Godly husbands are rare in our culture because they’ve been taught by the world that marriage is 50/50. However, that is not what God told us in His Word- marriage is 100/100. And the one who leads the way is the husband by laying down his life for his wife, as Jesus did for the Church.

(Link for reaction of law allowing abortion in Ireland)

EPHESIANS 5:21-6:4

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.

31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 & Mark 10:6-9) 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Exodus 20:12) 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

A GODY HUSBAND

Ephesians 5:25-30, “25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.”

1. Husbands Love Their Wives as Christ Does the Church: v. 25a, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church…”

The Greek word “agape” is used for the word love in this passage and it means, “unconditional love.” The first thing husbands are to do is have unconditional love for their wives. Husbands are to have the same kind of love for their wives that Jesus has for His Church. The best description for love can be found in 1 Corinthians 13.

2. Husbands Give Themselves Up for Their Wives: v. 25b, “…and gave himself up for her…”

Just like Jesus “gave Himself up” for the Church by becoming a man and giving His life on the cross, husbands are to love theirs wives so much that they are willing to lay down their lives for their wives. Husbands need to put the wellbeing of their wives above their own safety.

3. Husbands Support and Take Care of Their Wives: vs. 26-30, “26 …to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—30 for we are members of his body.”

Paul wrote that just as Jesus makes the Church a radiant, beautiful and holy bride, so to the husband is to cleanse and make the wife holy and beautiful. Notice the attributes of the Church: holy, cleansed by the Word, radiant, without stain, without wrinkle, without blemish, holy and blameless.

Jesus did all this because He loves the Church. Now in the same way, husbands must put their love for their wives into action. The husband’s love for his wife should help her be all that God has made her to be. Paul said that a wife will be the reflection of her husband, just like his own body. So, as the husband takes care of his own body, he should also care for his wife.

Coach Bill McCartney said, “Do you want to know whether a man has character or not? All you have to do is look at his wife’s countenance, and everything that he’s invested or withheld will be in her face.”