Marriage for Men - Study 2
I am clean before my Lord, not because of what I've done, but because of Him and His sacrifice on the cross. And even more, my heart is cleansed at the moment when the Spirit of the Lord washes it as I hear and believe His Word.
Ephesians 5:25,26 can be puzzling. It says that "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (the church) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word." The part that says washing with water through the word is the puzzling part. I looked up in the concordance the root meaning behind "water" and "word".
"Water" here simply means water. "Word" here simply means spoken language. Clearly, physical water does not flow from a spoken sentence. So I'm thinking this part of the verse is an illustration.
To further illustrate look at a concordance for this verse. Cleansing means to fully bathe. And this use of water means a flood, or waves of the ocean. And we do this through spoken language, the word.
"Nice hat, Honey.", "Hey, dinner tastes good", "Good job!". These are nice things to say and don't give up on these kind gestures. But these are small spurts out of a drinking fountain. Men, think of what Jesus says to us through the Word and how it overtakes us. It cleanses our hearts so that we can truely worship Him! Big waves and a full bath is the illustration and example Paul brings here.
Listen closely to what our wives are telling us. It's different for each one of us, and can be different during various times in our marriages. But listen and find from what it is she needs cleansing. Be thoughtful, be helpful, be encouraging. And pour out a flood of words. For me personally, I'm not very impromptu and I cannot think on the fly. I do better by writing things down. Write a letter. Write it in a card and leave it on her pillow.
Why does Jesus do this for His church. Verse 27 says, "and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." You see how this applies in marriage? Who do we want with us, but a woman who has been cleansed of her insecurities and frailties and to be the woman God made her to be for you.
Ephesians 5:25,26 can be puzzling. It says that "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (the church) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word." The part that says washing with water through the word is the puzzling part. I looked up in the concordance the root meaning behind "water" and "word".
"Water" here simply means water. "Word" here simply means spoken language. Clearly, physical water does not flow from a spoken sentence. So I'm thinking this part of the verse is an illustration.
To further illustrate look at a concordance for this verse. Cleansing means to fully bathe. And this use of water means a flood, or waves of the ocean. And we do this through spoken language, the word.
"Nice hat, Honey.", "Hey, dinner tastes good", "Good job!". These are nice things to say and don't give up on these kind gestures. But these are small spurts out of a drinking fountain. Men, think of what Jesus says to us through the Word and how it overtakes us. It cleanses our hearts so that we can truely worship Him! Big waves and a full bath is the illustration and example Paul brings here.
Listen closely to what our wives are telling us. It's different for each one of us, and can be different during various times in our marriages. But listen and find from what it is she needs cleansing. Be thoughtful, be helpful, be encouraging. And pour out a flood of words. For me personally, I'm not very impromptu and I cannot think on the fly. I do better by writing things down. Write a letter. Write it in a card and leave it on her pillow.
Why does Jesus do this for His church. Verse 27 says, "and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." You see how this applies in marriage? Who do we want with us, but a woman who has been cleansed of her insecurities and frailties and to be the woman God made her to be for you.
posted by Gary at 8:40 AM
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