Topic: MARRIAGE HAS BINDING ASPECTS
THEME SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 5:22,25 (KJV)
[22] Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. [25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
MESSAGE:
We have defined marriage as a covenant relationship between a man and a woman, which has binding aspects, and goes with some form of responsibilities. We now turn our attention to the “binding aspects” of marriage.
Once a man and a woman are joined together in marriage, the man automatically becomes a husband, while the woman becomes a wife. The word “husband” means, a tiller of the soil; one who cultivates, such as a farmer. The word “wife” is from an old English word, “wif”, which means, “to be with.” Thus, the concept of marriage is primarily about a woman who is with a man whose primary occupation is the cultivation of love.
For the purposes of order and governance in the home, there cannot be two heads. Every productive institution has one head, and the marriage institution is no exception. Any animal with two heads is a monster. In order not to build a monstrous home, God instructs the wife to submit to her own husband, as unto the Lord. To submit means, to place oneself under the control of another; to bring your mission under the control of another. As far as the marriage covenant is concerned, the wife is BOUND to submit to her own husband. That sounds strong, isn’t it?
Likewise, for the purpose of marriage to be achieved, God instructs the husband to love his wife, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it. Christ loved the church unconditionally; it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us. True love is to be committed to the wellbeing of another. As far as the marriage covenant is concerned, the husband is BOUND to love his wife; he is bound by the marriage covenant to be committed to the wellbeing of his wife. How many husbands are committed to the wellbeing of their wives with no strings attached?
Can you imagine a home in which a wife truly submits to her own husband, and a husband truly loves his wife? Marriage, certainly, has binding aspects; a couple who enter into the marriage covenant are bound to observe these things. If you know the truth, blessed are you when you do it!
