Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27
I continue a pause in my study of 1 Corinthians to use DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional. Today, in this devotional, John Piper discusses marriage using Ephesians 5:25-30 as the text for biblical marriage. He dives into the topic by first sharing that "[t]he reason there is so much misery in marriage is not that husbands and wives seek their own pleasure, but that they do not seek it in the pleasure of their spouses. The biblical mandate to husbands and wives is to seek your own joy in the joy of your spouse." He then points to the text and emphasizes that the model for marriage - led by a husband that "loves his wife as Christ loved the church" (v25). Paul then unpacks the love Christ has for the church by sharing that He gave himself up for the church (v25) so that he can "sanctify and cleanse her" (v26). All of this is done ultimately so that "Christ can present the church to Himself in splendor" (v27). Piper then refers us to Hebrews 12:2 where the author of the text there describes that for the "joy that was set before him, [Christ] endured the cross" - Piper highlights this text by sharing that this joy can be "tied" back to Ephesians 5:25-27 where Paul describes Christ's marriage to the church and " the joy of presenting the church to himself in blood-bought splendor." Piper encapsulates these thoughts with the following: "Jesus does not intend to have a dirty and unholy wife. Therefore, he was willing to die to sanctify and cleanse his betrothed so he could present to himself a wife “in splendor.” He gained the desire of his heart by giving himself up in suffering for the good of his bride." Piper then concludes the devotional by highlighting how vv28-30 applies this same message to wives, and also by referring us to Matthew 22:39 where we are to love others and this of course is inclusive of wives. Piper's final thoughts: "[m]arriage is an extraordinary place of application. It is not merely “as” you love yourself. But you are loving yourself. When you love the person with whom God has made you one flesh, you are loving yourself. That is, your greatest joy is found in seeking the greatest joy of your spouse."
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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such love. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Impatience, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
