Ephesians 5:25-26

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,

Ephesians 5:25-26

Wives are called to submit to their husbands.  Now we take a look at husbands and what they are called to do with respect to their wives.  Husbands are to love their wives.  That sounds easy enough, doesn't it?  What's interesting is the specification given in AMP, "[seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love]".  Love calls husbands to seek the highest good of their wives.

More importantly than what AMP specifies is what is plainly stated in this verse.  Paul goes on to specify how a husband is to love his wife, "as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her".  Loving your wife sounds easy at first, but not when you're told to love just as Christ loved the church.  How did Christ love the church?  Christ died for the church, in order to redeem his bride, the church.  This is the kind of love a husband is to love his wife with.  A husband is to love his wife sacrificially.

What is the purpose of this act of love that a husband is to love his wife with?  The purpose of loving his wife as Christ loved the churchis to sanctify her.  "to make her holy and clean" NLT.  Loving your wife as Christ loved the church is for the purpose of sanctifying her.  This cleansing is done "by the washing of water with the word".  God's word provides a cleansing effect on a wife, and this is the duty of a husband.  A husband is called not only to love his wife as Christ loved the church, but also to lead her in God's word.

These are very difficult things that I fail at all the time.  Fortunately, we have a savior who has done this for us as the church.  We are the bride of Christ and as husbands, we get to be Jesus in that part of the picture of this thing called marriage.  As difficult as it is, I ask and pray that God grants us husbands the strength and wisdom to love our wives and lead them in the word.