Sermon Archives
Men's Mission of Marriage
Ephesians 5:25-30Extending Eden
Rickey Primrose
July 5, 2015
Description:
Jesus is man as God intended man to be. He is a perfect picture of biblical masculinity. In Jesus’ mission of redemption, we find Him doing for His bride what Adam was supposed to do for the Garden of Eden. God commanded Adam to cultivate and to protect the Garden. Adam failed in his mission; Jesus, however, was victorious. On the cross, Jesus died in order to protect His bride from all her enemies: wrath, sin, Satan, death, and hell. Jesus continues to labor on His bride’s behalf, cultivating the Church so that it might grow, expand, and bear fruit. Jesus’ mission of redemption serves as the model for men in their mission of marriage. Husbands are to emulate Christ, as they fulfill the masculine mandate in their homes, which they do by dying in order to protect their bride and laboring in order to nurture her.
The mission of marriage calls man to die in order to protect his bride. The call to protect applies to much more than physical protection. Men must protect their wives physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The first way we do this is by dying to ourselves. The sin in a man’s life is harmful to the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of His wife. Men must die to worldly ambition, anger, anxiety, addictions, and chauvinism in order to protect and guard their homes. In addition to this, men must also protect their wives from any person or situation that physically, emotionally, or spiritually harms her. By wielding the sword to guard their wives, husbands create an environment where their bride feels safe and secure.
The mission of marriage also calls man to labor in order to nurture his bride. Just as Christ continues to labor in order to nurture the Church, so that it will grow spiritually and bear fruit, so must men engage in daily spiritual labor. To love your wife with a sanctifying love is to love her as a sinner and not just when she acts saintly. Rather than responding to our wives’ sin with anger or apathy, men must gently and patiently nurture their wives, spiritually leading the way as she grows in Christ-likeness. The man’s tool in this task is the word of God. Men must both minister God’s word to their wife and model it before her. We must know God’s word and our wives well enough to nurture our wife’s soul gently and lovingly with the word.
Men, are you wielding the sword on your wife’s behalf? Are you protecting her physically, emotionally, and spiritually? What is it in your own life that needs to die so that you can better guard your wife? Furthermore, are you laboring on your wife’s behalf? Do you know God’s word well enough to lead the way in ministering it to your wife and family? Are you faithfully modeling intimacy with Christ in your home?
Listen, we all fall short of where we ultimately need to be as men and husbands. Let me encourage you: God’s grace is stronger than our weaknesses! God can overcome and even redeem our mistakes. He can also empower us to be more faithful as husbands as we grow and develop. If you are in Christ, you have the Spirit of Christ and the word of God, which is all you need to be the man of God that He wants you to be. So take heart. Walk in the grace and power of Jesus Christ!
Keywords:
Love, Manhood, Marriage, Sacrifice