Open Heaven Devotional 4 June 2020 – Marriage: Christ’s Example I

Topic – Marriage: Christ’s Example I
(Open Heaven 4 June 2020)

Memorise: 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. – Ephesians 5:23

4

Read: Ephesians 5:22-30 (KJV)
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 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.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 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.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Bible in One Year: Proverbs 7-9

Open Heaven 4 June 2020 Thursday MESSAGE:
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24

“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” – Ephesians 5:32

The union of a man and woman in marriage is a mystery because it conceals, as in a parable, a truth about Christ and the Church.

The divine reality in the concept of marriage is that God ordained a permanent union between His Son and the Church. Marriage between a man and a woman is the earthly representation of this divine plan. As God willed for Christ and the Church to become one body (Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:13), so He desires for marriage to reflect this pattern.

Husbands and wives should consciously copy God’s model for the relationship between Christ and the Church. Some essentials of this divine model are as follow:

First, the Church is to be led by Christ as the woman is to be led by her husband. The responsibility of the man is to see the vision for the family and that of the woman is to submit to the leadership of their husband as they work together to fulfil it.

It is also the responsibility of Christ to provide while the Church puts the resources into use so as to achieve the joint goal. The man is to provide for the home, in fact, 1 Timothy 5:8 describes anyone who does not provide for his home as worse than an infidel, having rejected the faith. The woman on the other hand, is to use the resources provided by the man (While also supporting as much as she can) for the good of the home, not for buying frivolous jewelry or shoes, except where the man has provided specifically for that. The wife being a ‘help meet’ should however support the man as much as she can (Genesis 2:18, Ephesians 5:22).

If we could pattern our marriages according to the relationship between Christ and the Church, we would have many fulfilling marriages today.

Open Heaven 4 June 2020 Thursday Action Point:
Like Christ, husband, you are the priest and provider for your home. Take up your responsibility and ask God to help you.

Open Heaven 4 June 2020 Thursday Hymn 6: God Give Us Christian Home
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Your way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!