Day 4 Day 5 Volume 2 Number 14

The Spirit of God follows us to our homes, and

teaches us how to live to the glory of God. ‘Each individual
among you’ - Paul addresses every husband individually
The Husband is commanded to love like
Christ loves. The wife is commanded to respect like
ENGAGED
without naming him as such and encourages (actually he
the church does. Respect is the Greek word April 3 - 9
commands - present imperative - as our habitual, ‘Phobeo’. The idea of Phobeo here is to have a
continuous practice) each to go on loving his wife as his profound measure of respect for one's husband. Note
very self. Her response is not a factor in our love. the present tense calls for continuous respect, which
Remember husbands, what God commands, He always will surely be her response when she is sacrificially,
enables. We can't love our wives in our strength, but only unconditionally loved by her husband. It is easy to
in the grace and power supplied by the indwelling Spirit. respect the Lord when you feel His love and grace. It
Try to love your wife to the point of being willing to die for is easier to love a husband when he shows
her and see how far you get in your own strength. Not unconditional love. However, wives are commanded
merely as you might love yourself, but in recognition of the
to respect their husbands even without receiving from
fact that she is one with you. ‘Love’ describes the love God
gives freely, sacrificially and unconditionally regardless of them the unconditional love they deserve. In other
response. It also speaks especially of love, as based on words, we love and respect in marriage out of our
evaluation and choice, a matter of will and action. This love obedience and desire for Christ. Does your marriage
is not sentimental or emotional but obedient and reflective cause you to love and respect Jesus more? It
of the act of one's will with the ultimate desire being for should…
another's highest good. Since it is unconditional, this love
is still given, even if it's not received/returned! Agape love
gives and gives and gives. It is not withheld. Speaking to
faithless Israel, God speaks of coming days of restoration, Ephesians 5:32-33
declaring..."I have loved you with an everlasting love; “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning
Therefore I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each
(Jeremiah 31:3) Today’s is a difficult question to answer one of you in particular so love his own wife as
In Romans, Paul explains that even while we were
truthfully, but you must if you are going to live out himself, and let the wife see that she respects
helpless and ungodly, Christ died for the ungodly, adding...
these verses. Are you the “difficult” person in the her husband.”
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) relationship? Don’t make excuses at this point. If
John writes...In this is love, not that we loved God, but that you are, own up to it, ask Christ to change you, and
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our make every effort to do what Paul says in Romans
sins. (1John 4:10) Can you truly call what you feel for your 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as it lieth in you, live
spouse, as Agape Love? peaceably with all men”.
through
Pick someone out from your list of difficult
relationships today, and make an effort to do three things for
them. Number one, pray God’s best for them (not that He will
rain down fire from heaven, but truly bless them). Number
two, make an effort to say kind words to them; not a platitude,
such as “have a nice day”, but a true compliment or kindness.
Number three, do something for them without them knowing What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats
you did it. Your attitude must be like Christ’s attitude. These
three things are what God the Trinity did, and does, for you. the church. And this provides a good picture of how
Do likewise for them. each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in
loving her, and how each wife is to honor her
Many readers have struggled with the advice Paul husband. (The Message)
gives in this chapter. Verse 21 sets the tone for all that
follows: we are to submit to others because of our reverence
for Christ. In other words, in any human relationship –
husband and wife, child and parent – a third party is involved,
Christ himself. Paul urges us to conduct those relationships in
light of Christ’s own spirit. As a family, go back and read and
discuss verses 21 – 33.
Day 1
‘This mystery is great’ - As a wife is to
her husband, the church is to Christ. Marriage is
a reflection of the mystery of union between
Christ and His church. It was a concept that was
completely unknown until the New Testament
revealed it. So by your marriage, you are either
a symbol or a denial of Christ and His church.
