SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 45

TITLE: THE ROLE OF THE HUSBAND, PART I

TEXT: EPHESIANS 5:25

INTRODUCTION: (1) THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “THE PERFECT MARRIAGE” IN OUR WORLD TODAY.

* AND MOST OF YOU THAT ARE MARRIED ARE WELL AWARE OF THAT. ALL MARRIAGES MUST BE WORKED ON CONTINUALLY.

** YET, BEFORE THE FALL, ADAM AND EVE LIVED IN THE BEAUTIFUL HARMONY AND SATISFACTION OF A PERFECT MARRIAGE IN A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT.

*** IT WAS THE ONLY PERFECT MARRIAGE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND AND IT DID NOT LAST THEIR ENTIRE MARRIAGE, FOR SIN ENTERING THE WORLD THROUGH THEM, RUINING THE IDEAL, PERFECT MARRIAGE.

**** THE PERFECT MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP OF ADAM AND EVE WAS INTERRUPTED. FOR AS WE LEARNED LAST WEEK, THE FALL ITSELF BROUGHT ABOUT A PERVERSION OF MARITAL ROLES AND GOD’S CURSE, BECAUSE OF THE FALL, AFFECTED MARRIAGE.

(2) THE WIFE’S ROLE WAS PERVERTED, FOR NOW UNDER THE CURSE HER DESIRE IS TO SEEK CONTROL OVER HER HUSBAND AND THE HUSBAND’S PERVERTED DESIRE IS TO RULE AS A DICTATOR IN AUTHORITARIANISM OVER HIS WIFE.

* THEIR ROLES WERE DISTORTED, READ GENESIS 3:16.

** SO WIVES HAVE A SINFUL INCLINATION TO USURP THEIR HUSBAND’S AUTHORITY AND HUSBANDS HAVE A SINFUL INCLINATION TO PUT WOMEN UNDER THEIR FEET.

*** SO MARRIAGE WAS CORRUPTED BECAUSE BOTH THE MAN AND THE WOMAN TWISTED GOD’S PLAN FOR THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

**** THEY REVERSED THEIR ROLES AND MARRIAGE HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE EVER SINCE!

(3) WOMEN’S LIBERATION REFLECTS THE DISTORTED WOMEN’S DESIRES AND MALE CHAUVINISM THE MAN’S.

* THE UNREDEEMED SINFUL NATURE OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN IS TO BE SELF-PREOCCUPIED AND SELF-SERVING AND THOSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE NO BASIS FOR HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIPS.

** GOD’S WAY TO SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE FOCUSED ON WHAT HUSBANDS AND WIVES PUT INTO IT, NOT ON WHAT THEY CAN GET OUT OF IT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LATTER IS TRUE MANY TIMES, WHAT CAN I GET OUT OF THIS?

*** AND SELFISHNESS AND ME-ISM DOMINATES WHICH CAN BE A FORMULA FOR DISASTER AS GOD-GIVEN ROLES ARE DISTORTED IN MARRIAGE.

**** AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE MOST DOMINANT DISTORTION OF RELATIONSHIPS HAS BEEN ON MAN’S SIDE.

(4) FOR IN MOST CULTURES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD WOMEN WERE TREATED AS LITTLE MORE THAN SERVANTS, AND THE PRACTICE SADLY IS REFLECTED IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD TODAY.

* YET THAT DISTORTION CAN BE REVERSED BY HUSBANDS OBEYING THE COMMAND OF THE VERSE WE ARE STUDYING TODAY, READ EPHESIANS 5:25.

** AND A HUSBAND WHO LOVES HIS WIFE THIS WAY WILL NOT TREAT HIS WIFE AS A SERVANT OR AS A POSSESSION OR ABUSE HIS GOD GIVEN HEADSHIP OR AUTHORITY.

*** AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS MOST CHRISTIAN WOMEN WOULD NOT OBJECT FOR A SINGLE MOMENT TO BE IN SUBMISSION TO HER HUSBAND, IF HER HUSBAND WERE JESUS CHRIST.

**** NOW, OBVIOUSLY THE BIBLE CALLS WIVES TO BE IN SUBMISSION TO HUSBANDS WHO ARE NOT JESUS CHRIST, BUT THE ROLE THAT IS GIVEN HUSBANDS HERE IS CONVICTING: TO LOVE THEIR WIVES LIKE CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH.

