A “Christian” in Our Marriage
When Christians have marriage problems there is always a disconnect between the life they live among their brethren and the one they live at home. Any husband/wife using the same faithful service and zeal to serve the Lord at home as elsewhere won’t have such problems. The single greatest thing any couple can do to make their marriage successful is to make certain loving their neighbor as themselves includes their spouse. This is how Peter summed up the husband’s role. “Husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge” (1 Pet. 3:7).
According to is defined: “relation, proportion...agreement or conformity to a standard; ... according to the measure of” (Thayer p. 328; 2596). So husbands are to dwell with their wives to the measure of and in conformity to the standard of knowledge.”
All interaction with our wives is done in proportion and conforming to the standard of knowledge. What knowledge? Why limit it? All inspired revelation that has any application to our marriage is the gold standard for dwelling with our wives. Just as we “turn the other cheek and go the second mile” for others we do so for our wives. As we repent and “confess our sin one to another” we also confess to our wives. To our wives also we never “let the sun go down on our wrath” and always “do unto others as we would others do unto us.” The more spiritual growth, the better a wife is cared for. All “firstfruits” of our spiritual harvest are given to our wife.
Though worded differently the same command is given to wives. “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord... just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (Eph. 5:22-24). This word is “an adverb of comparison... in the same manner... exactly like” (Thayer, p. 680; 5613).
When a wife submits to her husband as unto the Lord she submits exactly like she does for her Lord. All she does for the Lord she will also do for her husband. First, she respects and submits to her husband in the same manner as unto the Lord. Second, all she does to comply to the Lord’s commands she also does for her husband. When the Lord commands she turn the other cheek she does it exactly like she does it for the Lord. Any command of Jesus regarding her conduct of a saint applies equally to her marriage. She does these for her “own” husband “in everything.”
The same “fruit of the Spirit” she gathers for Jesus she gives to her husband. As she “adds to her faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love” she gives these things to her husband.
So husband and wife walk in humble submission and sacrificial love both for themselves and for the Lord. No faithful Christian has a double standard. Sincere growth is seen by both spouse and children first.
Growing as a Christian is “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” and “being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” (2 Cor. 3:18). As that glory is reflected in the church, we see godly and devout Christians walking humbly with their Lord. As that glory is reflected in the marriage, we see a devoted husband and a submissive wife serving one another in the fear of the Lord and being greatly blessed.
According to is defined: “relation, proportion...agreement or conformity to a standard; ... according to the measure of” (Thayer p. 328; 2596). So husbands are to dwell with their wives to the measure of and in conformity to the standard of knowledge.”
All interaction with our wives is done in proportion and conforming to the standard of knowledge. What knowledge? Why limit it? All inspired revelation that has any application to our marriage is the gold standard for dwelling with our wives. Just as we “turn the other cheek and go the second mile” for others we do so for our wives. As we repent and “confess our sin one to another” we also confess to our wives. To our wives also we never “let the sun go down on our wrath” and always “do unto others as we would others do unto us.” The more spiritual growth, the better a wife is cared for. All “firstfruits” of our spiritual harvest are given to our wife.
Though worded differently the same command is given to wives. “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord... just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (Eph. 5:22-24). This word is “an adverb of comparison... in the same manner... exactly like” (Thayer, p. 680; 5613).
When a wife submits to her husband as unto the Lord she submits exactly like she does for her Lord. All she does for the Lord she will also do for her husband. First, she respects and submits to her husband in the same manner as unto the Lord. Second, all she does to comply to the Lord’s commands she also does for her husband. When the Lord commands she turn the other cheek she does it exactly like she does it for the Lord. Any command of Jesus regarding her conduct of a saint applies equally to her marriage. She does these for her “own” husband “in everything.”
The same “fruit of the Spirit” she gathers for Jesus she gives to her husband. As she “adds to her faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love” she gives these things to her husband.
So husband and wife walk in humble submission and sacrificial love both for themselves and for the Lord. No faithful Christian has a double standard. Sincere growth is seen by both spouse and children first.
Growing as a Christian is “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” and “being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” (2 Cor. 3:18). As that glory is reflected in the church, we see godly and devout Christians walking humbly with their Lord. As that glory is reflected in the marriage, we see a devoted husband and a submissive wife serving one another in the fear of the Lord and being greatly blessed.