Intro to "The Role and Priorities of the Wife" (Eph. 5:22-24)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/7/2019 8:42 AM

 

My Worship Time                                       Focus:  Intro to “The Role and Priorities of the Wife”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Ephes. 5:22-24

 

            Message of the verses:  “22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

 

            We have a big problem in many of our churches today, and that problem is that many churches do not teach all that is in the Word of God.  As we come to what the Bible has to say about “The Role and Priorities of the Wife” we come to a part of this problem that the church has today.  If some churches actually read these verses they probably will think of them as being out of date with society and therefore do not believe that they are for our society in today’s world.  The problem is that in many churches today they are too worldly.

 

            The New Testament tells us over and over to another dimension of existence, a new way of thinking, acting, and living.  We are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called…and [to] put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph. 4:1, 24) is to fulfill the high calling to which we are called in a completely new life in a completely new, Spirit-filled way.”  That is the key to living the Christian life, “The Spirit-filled way.”  As mentioned in an earlier SD that is how our Lord lived while on planet earth.

 

            MacArthur writes “As was mentioned in the previous chapter, few areas of modern living have been so distorted and corrupted by the devil and the world and caused the church so much confusion as those of marriage and the family.  It is these issues that Paul confronts in Ephesians 5:22-6:9.  He expands and clarifies the general principle of mutual submission (‘be subject to one another in the fear of Christ,’ v-21) by giving several illustrations from the family, beginning with the relationship of husbands and wives.  As pointed out at the end of our discussion of verse 21, Scripture makes clear that there are no spiritual or moral distinctions among Christians.  ‘There is neither Jew, nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Gal. 3:28).  There are no classifications of Christians.  Every believer in Jesus Christ has exactly the same salvation, the same standing before God, the same divine nature and resources, and the same divine promises and inheritances (cf. Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; James 1:1-9).”

 

            However in the matters of role and function God has made distinctions.  MacArthur goes on “Although there are no differences in intrinsic worth or basic spiritual privilege and rights among His people, the Lord has given rulers in government certain authority over the people they rule, to church leaders He has delegated authority over their congregations, to husbands He has given authority over their wives, to parents He has given authority over their children, and to employers He has given authority over employees.

 

            “In Ephessians 5:22-24 Paul begins this list by outlining the role, duties, and priorities of the wife in relation to her husband’s authority.  First he deals with the basic matter of the submission, then with its manner, motive and model.”

 

            This is the outline that we will be following as we go through these verses, as we will begin with “The Matter of Submission” from verse 22a in our next SD, Lord willing.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that this is one of the most difficult sections to understand and to live out in my walk with the Lord and so it is my prayer that as I go through these different roles that the Lord will use them in my life to show me the great need of being filled with His Holy Spirit to live out the life that He has planned for me to live out from eternity past.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To continue to live a life that will bring glory to the Lord as He continues to teach me more and more about humility.

 

Today’s quotation comes from Billy Graham “Knowledge is horizontal.  Wisdom is vertical—it comes down from above.”

 

8/7/2019 9:14 AM