(5) AND SOME HUSBANDS MAY RESPOND SAYING “I’LL LOVE MY WIFE AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH, AS SOON AS SHE SUBMITS HERSELF TO ME!”

* BUT THAT’S NOT HOW CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH. CHRIST LOVED HIS CHURCH, HIS PEOPLE, WHO WERE NOT SUBMISSIVE TO HIM AND STILL AREN’T.

** CHRIST DIED FOR A CHURCH – HIS PEOPLE THAT WERE IN REBELLION AGAINST HIM!

*** AND SOME WIVES MIGHT SAY, “I WILL SUBMIT MYSELF TO MY HUSBAND WHEN HE STARTS LOVING ME.”

**** WELL, THE TRUTH IS THE COMMANDS GIVEN TO HUSBANDS AND WIVES ARE NOT CONDITIONAL, THEY ARE IMPERATIVES.

(6) SO IN OUR ROLES AS HUSBANDS AND WIVES, WE STAND BEFORE OUR GOD WHO ORDAINED MARRIAGE AS ONES WHO MUST BE OBEDIENT TO HIM IN FULFILLING OUR ROLES AND WE ARE IN SIN WHEN WE DON’T.

* AND LAST SUNDAY WE LOOKED AT THE ROLE OF THE WIFE TO SUBMIT AND WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT IT DOESN’T MEAN AND TODAY WE’LL START TO LOOK AT THE ROLE OF THE HUSBAND, PART I, AS MORE VERSES ARE GIVEN TO THE HUSBAND IN FULFILLING THEIR ROLE.

** AND WE’LL LOOK AT ONLY ONE VERSE TODAY, V. 25. AND IN STUDYING THIS VERSE WE’LL LOOK AT TWO POINTS. NO. 1 THE IMPERATIVE TO HUSBANDS, V. 25A; AND NO. 2 THE ILLUSTRATION, THE MODEL HUSBANDS ARE TO FOLLOW, CHRIST, V. 25B.

*** AND WITH THOSE TWO POINTS AS OUR OUTLINE, LOOK AT V. 25A OF EPHESIANS 5 PLEASE, WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT, THE IMPERATIVE.

I. THE IMPERATIVE, (READ V. 25A)

A. NOW THE IMPERATIVE FOR HUSBANDS IS TO LOVE THEIR WIVES.

* AND THE VERB LOVE HERE IS THE GREEK WORD AGAPAO WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

** AND THE WORD AGAPE COMES FROM AGAPAO AND IS THE WORD USED TO TALK ABOUT GOD’S SPECIAL LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE IN SCRIPTURE.

*** AND THIS PARTICULAR GREEK WORD IS USED HERE IN V. 25 TWO TIMES, IN V. 28 THREE TIMES AND IN V. 33 ONCE, A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES IN THIS CONTEXT OF THE ROLE OF HUSBANDS.

**** SO AGAPAO OR AGAPE IS A KEY WORD IN THIS SECTION.

1. AND THE VERB HERE IN THE FIRST PART OF V. 25 THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS A PRESENT IMPERATIVE MEANING THAT IT IS A COMMAND AND REINFORCES THE IDEA THAT A HUSBAND’S LOVE FOR HIS WIFE IS TO BE AN ONGOING PROCESS.

* AND IT IS ONGOING FOR THERE IS NEVER A TIME IN OUR MARRIAGES THAT WE ARE NOT TO LOVE OUR WIVES AND IT IS ONGOING IN MY MIND THAT THE LONGER WE ARE MARRIED THE MORE WE SHOULD GROW IN OUR LOVE TO OUR WIVES.

** IT IS A PART OF THE SANCTIFICATION PROCESS AND GUYS THE MORE WE GROW IN CHRIST, THE MORE WE WILL LOVE OUR WIVES.

*** I MEAN I KNOW I LOVE BETH A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN I DID WHEN WE WERE MARRIED OVER 31 YEARS AGO. (AND HONEY YOU ARE ALLOWED TO SHAKE YOUR HEAD ON THIS ONE, IN FACT IT WOULD LOOK GOOD IF YOU SHAKE IT A LOT).

