I overheard a conversation the other day between two dads. They were talking about their wives and their uncontrollable spending habits. It was said to create a point of connection. Men talking negatively about their wives is as common and connecting as bringing up the weather or the weekend football scores. It’s part and parcel to our culture. It is assumed that once married the spark will fade and when that happens, what is left to hold a marriage together? In our culture, the word love is used to describe the strong attraction — “butterflies in our bellies” — that a man has for a woman. But this “love” ebbs and flows. It isn’t reliable. It is more of a feeling than a verb. Paul instructs husbands to love (verb) their wives.

On the one hand this sermon is going to be to husbands. That’s a good number of you. It is also those of you who will some day be husbands. On the other hand this sermon is important for you who may be struggling with your own faith, wondering – does God really love me? I’ve put my faith in the Lord but I’ve backslid. I don’t feel that God could love me anymore as bad or as often as I’ve failed him. You need to know something about the nature of God’s love. And this text teaches us about just that.

When Paul gives the command to husbands to love the church, he uses two analogies. I want to talk about these two analogies. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church; and Husbands, love your wives as your own body. We’ll consider these two analogies. Finally, we’ll look at the “profound mystery” that gives us hope.

Eph 5:25-33 Submission Through Sacrifice – Discussion Guide