Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her[.]

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her[.] Ephesians 5:25

I agree with this post on DesiringGod.com that states that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history. While Holy Week and Easter have passed, I do want to read to completion John Piper's 50-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Today I read reason #35: To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning.  In today's devotion, Piper describes how Christ's death should be seen as model for marriage, reflecting His design for marriage that "preceded the union of Adam and Eve and the coming of Christ."  See also Ephesians 5:31-32 (quoting Genesis 2:24). At the outset of the devotion, Piper shares that "God's design for marriage in the Bible pictures the husband loving his wife the way Christ loves his people, and the wife responding to her husband the way Christ’s people should respond to him."  Christ's death on the cross reflects a love that husbands should have for their wives.  Piper immediately clarifies that it's "not that husbands should suffer at the hands of their wives."  The point is that God wants marriage to reflect Christ's love for His people, and to make this love more "visible to the world."  Piper continues: "[a]ll [Christ's] sufferings were meant to be a message especially to husbands: This is how every husband should love his wife."  Piper then elaborates as he concludes the devotion: "[h]usbands are not Christ. But they are called to be like him. And the specific point of likeness is the husband’s readiness to suffer for his wife’s good without threatening or abusing her. This includes suffering to protect her from any outside forces that would harm her, as well as suffering disappointments or abuses even from her." 

My Prayer: Thank You Father God for the blessing of my marriage to Lisa! I am not deserving of such a blessing...my sin continues...daily.  I am often not the husband You design me to be.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me be the husband You designed me to be and command me to be.  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 continue to 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.

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring.

Malachi 2:10-16

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring. Malachi 2:14-15

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 2:10-16.  Commentary outlines this text with the following divisions:

1. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to One Another (2:10): God first admonishes Israel for its poor treatment of one another - disobedience to the 2nd greatest commandment to love others (as God has loved us - John 13:34).
   
2. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to the Precepts of God (2:11-12): Next, God calls us Israel for their specific sins relating to their relationship with Him, including how "they have profaned the Lord through theft, murder, adultery, and deceit. Worst of all, they have chased after false gods—the ultimate betrayal of their covenantal relationship with Him.... They apparently ignored the precepts of God for personal profit and intermarried with pagan women after divorcing the wives of their youth. God strictly forbade these actions in the OT, but not because He discriminated against ethnic groups. The issue is not racial exclusivity. It is an issue of inclusivity and protection of His covenant people from idolatry (see also Deuteronomy 7:3)....The problem with marrying someone who is an unbeliever isn’t merely that they belong to a different religious organization. The problem with marrying an unbeliever is the different worldview through which they view all things. They perceive the world differently than a believer does. Christians have a certain system, a lens through which they view the world. An unbeliever does not look through that same lens."  We are reminded that God does not seek watered down obedience - or partial obedience.
   
3. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to Their Marriage Partners (2:13-14): We are referred to multiple texts on God's design for marriage, including Mark 10:6-9 (where Jesus refers to Genesis 2).  God clearly was disappointed in Israel towards the husbands who divorced their wives and married pagan women. We are reminded that the marriage covenant is reflection of the covenant between God and His children.  God hates divorce.
   
4. Covenant Renewal Begins with Faithfulness to the Covenant of Marriage (2:15-16): We are exhorted to follow the precepts of God - to make God the most important relationship then to love others as God loved us.  Through our vertical relationship to the Father we can maintain healthy horizontal relationships with others. See also this post from John Piper on DesiringGod.com.
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who gives me the example of love and how You love me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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 continue to 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.

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring.

Malachi 2:10-16

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring. Malachi 2:14-15

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is an unassisted review of Malachi 2:10-16.  Here, God's message delivered through Malachi is directed towards God's people who have aligned themselves with those who worship foreign gods, and in particular the husbands who have been unfaithful to their wives, of course leading to offspring who are not trained in the ways of the Lord.  Vv10-12 describe Judah's faithlessness towards one another by marrying those who worship foreign gods.  Of course such deeds are prone to lead to adopting the worship of foreign gods, which then leads to faithlessness within the marriage and faithless children in such marriages.  VV14-15 share how God sought His people to be faithful to the marriage covenant He created (see also this post from DesiringGod.com).  V16a then describes how these marriages play out, more likely than not in divorce which the text describes as "cover[ing] garment[s] with violence."  V16b offers an antidote: "guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."  We can of course guard ourselves in our spirit through practices of spiritual disciplines such as study of God's Word, prayer, worship, etc. Ephesians 6:10-20 also shares the "whole armor of God."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who guards my heart and Spirit - thank You Father God for providing Your Son, the Holy Spirit, Your Word, and so much more that offers not just salvation, but protection, refuge, direction, provision, etc.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn 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 continue to 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. 

For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 1 Corinthians 11:7-9

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an intended unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. However, a reading of this caused an inordinate amount of struggle to discern God's message, so I leaned on this post from John Piper, which shares that "[i]t becomes clear then that the issue of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 is secondarily head coverings but primarily the preservation of God-given distinctions between man and woman in the way they relate to each other. The head covering is culturally relative." Vv7-9 are key, followed by vv11-12: 

Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.

John Piper highlights these verses: "verses 11–12 warn against a misunderstanding. Men should not be arrogant nor women disconsolate, for both are indispensable and interdependent and sustained by God."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who provides mercies that are new every morning and who provides for all needs.  Thank You Jesus for Your compassion and mercy and for Your provision.  I am not deserving of such love and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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.