**** BUT SERIOUSLY, LOVING OUR WIVES IS AN ONGOING PROCESS IN THAT IT NEVER STOPS IN THIS LIFE AND ALSO IS A PROCESS OF GROWTH.

2. HUSBANDS ARE COMMANDED TO CONTINUALLY LOVE THEIR WIVES. AND AGAPAO LOVE HERE IS A LOVE IRRESPECTIVE OF MERIT, EVEN TO THE UNDESERVING.

* THUS IN THIS CONTEXT HUSBANDS ARE TO LOVE THEIR WIVES EVEN WHEN THEY MAY SEEM UNDESERVING AND UNLOVING, IN OTHER WORDS, UNCONDITIONALLY.

** THIS KIND OF LOVE’S INTENT IS TO SEEK THE HIGHEST GOOD IN THE ONE LOVED.

*** AND THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE INSTRUCTION FOR THE WIFE IN VV. 22-24 WHICH WE STUDIED LAST SUNDAY.

**** AND THAT IS, THE WIFE’S SUBMISSION TO HER HUSBAND IS NOT DEPENDENT ON THE HUSBAND’S RESPONSE, IT IS UNCONDITIONAL AND ABSOLUTE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HUSBAND DEMANDING HIS WIFE TO DO SOMETHING CONTRARY TO THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES ESTABLISHED BY THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.

3. I’M TALKING ABOUT DISOBEYING A CLEAR COMMAND OF SCRIPTURE, THE HIGHER LAW IS ACTS 5:29 (READ IT AND COMMENT).

* NOW BEYOND THAT, A WIFE’S SUBMISSION IS UNCONDITIONAL AS WELL AS THE HUSBAND’S LOVE IS TO BE UNCONDITIONAL.

** NEITHER ARE GOVERNED BY EMOTION, RATHER BY AN ACT OF THE WILL.

*** NOW THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT LOVE IS AN ACT OF WILL ENTIRELY DEVOID OF ANY EMOTIONS, BUT RATHER IF BASED ENTIRELY ON EMOTIONS, THE HUSBAND’S LOVE WOULD BE BASED ONLY ON A GOOD RESPONSE.

**** AND NOTE THAT THIS CONCEPT IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE REST AS IN THE COMMAND TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES IN MATTHEW 5:43&44 (READ THEM).

4. NOW IF A PERSON IS OUR ENEMY FOR SOME REASON, OUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS ARE NOT GOING TO BE REAL POSITIVE.

* WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE GOOD VIBES, GOOD FEELINGS, OR WARM FUZZIES TOWARD THEM.

** BUT WE ARE COMMANDED THROUGH VOLITIONAL LOVE, AN ACT OF OUR WILL, TO LOVE THEM ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HATE US, LIT. WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE THEM REGARDLESS OF THEIR RESPONSE.

*** AND AS HUSBANDS WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE OUR WIVES EVEN IF THEY DON’T SUBMIT TO US.

5. OUR LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL AS WE’LL SEE THAT CHRIST’S LOVE FOR US WAS UNCONDITIONAL IN THE LAST PART OF V. 25.

* AND EXCUSE MY FRUSTRATION WITH HUSBANDS WHO SAY THEY HAVE FALLEN OUT OF LOVE WITH THEIR WIFE AND THEY CAN’T LOVE THEM ANYMORE.

** THAT’S A BUNCH OF BOLOGNA, THAT’S IN THE GREEK BY THE WAY, BUT IT’S NOT CAN’T, BUT WON’T.

*** YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT CHRIST COMMANDS YOU TO DO AND YOU HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES TO DO IT THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE WORD, THE CHURCH AND THE ONE ANOTHERS WORK THROUGH THE CHURCH TO HELP YOU.

**** ITS NOT CAN’T BUT WON’T, YOU REFUSE TO BY AN ACT OF YOUR REBELLIOUS WILL!

6. PHILIPPIANS 4:13 SAYS: (READ IT).

* NOW BELOVED THIS CAN BE APPLIED TO ANY COMMAND IN THE WORD OF GOD, FOR OUR HOLY GOD NEVER GIVES US A COMMAND THAT WE CAN’T OBEY.

