Ephesians 5:25-29

We’ve examined various aspects of a man’s make-up, noting his Requirements, Roles, and Rights as they pertain to his position in the home. We’ve seen that God has ordained the man to execute the office as the head of the family unit. This office carries the authority as a physical representative of God. Of course, God does not need man to do anything. God is completely and absolutely Sovereign in all things, and very well would be justified in so ruling His Creation anyway He chose, including destroying it. But God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) and has designed man as His physical representative – in His “image” and “likeness” – to have dominion over Creation.

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

The Bible gives us the Truth in all things. This is equally significant in our examination of “The Making of a Man.” The Bible’s definition of a man is two-fold: (1) a man lives by bread (he is physical) and (2) a man lives by the Word of God (he is spiritual). (Compare Ezekiel 34:31; 1 Timothy 4:10.) It is important to remember that the lost person is spiritually dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1), and so does not meet the Bible’s definition of a man. He therefore does not fill a position as God’s physical representative within Creation.

As he represents and exercises the authority of God, a man has certain key Responsibilities that he must tend to. As a man in the Biblical sense, the individual’s first and most significant Responsibility is to live by the Word of God. He must know that he is in the authority of God at the same time he is under the authority of God. His office work is to do the Will of God, looking to the Lord for direction. A man seeking to exercise his God-ordained authority must first line himself up with the Word of God as a rule and guide on his own life.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church” (Ephesians 5:25-29)

The husband is commanded to love his wife. This is a God-type of love; a love of purpose. It is self-giving and is not swayed by emotion. Jesus Christ sorrowed for the suffering of the cross, yet endured such as His purpose (John 12:27). A man is to have and display this same sacrificial attitude for those of his house. He has the Responsibility to love his family with God-type love, giving himself for the purpose of meeting their needs, both physical and spiritual.

A man has the Responsibility inherent to his God-ordained position to love, to lead, to protect, and to provide. He is to nourish, cherish, build up, strengthen, and promote the welfare of his domain. God created man in His “image” and “likeness,” as His physical representative. He then set man over the works of His hands to exercise dominion according to His purpose. It is instructive then that we note man’s purpose as the Lord’s workman. “…Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:28). This speaks more of a process than a single act, and this extends beyond physical reproduction. Man has the Responsibility to work in his position as head.