Perfect Submission of Wives to their Husbands, Perfect Love of Husbands to their Wives (Ephesians 5:22-33)

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Ephesians 5:22-33)

God is truth, light, love, life, and way forever and ever. There is no pretense or facades in Him. He is eternally straight. In Him, there is no variation of turning. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What He says is unequivocally real without any deviation of truth. That is the nature of the Scripture, infallibility. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

In light of the revelations on marriage, husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loved the church and wives ought to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord. There are a lot of twist and distortion on this revelation. Some even protest and deny it. As other Scripture is true, so is this. It is a great mystery, marriage. We ought not to miss the words, “as to the Lord.” This is the age of self-esteem and of self-glory. No one wants to submit one another. No one wants to give himself for others.

But our Lord Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the Father, even to the point of death and gave Himself for all. In this way, He washed and cleansed all the stains and trespasses to bring the washed and cleansed to the Father without blemish. He made His children holy and blameless with His cleansing blood of the Calvary. He was wounded and broken for our healing. He was smitten and struck for our peace. He endured sufferings and pains for our redemption. He was lifted up and cursed for our happiness. He was cut off and became nothing for our life.

That’s the truth, the way, and the life. Anything out of that line is falsity and no truth in it. Jesus Christ is the perfect and final example of life in which full riches and surpassing glory of God has been marvelously displayed and demonstrated. God does not lie, in fact He cannot lie. We ought to obey Him and His promises by the faith in Christ Jesus. Husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Wives ought to submit their husbands, as to the Lord.

How do we do it? Christ in you, the hope of glory. That’s the answer. The Promised Holy Spirit indwells in you since the new birth. God has made His eternal residency in your spirit. Just as He promised that He will be with us until the very end of the age, so is He in you and me now. The real blessing of God is to send the Spirit to His children of light as Patriarch Abraham had received by faith. “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Galatians 3:14)

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.