** AND SOMETIMES HUSBANDS DON’T OBEY THIS COMMAND BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALLOWED THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS TO SPRING UP IN THEIR LIVES AND ARE DEFILED BY THAT, READ HEBREWS 12:14&15 AND COLOSSIANS 3:19.

*** NOW IN COLOSSIANS 3:19, THE COMPANION PARALLEL PASSAGE TO EPHESIANS 5:25, THERE ARE TWO IMPERATIVES, TWO COMMANDS.

**** THE FIRST IS TO LOVE OUR WIVES AND THE 2’D COMMAND IS “DO NOT BE EMBITTERED AGAINST THEM”.

7. AND THIS GREEK IMPERATIVE OF THE WORD EMBITTERED COULD BE TRANSLATED “STOP BEING BITTER” OR “DO NOT HAVE THE HABIT OF BEING BITTER” ACCORDING TO A.T. ROBERTSON.

* AND WE BECOME BITTER WHEN WE DO NOT FORGIVE AND WHEN WE DO NOT FORGIVE IT SHOWS WE ARE NOT WALKING IN LOVE.

** REMEMBER WHAT WE STUDIED EARLIER IN EPHESIANS 4:30-32 AND EPHESIANS 5:1&2 (READ THEM).

*** SO TO WALK IN LOVE IS TO WALK IN FORGIVENESS AND IS A PART OF WALKING THE WORTHY PLEASING WALK.

**** AND SOME OF YOU BROTHERS FLAT OUT NEED TO FORGIVE YOUR WIVES OF THINGS YOU ARE HOLDING ON TO IN BITTERNESS.

8. AND IF YOU WON’T YOUR MARRIAGE WILL SUFFER AND EVEN MORE DAMAGING IS YOU ARE SINNING AGAINST YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR AND HE WILL NOT GIVE YOU HIS JOY AND YOU WILL BECOME A SOUR BITTER PERSON.

* AND IF YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE TOO MUCH TO FORGIVE, YOU NEED TO THINK OF CHRIST’S FORGIVENESS OF ALL YOUR SINS AND YOUR UNPAYABLE DEBT.

** WHICH WILL BE A SEGWAY TO OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE ILLUSTRATION, SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY OF THE ILLUSTRATION OF CHRIST’S LOVE, LOOK BACK AT EPHESIANS 5:25 PLEASE.

II. THE ILLUSTRATION, (READ V. 25)

A. NOW THE ADVERBIAL PHRASE “JUST AS” OR “EVEN AS” AND THE CONJUNCTION “ALSO” ARE USED TO ILLUSTRATE TO US THAT CHRIST IS OUR MODEL.

* TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, PAUL’S EXHORTATION TO HUSBANDS “TO LOVE” IS ILLUSTRATED BY “LOVE” IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

** CHRIST’S LOVE IS THE ILLUSTRATION, THE MODEL, THE PATTERN, THE EXAMPLE THAT WE ARE TO FOLLOW.

*** AND HUSBANDS ARE TO LOVE THEIR WIVES JUST AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH.

**** AND THE VERB LOVED IS THE SAME GREEK VERB FOR LOVE IN THE FIRST PART OF V. 25, AGAPAO.

1. AND AGAIN THIS IS LOVE THAT IS NOT SELFISH, IT IS CONCERNED WITH THE HIGHEST GOOD OF THE ONE LOVED.

* IT IS AN ACT OF THE WILL, IT IS VOLITIONAL, AND IS NOT CONTROLLED BY FEELINGS. IT IS AGAIN UNCONDITIONAL.

** FOR WHO IS THE OBJECT OF CHRIST’S LOVE, TO WHOM DOES HE LOVE HERE? THE CHURCH.

*** THE SPECIFIC OBJECT OF CHRIST’S LOVE IS THE CHURCH. AND WAS THE CHURCH WORTHY OF CHRIST’S LOVE AND IS THE CHURCH WORTHY OF CHRIST’S LOVE?

**** ABSOLUTELY NOT! WE WHO HAVE BECOME A PART OF CHRIST’S CHURCH THROUGH HIS SAVING GRACE HAVE NEVER BEEN WORTHY OF HIS GREAT LOVE. HIS LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL.