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

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."

Comment and discuss this post.

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.      

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

1 Corinthians 7

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 7:1-16. The main idea provided by the commentary*: "[s]ingles and married couples must follow God’s design and pursue faithfulness according to their gift.  The introduction to the commentary* describes how Paul admonishes the church in Corinth and how they were making a "mess" with some pursuing sexual immorality and others following a belief that God seeks that all people to abstain from sex (ascetics).  Both wrong and not according to God's design.  Paul addresses these concerns head-on as the commentary* shares that this chapter "is one of, if not the most, helpful chapters in the Bible on marriage. Its instructions are as relevant in the twenty-first century as they were in the first."  The following divisions* unpack the text:

1. God Has Helpful Principles for Those Who Are Married (7:1-5): God created marriage in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2) but Adam and Eve fell prey to sin and since then the institution of marriage has been plagued by sin.  Paul rebuts the ascetics and at the same time emphasizes God's design for sex to be within marriage.  Paul then describe the marriage relationship as a partnership where both husband and wife serve one another. 
   
2. God Gifts All of Us according to His will (7:7-9): Paul shares how some are gifted with marriage and some with singleness (including the latter for himself). 
   
3. God’s Ideal Is for Marriage to Last Until Death Parts (7:10-16): Paul refers to Jesus' own words from Matthew 5:31-32, 19:3-12, Mark 10:1-12, and Luke 16:18 to emphasize* several key points: (a) God desires for marriage to be permanent. God allows for separation in a troubled marriage; (b) God always desires for reconciliation to take place, if at all possible, in troubled marriages; (c) divorce and remarriage among believers, except for sexual unfaithfulness (see Matt 5:32; 19:9), are wrong and sinful. and, even when there is sexual unfaithfulness in a believing marriage, God’s desire is for reconciliation and restoration. Paul then moves to discuss how God seeks "mixed" marriages (one believes, other does not) to remain married despite the potential for conflict and disagreement stemming from differences in faith.  The commentary* also explains how Paul's text here on v14 where unbelieving spouses and children are "made holy" is not to be interpreted as being saved. Instead the believer's influence on the unbelieving spouse and children is seen as a "holy" influence. 

The commentary concludes by referring us to Paul Tripp's article 10 Things You Should Know about Marriage.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - providing me with Your Word as means to know You and Your design for me and for marriage.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

1 Corinthians 7

For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 1 Corinthians 7:4

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 7:1-16.  Here, Paul provides commands for both the married and unmarried.  For the married, Paul shares how the conjugal rights of both the husband and the wife belong to their spouse and neither is to deprive the other - with exception to "limited" time periods when they focus on prayer.  Paul knows that that sexual temptations are common sin and he is aware of how Satan draws people into sexual sin such as extramarital affairs (v1-5).  V4 sticks out for how husband and wife are to serve one another and to put each other's interests above their own. Paul then pivots to his own circumstances - being unmarried - and recognizes that not all are gifted by God with marriage (v6-7).  As such, he shares how the single people and widowers should also protect themselves from sexual temptation (v8-9). In v10-17, Paul shares commands regarding separation and divorce (v10-11), including marriages where either the husband or the wife is an unbeliever.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You blessed me with gift of marriage - thank You Jesus!  Thank You for the blessing of a wonderful and Godly wife - Lisa.  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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.    

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I stay in Ephesians 5, examining v22-33 because its message focuses on marriage - a distinct topic from yesterday which was directed more broadly to the church. This text is often controversial as it describes the role of husbands and wives inside the context of a Godly marriage. I subscribe to John's Piper's complementarian view of men and women that each are uniquely different by God's design and scripture provides clarity on roles for men and women both in the context of the church and marriage.  The linked post does a great job delving into this question so I am not going to call out anything specific in the post but simply to refer to it as an encouragement to read it for a complete view on the subject. Go to the section where he lays out four observations from Ephesians 5:22-33. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gave me Lisa - my wife - and Zach and Dustin.  Thank You Jesus!  Incredible blessings.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn 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.  

House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Proverbs 17-22:16

House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Proverbs 19:14

As I continue with my study of Proverbs, remaining in chapters 17-22:16, I continue with a review of these chapters (week 7) from my study workbook by focus on the themes as depicted in my workbook, moving on to the themes of marriage, the poor, judgement, and wrath (God's vs those of an earthly king).  For today, my focus will be marriage, and tomorrow it will be judgement. On marriage, without a doubt I recognize that my wife Lisa is a gift from God and how God predestined our marital relationship. My study points out how a Christian marriage is to serve "as a reflection of the covenant relationship between God and His people....Israel [in the OT] is frequently depicted as God's 'bride' (see Isaiah 62:4, Jeremiah 2:2, and Hosea 2:16-20)...[as does the NT with one example from John 3:29)] which identifies Jesus as Israel's long-awaited King and Messiah."  The study also points to Ephesians 5:22-23 as "the fullest picture of human marriage as a picture of the union of Christ and believers." I am grateful for how Lisa faithful devotion of a loving wife, even during those times when I have not been a Godly husband.  She has sharpened me, been patient with me, and undoubtedly a gift in the sense that I am not deserving but nonetheless grateful.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - You provide Jesus as my wife and I am grateful for this gift!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues - I should be more patient and more of a reflection of Jesus to Lisa.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn 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.