05- 10- 11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Ephesians 5:21- 25)
UNITY IN MARRIAGE
21- “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 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;”
What is the main purpose of unity in marriage? Is it just about sex and the physical unity of the couple as husband and wife? Is it just about their relationship as husband and wife or it’s about their relationship with God? It means marriage is always a love triangle then? Yes it is always a love triangle with God and your spouse. How about the level of support and the set of standard of living in your home? Are you both comfortable with your relationship and in all areas of your life as parents and a married man and woman? Are you fully supported by your spouse in your career, in your studies, or in your business and dreams? Do you receive spiritual, emotional, financial support and other support you needed from your spouse? Those are some of the issues and problems you may have in your relationship as husband and wife. You may have heard of people who refused to support their spouse in their endeavor. Be it in politics, in business or the ministry.
The Lord’s purpose in marriage is to honor Him and to honor and be submissive to God and to each other. (Ephesians 5:21) “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Here in Ephesians chapter 5, we can learn some of the reasons and other basic things to observe and practice so we can keep our marriage and have the unity of spirit and in love. First, we must be followers of God and we must walk in love. (Ephesians 5:1- 2) 1- “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2- And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Second, we must not be partakers of the works of the darkness... If you read from verses 3- 6; Paul named some of the sins that destroyed many lives. And the sad thing is; those same sins are destroying millions of homes all over the world right at this moment. Paul said in verses 7- 8; “Be not ye therefore partakers with them.” Paul explained those principles to his followers very clearly as he goes on in verse 8, he said; “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” He was telling them that they don’t belong to the spirit of darkness but they are the children of light. Thirdly, we must have the fruit of the spirit and learn to reprove and rebuke the work of darkness and have no fellowship with them. You don’t agree with their sinful acts. If you notice, Paul was actually trying to tell us that everything starts from our heart. The love of God and the love for God started from the heart of God to our heart. The desire to hate sins and darkness… (Ephesians 5:9- 11) 9- “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10- Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11- And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
