As we’re relating together as a community, Ephesians 5 sets it up.  If we look at the context of Ephesians 5, we see a very interesting truth down through that fifth chapter.  We’re seeing that there’s the exhortation being made here for a sanctified life, walking in holiness.  These sayings that are not to be once named in our midst, verse 3 says, “Don’t allow these things to be even once named among you.”  As he goes down in the chapter, he talks about the need for us to give place to fellowship, or to the light, so that it can speak into our lives through the community, through the Word of God, through the relationships that we have.  As he goes down in this chapter then, he said, “And I want you to not be drunken with wine.”  He’s talking about giving place here to lasciviousness, to the world’s mentality.  But he said, “Because of this hour,” verse 16, “redeem the time.  The days are evil,” now come to the understanding of what the will of God is for you.

Don’t be drunken with wine but be filled with the Spirit, edifying yourself in the Spirit through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  “Giving thanks always for all things unto God,” verse 21, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”  Now, he’s going to specify later how this manifests itself in marriage, but here’s the spirit we’re supposed to have: Submitting ourselves one to another in the fear of God; amen?  As we’re coming into these last days, let me just say it this way, you need to choose to be more teachable; amen?  Not as it was in the days of Noah, not as it was in the days of the Judges, where every man was doing what was right in his own eyes.  In the church today, everybody has their own Jesus or their own truth.  That’s being allowed and even catered to so much in the churches today.  There is only one truth, there is only one Lord, there is only one baptism; amen?  And we are to endeavor then, to keep that unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Well, how do we do that?  By being teachable, by all of us equally hearing what’s being said by the Spirit in this hour and subordinating ourselves to it.  You could spend more time on the first part of the chapter, but that’s not what we’re dealing with today.  We just saw over in Chapter 4 that lowliness and meekness, moving in love, endeavoring to keep that unity, for there is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one God.  We love and serve one another in our marriages in direct relationship to how submitted we are to the lordship of Jesus; we’re doing it as unto the Lord; amen?  Yes, even when they’re unlovely.  Aren’t you glad the Lord loves you when you’re unlovely? 

So, in this marriage, in this union that we have, he says “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church…  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  Husbands, love your wives…”  We’ve mentioned this so many times, but take note whenever you see those, “even as”; amen?  “Husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it.”  We’re giving ourselves for our wives.  Every decision we make is for the well-being of our wives.  We should be absolutely consumed with the care of our wives.  As your workday is going on and everything’s going nuts, you should have your wife on your mind.  I don’t care how hectic it is, as you pause and you say, “Father, I’m so thankful.  I am so thankful for that gift of my wife.  Lord, just give her wisdom right now and peace.  I know she’s stressed,” there is no harder job on this planet than being a wife and a mother, “just bless her, Lord, give her strength.”  With today’s technology, send her a text, tell her how much you love her and appreciate her, instead of that time being spent on looking up the stock market or the latest ball game or whatever.