THE POWER OF LOVE AND SUBMISSION IN THE FAMILY
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is the first and one of God’s greatest gift to the entire human race. God’s purpose is to make the home the glue that binds and holds the Church and the State together.
Love and submission are two essential and indispensable ingredients for every Christian marriage to work and be blissful. Where these two ingredients are missing the marriage becomes
manage, and a mirage.
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8)
P1. The Unconditional Command of Love from the Husband
Eph. 5:25-31; Col. 3:19; Song of Sol. 8:6,7; 1 Corinth.13:4-7
God commands unconditional love from the husband:
➢Love (agapao in Greek) means seeking the highest good for another
➢The husband’s love is not subject to the submission of the wife, it is unconditional
➢The husband is commanded to be lovely not lordly
L – Longsuffering (exercising understanding and patience)
O – Obliging (willing and eager to help)
V – Vibrant
E – Empathetic
“Faith makes all things possible…love makes all things easy” –Moody
P2. The Unquestionable Charge of Submission from the Wife
Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1-6
God commands order in the State, Church and the Home:
S – Sensible (prudent and reasonable – Proverbs 14:1)
U – Understanding
B – Believing (trusting)
M – Mannered (polite)
I – Intimate
S – Supportive
S – Satisfied
I – Industrious (Proverbs 31:10-19,21,27)
O – Obedient
N – Noble (unselfish)
“In submitting to the authority of her husband, a wife is submitting to the Lord’s authority. This in itself should remove any attitude of reluctance or rebellion.” – MacDonald
When a woman has the idea that her own opinion is as good as that of anyone else and goes ahead without the consent of her husband, she is treading on dangerous ground.
His judgment may be poor (and often a wife has better judgment than the husband) but after she has expressed her opinion, then it is her duty to let him do as he thinks best and take the consequences. He will see sooner or later his mistake if he has made one and will learn to respect his companion’s convictions.
It is a common failing of woman to talk and argue and hold out for her point. This does no good. If her way is right, she is not responsible for the results of the opposite course being taken.
Of course it is the husband’s place, as a gentleman and especially as a lover, to consider her judgment without prejudice, but when it comes to a final decision he should have the privilege of saying what should be done…
Julia Shelhamer
P3. The Uncommon Combination of Love & Submission in the Family
Ephesians 5:21,33; 1 Corinth. 11:3,8,9,11-12; 7:1-5; 1 Peter 3:7-11
The fusion of love and submission emits incredible power:
➢ Love and submission are two sides of the same coin
➢ God wants orderliness in the family through submission
➢ Love in marriage should be mutual
➢ Submission is not the sole preserve of the wife. It’s a universal Christian virtue
➢ Submission should flow naturally from a wife with a loving husband
“Happy is the home where love rules, where the husband is the personification of love, and where the wife submits to his judgment in everything”
Shelhamer