In
Ephesians, Paul gives this command to husbands, “Husbands, love
your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no
spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and
blameless.” How are husbands supposed to do this?
I was recently listening to a song
called “Courageous” by Casting Crowns and
some of the lyrics go like this; “Lord, make us Courageous, this is our
resolution, our answer to the call. We will love our wives and children. We
refuse to let them fall.” The last line reminded me of the verses in
Ephesians directed to husbands to sanctify and cleanse their wives. I sure
don’t see many husbands doing this but I believe they have become intimidated
by their wives.
Husbands are the head of the wife
and leader of their homes. They are the ones who are going to have to stand in
front of God some day and give an answer to how they’ve led their homes. Did
they do everything they could to keep their wives and children from falling?
When their wives were disobedient to them and unsubmissive, did they rebuke and
exhort their wives to walk in obedience to the Lord?
Unfortunately, many pastors teach
that husbands must NEVER tell their wives that they are to be submissive to
them. This is the wives’ decision, not the husbands. I completely disagree with
this! If a husband sees a wife in sin, he must confront her in her sin and
exhort her to stop. In the same way, if a wife sees her husband in a sin, she
needs to respectfully confront her husband and then she is instructed to win
him without a word by her godly and chaste behavior; praying for the Lord to
convict and change her husband. However, I believe God has given husbands more
authority to rebuke their wives in their sin and remind them since they are the
God-ordained head over their wives and are to present their wives with no spot
or wrinkle but to be “holy and blameless.”
Wives, please allow your husbands the right to obey God in this area by listening to their rebukes and exhortations to you. They know you better than anyone else. They are one flesh with you and heirs together of the grace of God. Our greatest desire should be to walk blamelessly and be holy, fully pleasing to our Lord. Don’t get offended when your husband confronts you for a wise woman takes rebuke but listen carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to make you more like Jesus. Make your husband proud on the day that he meets his Maker!
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her.
Proverbs 31:28