2. BUT NOTICE THE ACTION OF CHRIST’S LOVE IN THE LAST PART OF V. 25, “AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER”.

* CHRIST’S LOVE FOR THE CHURCH WAS ACTIVE, IT WAS ACTION NOT EMOTION, IT WAS A VERB NOT AN ADJECTIVE.

** IT WAS AN ACT OF SACRIFICE, FOR WHAT IS IN VIEW HERE IS THE CROSS. THE VERB “GAVE” IS AN AORIST ACTIVE INDICATIVE.

*** AND THE AORIST TENSE OF THIS VERB ALONG WITH THE VERB LOVED POINTS BACK TO THE PARTICULAR ACTION OF THE CROSS.

**** CHRIST IN HIS LOVE DIED FOR THE CHURCH ON THE CROSS, HE GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER, IN THE CHURCH’S BEHALF, FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHURCH.

3. AND ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE HE HANDED HIMSELF OVER AND LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS SHEEP, READ JOHN 10:11.

* AND SPECIFICALLY CHRIST DIED FOR HIS SHEEP, HIS DEATH WAS FOR A DEFINED GROUP OF PEOPLE HE ACTUALLY WOULD SAVE, HIS SHEEP, HIS CHURCH, HIS PEOPLE.

** AND THE ACTION OF HIS LOVE ON THEIR BEHALF IS THE ISSUE IN THIS CONTEXT. AND WE SAW THIS EARLIER IN EPHESIANS 5:2 WHERE AGAIN PAUL SAID (READ IT). ALSO READ GALATIANS 2:20, ROMANS 5:6-8, JOHN 3:16, JOHN 15:13, TITUS 2:14.

*** SO THE ACTION OF CHRIST’S LOVE IS CLEAR. HIS LOVE WAS SACRIFICIAL.

**** AND HUSBANDS, OUR LOVE FOR OWN WIVES IS TO BE SACRIFICIAL, PUTTING SELFISHNESS DOWN. AND WHAT I CAN GET MUST BE PUT DOWN AND MOVING ON TO WHAT I CAN GIVE.

4. BUT NOT ONLY IS CHRIST’S LOVE FOR THE CHURCH SACRIFICIAL AND FORGIVING WHICH I MENTIONED EARLIER, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING IT IS PATIENT.

* I MEAN HE HAS TO PUT UP WITH A LOT DOESN’T HE?

** AND SOMETIMES I HEAR HUSBANDS SAY, “WELL, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH.”

*** AND MY RESPONSE TODAY IS, BUT THE LORD PUTS UP WITH YOU, HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, HE IS LONGSUFFERING WITH YOU, HE IS GRACIOUS WITH YOU.

**** SO AGAIN OUR LORD’S LOVE IS MANIFEST BY AN ACTION OF PATIENCE.

***** AND THEN PRACTICALLY LET ME SAY THAT CHRIST’S LOVE FOR THE CHURCH IS A COMMUNICATING LOVE. HE SPEAKS TO THE CHURCH THROUGH HIS WORD AND LISTENS TO THOSE OF HIS CHURCH WHO PRAY. (I’M TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION, SPEAKING AND LISTENING).

5. AND LOVING OUR WIVES MEANS COMMUNICATING, SPEAKING AND LISTENING. AND UNFORTUNATELY MANY COUPLES DO NOT COMMUNICATE.

* THEY DO INITIALLY IN DATING, SEEING EACH OTHER OR COURTING, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.

** BUT AFTER TIME SOME DON’T TALK. NOT GOOD!

*** AS HOWARD HENDRICKS SAID, “MARRIAGE IS SOMETIMES THE DIALOGUE OF THE DEAF.”

**** AND HUSBANDS, WE NEED TO LEARN TO BE GOOD LISTENERS. WE NEED TO SPEAK AND LISTEN AND COMMUNICATE WHAT’S ON OUR HEARTS AND LET OUR WIVES KNOW THAT WE TRULY CARE.

6. LOVE WILL MAKE US TALK AND LISTEN WHEN WE REALLY DON’T WANT TO FOR AGAIN IT IS AN ACT OF SACRIFICE.

* AND GUYS, IN YOUR SACRIFICE FOR YOUR WIVES, YOU DON’T NEED TO DIE FOR THEM TODAY, JUST LIVE FOR THEM UNDER THE LORD BEING YOUR FIRST LOVE.

