CREATION - FALL - REDEMPTION

God made Man & Woman in His image, and He brought them together in a complementary bond to enjoy and support one another as they accomplish His will together.

God created us to be in connection with Him and with each other, so we could support one another to fulfill His will and manifest His glory on earth.

Division, Deception, and Disobedience

Cover from each other & Hide from presence of God

Strained Marital Bond: The wife has her own inner struggle in her role to respect and follow her husband and the husband has his own inner struggle in his role to provide loving leadership for his wife.

Outline of Ephesians
· The blessings of the redemption in Christ
· We’ve been made alive in Christ
· God’s divine plan to reconcile Jew and Gentile under the banner of Christ
· Finding unity in the Spirit

Spirit Led Unity
· Body of Christ
· Husband-Wife
· Parent-Child
· Employee-Employer
· Spiritual Warfare: Satan opposes God’s people being united.

When we are drinking deeply from the Spirit we are moved to be kind to one another, praise the Lord with one another, and submit to one another.

YEILD

It takes the Spirit to help us to yield to one another out of reverence for Christ because the instinct of our flesh bends towards doing what makes us comfortable sometimes to the neglect of others.

Wife

Submission does not mean you…
· Lose your sense of thought and discernment
· Can’t seek to influence your husband
· Put the will of your husband above the will of Christ
· Seek for all of your spiritual strength to come from your husband

Submission does mean you…
· Are remaining, seeking, and trusting in Jesus which gives you trust
to lend to your husband
· Find your ultimate security in Jesus
· You are working together with your husband and not against him

Husband

Headship does not mean…
· How you govern yourself is based on your personal preference or
emotional comfort level
· Things always go your way
· Your wife has to agree with you on everything
· That you are the only one seeking God’s will for your family

Headship does mean…
· You seek to be rooted in Christ’s and extend that same love to your wife
· You take the lead in spiritually nurturing your wife
· You care for and love your wife the way you desire to be loved

Profound Mystery

God has chosen in His infinite wisdom to use the relationship between husband and wife as a model for our heavenly connection with Him and for a model of connection with others here on earth.

“As God made man in His own image, so He made earthly marriage in the image of His own eternal marriage with His people”

-Geoffrey Bromiley

1. How have you been impacted by your mother and father’s relationship?
2. If you desire to be married, how does this passage challenge you in discerning potential marriage partners?
3. How does this passage challenge and help you in your marriage?