Ephesians 5:25-33 (NIV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Here we find the apostle writing about the responsibility
of husbands in marriage. The apostle also relates the covenant of marriage to
the covenant Jesus made with the church. Just as a husband is to watch over his
wife, Christ watches over the church.
This past weekend our daughter got married in a lovely
wedding ceremony. The beautiful part of a Christian wedding is the reminder
that the wedding symbolizes what Christ has done for the church. Jesus several
times referred to Himself as the bridegroom of the Church. Even John the Baptist said that the bride
belongs to the bridegroom referring to those who have placed their faith in
Christ in as the bride and Jesus as the bridegroom who would receive them unto
himself as their protector.
While many debate the meaning of marriage we all need to
remember that Christ promises to be the bridegroom who will love, honor,
cherish and protect us as our lord and savior. It is a promise we should never
forget.
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