OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
THURSDAY, 4TH JUNE, 2020.
THEME:
MARRIAGE: CHRIST’S EXAMPLE I.
MEMORISE VERSE:
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)
BIBLE READING: Ephesians 5:22-30
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.
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.
ACTION POINT:
Like Christ,
husband, you are the priest and provider for your home. Take up your responsibility
and ask God to help you.
BIBLE IN ONE
YEAR: Proverbs
7-9.
AUTHOR:
PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 6: GOD
GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOME.
1. 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!
2. 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!
3. 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!
4. 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!
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