With that as his clue, Paul unfolds the meaning of
marriage: it’s a symbol of Christ’s love for the
church represented in the husband’s loving
headship toward his wife; and it’s a symbol of the
church’s glad submission to Christ represented in
the wife’s relation to her husband. He calls Gen
2:24 a “mystery” because God did not reveal
clearly all His purposes for the marriage of male
and female in Genesis. There were hints and
pointers in the Old Testament that marriage was
like the relation of God and His people (ie,
Hosea). Only when Christ came, did the mystery
of marriage get spelled out in detail. It is meant to
be a portrait of Christ’s covenant with His people,
His commitment to the church. So marriage is
like a metaphor or an image or a picture or
parable that stands for something more than a
man and a woman becoming one flesh. It stands
for the relationship between Christ and the
church. That’s the deepest meaning of marriage.
It’s meant to be a living drama of how Christ and
the church relate to each other. How have you or
do you plan to tell His story through your
marriage?
We all want our relationships to be with
people whom we love, and who love us. We all
want to spend time with those who enjoy the
mutual companionship. But the truth is,
circumstances, necessity and expectation,
require us to relate to those with whom we clash.
It is reality. It is life. It is what God expects us to
do. It is what God intentionally brings to us. So
today, begin to learn to relate with a Christ-like
heart, to the difficult people.
Righteous living, for men or women,
Testifies to the Power and Grace of God at
work in their lives. As a family, discuss the
meaning of Righteous living?
Day 2
The Greek word for ‘mystery’ is Musterion. In
Scripture it takes on an important role. It means it
was something previously hidden by the purpose of
God which when uncovered is understood by the
Spirit-taught Believer (only by the Spirit-taught
Believer). Even when taught to unbelievers, they
cannot understand God’s mysteries. In other words,
Musterion signifies those truths, which are part of
God's plan and can only be understood as He
reveals them by His Spirit through His Word. Why do
you think that most marriages struggle? Not only
marriages of unbelievers, but also those who claim
the name of Christ? Why do you think we
misunderstand the mystery that has been revealed?
I mentioned yesterday that God intentionally
puts us into relationships that test our patience, our
restraint and “sermon-on-the-mountness”. If God
intentionally placed these relationships in your path,
what is it that He is trying to teach you and mold into
your life?
Through Christ we can live lives of Grace
rather than lives of Grievance. Submission should
not, however, mean participating in sinful behavior.
Discuss with your family the difference between
Grace and Grievance?
Day 3
Don’t get me wrong, I believe that the history
of Eden is very true and actually occurred. However,
that scene in Eden is also a parable. Let me explain. It
was not good for Christ to be alone. He needed one to
love and to give love. But there was none among
Heaven that could answer to Him. Therefore, God the
Father sought a bride for His Son. God’s purpose
caused a deep sleep to fall upon the second Adam,
Jesus. (I Cor 15:47 – The first man was of the earth,
made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from
heaven). In Christ’s ‘sleep’ (death) the bride (church)
was born from His side. Redeemed men compose
that bride. The Savior loves them, as a true man, who
for the first time loves a pure and noble woman. He
does not love them because they are fair, but to make
them so. By His blood, Word and Spirit, He is
sanctifying and purifying them for Himself. The process
is long and severe, but He nourishes and cherishes
His bride. He will present her to Himself, without spot
or wrinkle or any such thing; bearing His name,
sharing His rank, position, wealth, power and glory
forever and ever.
Then the Church shall cleave to Him forever, and He
shall cleave to her. They shall be one spirit. And His
own prayer shall be realized, "The glory which Thou
hast given Me, I have given unto them; that they may
be one, even as We are one." Wow, we are indeed
fulfilling the story of Christ to the world? Take a
moment and spend time thanking God for allowing Him
to be a part of His story, repenting over any failure and
asking for strength to be a better ‘story’ teller.
Can you really love those who hate you? Is
it really possible? Does God really expect you not
to reject this kind of one-way relationship? Take a
moment to read beyond verse 43, to the
explanation of why Jesus calls us to this. It
becomes obvious that, if we are to be God’s
children, then we MUST go through these kinds of
relationships. It is necessary if we are to be shaped
into the likeness of Christ. So embrace those
difficult people (even if not literally, at least
figuratively!), and learn to be like Jesus, who
embraces you.
Paul’s last visit is to the home where he
uses marriage as a picture of the relationship
between Christ and the church. Christ loved us
and died for us, but today He loves us and cares
for us. This intimate life is pictured in the Song of
Solomon and can be a reality for all who will yield