AS YOUR OWN BODY

Ephesians 5:27-30 "...and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church, for we are members of his body."

Christ’s love for the church is demonstrated in the way he honored her and elevated her. We already referred to how he made her holy, cleansing her, and clothing her in his righteous raiment. But notice how high he lifted us up! From the very depths of sin and degradation to the kingdom of heaven! He took us from the realm of Satan and brought us into a loving relationship with God. He introduced us into his royal family so that we might call his Father our Father! Christ is proud of us! He wants to show us off! “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 3:10). I have a picture in my mind of Christ taking his bride, the church, around heaven on his arm and showing her off to the rulers and authorities and princes of heaven! Brothers, this is what our love for our wives should be like! We are to honor our wives. We are to hold them up and respect them! We should never put them down or insult them or abuse them in any way! We lift them up and praise them with holy pride!

Finally, the church is the body of Christ. How does Christ care for his body? He provides constant watchcare. He is always with his church. (Matthew 28:20b) He never leaves us alone. He never forsakes us. We are always with him because we are his body. He provides for us everything we need. He protects us from the Enemy. He nourishes us spiritually through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. All these things he does for us because we are his body. This is the way we are to love our wives! “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself” (Ephesians 5:28). Please notice that Paul does not say, “Love your wives in the same way you love your own bodies.” He says that we are to love our wives as our own bodies! In other words, when we hear those words and take those vows, “and the two shall become one flesh,” we are actually one body! The woman was taken from the body of the man and marriage brings them back together again into one body! When we love our wives we are loving ourselves! When we hurt our wives we are hurting ourselves.

Men, I can’t let you go without impressing the importance of our responsibility upon you one more time. Loving our wives is not optional! God commands us to love. We will be held accountable. There are consequences if we fail to love our wives as we should. Here is the end of that passage in 1 Peter that we looked at earlier, “…and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” Our very relationships with God will be affected if we do not love our wives and give ourselves up for them. I wonder if the general weakness of the American church might be traced to the failure of Christian men to love their wives as they should.