** YOUR WIFE SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST LOVE ON EARTH. SO YOU DON’T NEED TO DIE FOR THEM TODAY, BUT DIE TO SELF.

** AND THAT IS AN ACTION OF LOVE. CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER.

NOW AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY(1) LET ME MAKE A COMPARISON OF THE WORLD’S LOVE AND CHRIST’S LOVE.

* THE WORLD’S LOVE IS ALWAYS OBJECT-ORIENTED. A PERSON IS LOVED BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIONS, PERSONALITY, WIT, PRESTIGE OR SOME OTHER POSITIVE CHARACTERISTIC.

** SO IN ACTUALITY THE WORLD LOVES THOSE WHOM IT DEEMS WORTHY OF LOVE. IT IS A FICKLE LOVE.

*** FOR AS SOON AS A PERSON LOSES A POSITIVE CHARACTERISTIC OR THAT CHARACTERISTIC IS NO LONGER APPEALING, THE LOVE BASED ON THE CHARACTERISTIC ALSO DISAPPEARS.

**** AND IT IS BECAUSE SO MANY HUSBANDS AND WIVES HAVE ONLY THAT KIND OF FICKLE LOVE FOR EACH OTHER THAT MARRIAGES FALL APART.

(2) FOR AS SOON AS A PARTNER LOSES HIS OR HER APPEAL, LOVE IS GONE, BECAUSE THE BASIS FOR THE LOVE IS GONE.

* WELL, THANKFULLY, CHRIST’S LOVE IS NOT OF THAT SORT. HE LOVES BECAUSE IT IS HIS NATURE TO LOVE AND BECAUSE THE OBJECTS OF HIS LOVE NEED TO BE LOVED, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE ATTRACTIVE OR DESERVE HIS LOVE.

** IF GOD LOVED AS THE WORLD LOVES, HE COULD NOT LOVE A SINGLE HUMAN BEING. THERE IS NOTHING TO LOVE IN US IN OUR FALLEN DEPRAVED STATE.

*** BUT IN CHRIST’S MARVELOUS GRACIOUSNESS, HE LOVES BECAUSE HE CANNOT DO OTHERWISE.

**** NOW WITH CHRIST’S LOVE AS OUR MODEL, CHRIST CAN COMMAND HIS OWN KIND OF LOVE FROM THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM BECAUSE HE HAS GIVEN THEM THE CAPACITY TO LOVE AS HE LOVES, READ ROMANS 5:5.

3. I THESSALONIANS 4:9 SAYS: “NOW AS TO THE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN, YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR ANYONE TO WRITE TO YOU, FOR YOU YOURSELVES ARE TAUGHT BY GOD TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.”

* NOW BEYOND THESE TWO VERSES, WHAT IS THE FIRST FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT OR THE ONLY FRUIT WHICH ALL THE OTHER CHARACTERISTICS DERIVE FROM? THE ANSWER IS LOVE, GALATIANS 5:22.

** SO IT COMES BACK TO THE TRUTH, THAT WE LOVE BY WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, CONTROLLED, LED, DIRECTED, PERMEATED WITH THE SPIRIT.

*** IT GOES BACK TO THE ULTIMATE IMPERATIVE OF EPHESIANS 5:18 (READ IT).

**** AND BELOVED, THEN AND THEN ONLY CAN WE FULFILL OUR ROLES AS WIVES, HUSBANDS, CHILDREN, EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS.

4. THOSE THINGS DON’T COME NATURALLY, BUT CAN BE FULFILLED SUPERNATURALLY THROUGH BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

* AND BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IS WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, FILLING OUR LIVES WITH THE WORD OF CHRIST, COLOSSIANS 3:16.

** AND IT COMES THROUGH CONFESSING SIN, YIELDING TO THE SPIRIT RATHER THAN TO SELF-THE FLESH, AND THEN BY FAITH, WALK IN THE SPIRIT.

*** MAY WE FULFILL OUR ROLES SUPERNATURALLY, AND THEN THE NEW MAN CAN MAKE AND HAVE A NEW MARRIAGE.