Grace Through Marriage (Chris Garrow)

Grace through Marriage

Pastor Chris Garrow

Ephesians 5:21-31 NIV

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 

Read Ephesians 3:16-21
Where does our power to live into Christlikeness come from?
Read Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5 and Ephesians 5:31.
In these passages, what do Moses, Jesus, and Paul each say about God’s design of marriage?
Read Ephesians 5:21-33
In verse 21, who is to be submissive?
In verse 5:22, who is to be submissive?
Compare John 6:38 & 1 Corinthians 15:28?
Who is Jesus submissive to? How is this similar to marriage?

According to verse 26-28, what are a husband’s responsibilities towards his wife? (Make a list.)

Read Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, John 12:25. How do these verses help us better understand the husband’s role in marriage?

Read Ephesians 2:4-5, Colossians 3:10, and 2 Corinthians 5:17. What do these passages teach us about how grace changes us?

Point of discussion?
What is the difference between authority and responsibility? Which cannot be delegated?
Do you think “headship” is more about responsibility or authority? (Ephesians 5:21-23)
What did Jesus do with his “authority”? (See Philippians 2:5-7)
How are both the husband and wife to put the needs of the other before their own?

How goes your walk?
How is Paul’s teaching on marriage different from our society's teaching on marriage?
How are you looking to apply these ideas to your own life?

Challenge
Husbands: Are you in the Word? How are you “washing your wife” in the Word? Are you more involved in “man stuff” than “giving up your life” for your wife? Are you holding grudges and/or being critical or are you presenting your wife as holy and blameless before God? How?

Wives: Do you respect your husband out of reverence for God? Do you pray for your husband? How are you encouraging your husband to lead?