shall NOT marry your enemy in JESUS Victorious name amen
To The Separated or divorced: May the Almighty God, The Ancient of Days remove all walls of partition that separated you and cast such wall to the sea of forgetfulness, heal your hearts ♥️ and build a reconnecting bridge that shall bring you together according to His divine will for your lives in JESUS Mighty name amen
To The Widow or Widowers: May the good LORD heal your heart and comfort you on every sides, may you continuously feel HIS divine presence in every areas of your lives and in all your endeavours, underneath you, is the Everlasting Arms of the King of Kings and the LORD of lords, may you find enduring Peace and Comfort in HIM in JESUS Wonderful name amen
Shalom
Mrs Angelinah Olubunmi Peters
JESUS Is Alive In me
