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OCTOBER 5
with the washing of water by the word, that members of His body, of His flesh and of His
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He might present her to Himself a glorious bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such father and mother and be joined to his wife,
thing, but that she should be holy and without and the two shall become one flesh.” This is
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28
blemish. So husbands ought to love their a great mystery, but I speak concerning
own wives as their own bodies; he who loves Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each
33
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his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated one of you in particular so love his own wife as
his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, himself, and let the wife see that she respects
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just as the Lord does the church. For we are her husband.
DAY 4: How do the principles of submission and love
in Ephesians 5:21–33 work in a marriage?
The section that begins with a call to wise living (5:15) leads up to Paul’s general counsel about
submission (5:21). This last verse serves to introduce the next section (5:22–6:9), which spells out
the godly expectations for various relationships. Here Paul stated unequivocally that every Spirit-
filled Christian is to be a humble,submissive Christian.This is foundational to all the relationships in
this section.No believer is inherently superior to any other believer.In their standing before God,all
believers are equal in every way (3:28).
Having established the foundational principle of submission (5:21), Paul applied it first to the
wife.The command is unqualified and applicable to every Christian wife, no matter what her own
abilities, education, knowledge of Scripture, spiritual maturity, or any other qualities might be in
relation to those of her husband.The submission is not the husband’s to command but for the wife
to willingly and lovingly offer. The phrase “your own husband” limits the wife’s submission to the
one man whom God has placed over her.
The Spirit-filled wife recognizes that her husband’s role in giving leadership is not only God-
ordained but also a reflection of Christ’s own loving, authoritative headship of the church. As the
Lord delivered His church from the dangers of sin,death,and hell,so the husband provides for,pro-
tects, preserves, and loves his wife, leading her to blessing as she submits (Titus 1:4; 2:13; 3:6).
Paul has much more to say to the man who has been placed in the role of authority within
marriage.That authority comes with supreme responsibilities for husbands in regard to their wives.
Husbands are to love their wives with the same sacrificial love that Christ has for His church. Christ
gave everything He had, including His own life, for the sake of His church, and that is the standard
of sacrifice for a husband’s love of his wife.
The clarity of God’s guidelines makes it certain that problems in marriage must always be
traced in both directions so that each partner clearly understands his or her roles and responsibil-
ities. Failure to love is just as often the source of marital trouble as failure to submit.

OCTOBER 5

61:1,2 The Spirit…acceptable year of the
Isaiah 61:1–62:12 LORD. The Servant of the Lord (42:1) will be the
61 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is ultimate Preacher and the Redeemer of Israel
who rescues them. Jesus speaks of the initial
upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me fulfillment of this promise, referring it to His
To preach good tidings to the poor; ministry of providing salvation’s comfort to
He has sent Me to heal the the spiritually oppressed (Luke 4:18,19). He
brokenhearted, says specifically, “Today this Scripture is ful-
To proclaim liberty to the captives, filled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). The Jews
who were saved during Christ’s ministry, and
And the opening of the prison to those those being saved during this church age still
who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the do not fulfill the promise of the salvation of
the nation to come in the end time (Zech.
LORD, 12:10–13:1; Rom. 11:25–27).
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

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