“A house divided against itself,” say it, “might not…”  So, to protect that unity, to protect that harmony, men, when it says, “Be not bitter against your wives,” that just means don’t be sharp.  I’ve heard feedback from different families—different deacons—feedback of comments that men have made to their wives that are just horrific.  I could never imagine speaking to my wife that way, the harshness, the cutting, the demeaning, the condescending.  I’ll make the comment again, “Men, you are not lord.”  Ultimately, Jesus is Lord, and you’re under-shepherding, just like Peter talks to those of us that are elders of churches, of pastors, and of teachers, etc.  The Scripture makes it very clear in First Peter that we’re not to lord it over the flock, but there’s a humility, there’s an awareness of our role to feed and to lead.  I can guarantee you one thing, when those type of words come out of your mouth, you are not representing the Lord Jesus.  So, keep it to yourself; amen?  The need to understand who that woman is, men, “Bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh.”  The Bible makes it very clear, “No man has ever yet hated himself.”

We’re so self-pampering, so involved in self-indulgences.  It’s that carnal mentality that, somehow, we are unique and special in the world.  That pride of life.  All of these things are sinful, demonic, because that’s the environment that this strife works in; amen?  It’s earthly, sensual, it’s demonic.  When you speak like that to your wife, ask yourself, how would you respond if somebody’s speaking that way to you?  They’re one with you.  You’re tearing yourself down.  You’re pulling your house down, just as the Bible talks about the woman whose mouth is out of control, who’s moving in a spirit of promoting self, of usurping.  If you want to destroy your home, that’s the environment.  So, we look to be loving and kind.  We look to edify.  It’s interesting seeing men respond that way in some of these cases that I’m speaking of.  We’re opposing the men.  We’re opposing biblical principles and thinking they have a right or that they are in some position of God ordination.  When you step outside the Word of God, you relinquish the authority over that home.

Corinthians makes it very clear that it can come to that place, and we’ll put in context what Paul was speaking to but give some other examples from it.  I’ll share with you what’s taking place here in this epistle, and then we’ll apply it to some of the circumstances that we find ourselves in.  First Corinthians, Chapter 7, “Now concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”  Now, they wrote, and they were asking him some of these questions.  He goes on, he says, “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.  The wife has not power over her own body.”  “This is my body.  I’m choosing to have this abortion.  I’m choosing to have this surgery.  I’m choosing to do whatever the situation might be that is affecting my physical being.  It’s my body, and so I’ll make the choice.”  No!  That’s not what the Spirit says through Paul.