Ephesians 5:21-33

It is so strange that some Christian people try to show love to God and to their neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40) and yet they don’t do the same to their marriage mate. So many times, people think and care and tend to every relationship except the relationship with their spouse. It seems they know nothing of Christ’s Church and the order of His Body (Head = Christ, body = Church; head = husband, body = wife); or of the marriage designed to type out Christ and the Church; or of the commandment of each position and the responsibilities to each other.

It is sad that people live in their marriages the outer life and not the inward life. Both partners of many married couples today go out to public to work. They know nothing of the man’s role to provide or the woman’s role to be his help meet (Genesis 2:18; Titus 2:4-5). They are trying to have things (even more than their neighbors): houses, clothes, land, summer homes and winter homes, expensive vacations, the best car or truck, send their children to the elite colleges, etc. Everything is to be and to have more and more and more of this world. Very little time is spent on God. The Christian today feels if he attends church at least one a week and gives his tithe; that is it.

No, that is not it! What about the home? Where is God in the home? God is not the focal point today, things are. Children do not see their parents love God first. They don’t see true love between Mother and Daddy. No, Mother and Daddy are living the fast life of this world; so the children learn to worship things and not God. God is only in the abstract in most Christian homes today. Then we wonder why our children love this world more than anything spiritual.

It is because “we,” Lot and his wife, decided to live in the well-watered plains of Jordan, even in Sodom. We know where the green grass grows – there is commerce, money, a “better” life. “Better” by whose standard? By the standard of this wicked world, not by God’s standard. Yes, the Christians of the 21st Century have believed the lie; and sold their soul, body, and strength to live a “better life” – not in Christ – but in Babylon. The “better” life to many Christians today is having more things; they are blinded it seems, to see that the “better life” is the abundant life in Christ. That is, being led of the Spirit; walking in the Spirit; and living in the Spirit. The most important thing for a child of God to understand is: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink [physical things]; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost [spiritual things]” (Romans 14:17). They don’t understand Matthew 6:31-33:

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Christians today seemingly know nothing of the Kingdom of God. They do not seem to understand that if they are born again, they are now New Creatures in Christ: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

They have a new goal; it is to be Christ’s disciples. They must turn from this world unto Christ and follow Him (Luke 14:26-33). Now Christ owns their body and spirit; therefore, they are to glorify Him with their body, soul, and spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). They don’t realize that they have turned to worship the creature, and not God, the Creator. They seemingly know nothing of the race (Hebrews 12:1) and Paul’s desire to win Christ (not to get saved, but to grow to perfection, walking in holiness and peace, see Philippians 3:7-14).

All they hear from the pulpit is the Doctrine of Salvation, nothing of the Doctrine of Sanctification. They hear the Doctrine of Prosperity, but nothing of the Doctrine of Perfection, of Patience, of Power, of Peace, and of Practice. They hear the Doctrine of Success, but not of Submission. They hear the Doctrine of Food, but never the doctrine Job preached, that God’s Word was more that his necessary food (Job 23:12).

The primary problem with the Christian home in America is that the modern day Church has preached and continues to preach individualism based on a worldly philosophy, and is not teaching the Doctrine of Gospel Order in the Church and is not teaching headship in the home. Men and women do not know their God-ordained position and responsibility in the Church or in the home (see Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Corinthians 11:2-3; 1 Peter 3:1-8; Genesis 2:18; Titus 2:4-5). Consequently, the church is weak and powerless; the home is in disarray; and the children are confused and are being destroyed by the world and its philosophy.

What the Church of America needs is revival. She needs to confess her sins and be renewed to preach and teach not only the Doctrine of Salvation, but also the Doctrine of Separation from this world, to practice Sanctification, and to live holy lives before God and each other. What the home needs is a return to Bethel (Genesis 35:1-3), to “Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:” (Genesis 35:2b-c). Then the marriage will be right, the children will be right. The children of the typical Christian home are being fed the wrong food. What they need is to see the parents as examples of love, righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Ghost.

Some would say, “You may be right, but who can turn the tide? Can I really make any difference?” The answer is, “Yes!” You that are children of God and are parents, even if you are married and have no children – you and you alone by God’s help can make a difference, because you are the salt of the earth. You have been designed to type out Christ and His Bride, the Church, in the marriage relationship. God will honor His Word upon our submission and obedience to His Word concerning the home as found in Ephesians 5:21-33.

Reader, if your home is on the brink of destruction or if it has been torn asunder by deception of sin: There is hope. Find a Bible believing, Bible preaching, and Bible practicing church. Read and study the Gospel Order of the home (Ephesians 5:21-33; Titus 2:4-5; 1 Peter 3:1-8; 1 Timothy 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:3).

Submit to and obey God’s Word. His Promise is given in Joshua 1:8, “… then thou shalt have good success.”