Tuesday, April 16 | Ephesians 5:22-33 | Stephen Fryrear
I love weddings, everything about them! The music, the food, the cakes, the party, the people, all of that stuff is so fun, but the part of the wedding that gets me most amped is the exchanging of vows. Huge promises being made here! “For better for worse, forsaking all others, ‘til death do us part…” - these are big time commitments. Marriage has definitely lost its rightful place of importance in our society. Marriage is not just a social agreement between two consenting adults to join bank accounts, raise kids, and be forever roommates - no! It is of importance of cosmic proportions! Marriage is the way that God chose to show the world who He is and how He loves us!
In Ephesians 5:31 of today’s passage, Paul quotes from all the way back in Genesis 2:24. This verse is often read during a wedding ceremony about leaving your father and mother becoming one flesh with your wife, but in Ephesians 5:32 he drops a bomb, “…it refers to Christ and the church.” That must mean that, from the foundations of the world, God designed marriage to be an earthly picture of His love for us. We, the Church, are the (unfaithful) “Bride of Christ,” for whom Jesus paid the ultimate dowry for in order that we could be with Him forever. At the beginning of this chapter Paul encouraged us to imitators of God, and one way to do that is through our marriages.
Our marriages should show the world around us that God is faithful. We reflect the truth that our God is a faithful, covenant-keeping God when we honor and are faithful to our spouses. Our marriages also show that God is full of grace. When we show radical grace to our spouses and forgive even when it isn’t deserved we point the world to a God who is rich in mercy and grace. Marriage also reflects that we need Jesus. I realized this more than ever my first year of marriage. I’m not the perfect husband! I can’t be perfectly forgiving, patient and loving, but Jesus can. Call on Him “who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).
Be encouraged today! You can love your spouse because Christ loves you more. You can forgive and show grace because Christ forgave you of your sins! If you feel alone, know that’s not true. Christ will never leave His bride! Praise God!
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