Ephesians 5:26-27. 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.
A Good Husband Helps His Wife Grow
The church is likened to a husband/wife relationship, in Ephesians 5. There is no greater illustration of the church than a godly marriage. Christ’s purpose as the “husband/groom” of the church is to sanctify and cleanse it with the word of God. A good husband is going to help his wife grow spiritually by helping her with the word of God. It is important in a godly marriage to converse on a spiritual plane on a regular basis. Discussing and sharing scripture with each other is vital. Talking continually about worldly activities will foster a worldly marriage. There needs to be a spiritual side.
Christ Wants a Clean Church and a Clean Bride
Christ wants a clean church and a husband should want a clean wife (and I don’t mean she needs to shower regularly, though that is critical to any good marriage). As husbands, we need to help build our wives up spiritually. Encouraging them through godly exhortation and guiding them in scripture is important. Women, you need to be able to carry on a spiritual conversation, as well. You need to be in your Bible to give your husband something to work with. If you don’t read your Bible daily, it will hinder the sanctification and cleansing process that needs to happen. A clean, godly marriage is very important.
The Illustration to the World – A Godly Marriage
The reason it is so important that the husband helps to sanctify the wife is that it shows a perfect illustration to the world of what happens when someone gets saved and lives for God. There is growth in the Christian. There is love from Christ to the Christian and the Christian to Christ. There is a process whereby the Christian becomes more holy and like his Saviour. A marriage that has this kind of Biblical love and sacrifice, where the husband gives himself wholly for the wife, will illustrate to the world, and draw men to Christ. Worldly love cannot do that. How about you? Is your marriage an illustration of the church or the world? I hope it is the kind of godly marriage as shown here in Ephesians 5.
0 Comments