6.2. WIVES

Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord."

The "submit" is the same kind of submission referred to when speaking of submission in the gathering of Spirit-filled people (Ephesians 5:21 ).

The relationship between the believing husband and his believing wife, illustrates that which exists between Christ (the Bridegroom) and the Church (His Bride). The Lord Jesus Christ has headship over:

Ephesians 1:21, 22 "... all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church."

Significantly, as head over these "principalities and powers and might and dominion", they are under his feet (not alongside). Now that is not the place of the Church. God gave Jesus to be:

Ephesians 1:22, 23 "... head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

The position of the Church in her submission to Christ her Lord, is not under His feet. As the Church, He has,

Ephesians 2:6 "... raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"

We are made to sit with Him and to share in His rule over "all things" placed "under His feet".

It is right and becoming for the wife to relate to her husband as the Church relates to her Head and Lord. This is not at all difficult when the husband relates to the Lord and towards her in loving self-sacrifice. The wife is to take her place at the side of her husband, and fill her role as companion and helper, respecting the leadership of her husband in the home (Ephesians 5:22, 24 ). The wife must love her husband (Titus 2:4 ), and be inseparable from her husband unto death (Romans 7:2-3 ).

Living in the Spirit's fullness under the Lordship of Jesus, brings lasting harmony to the marriage relationship. How delighted that the husband and wife "in the Lord", through the same kind of submission practiced in the Holy Spirit anointed meeting, can experience the Spirit's fullness of joy in their marriage.

Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

Obedience to parents is part of a child's obligation to Christ as Lord. The example of Jesus is to be followed by every believing child.

Luke 2:51 "Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them"

"Subject" or "obedient to them". To honour parents is a command with the promise of long life as the reward for doing it (Ephesians 6:2, 3 ). Children are to relate to the Lordship of Jesus by being obedient to parents. To get that relationship right, children must be exposed to Spirit-filled worship. When they learn to submit to the control of the Holy Spirit of God in worship, they will learn to flow delightfully in obedience to their parents.

There is a need for Church leadership to put great emphasis on the children worshipping with their parents. There is a place for taking children aside for special instruction in the Word, but if they are to play their part in a worshipping family, they must be partakers in the worship time of the church, and be encouraged to be open to be used by the Holy Spirit in spiritual gifts, learning with their parents, submission to the Lord.