Ephesians 5:25-26: Husbands love your wives

The Verse of the Day for June 19, 2017 is a passage from a section of Scripture often recited at weddings and other occasions centering on the role of husbands:

The Message Bible offers this exhortation:

Ephesians 5:25-26

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.

Here is how the Amplified Bible (AMP) puts it:

25 Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God],

A couple of years ago I attended a men’s Bible study with one of my sons-in-law, focusing on “The Journey to Authentic Manhood,” as modeled by Jesus Christ in his 33 years on earth. That particular session was one of a series of discussions related to some of the challenges that confront men in the quest for “authentic manhood” in our roles as husbands, fathers, co-workers, and other areas of responsibilities.

The Verse of the Day also brings to mind this poem that captures the essence of one of the principal attributes of authentic manhood that husbands should demonstrate in their relationship with their wives:

Sacrificial Living: Assignment of Manhood

Forgetting things left behind, we press toward the mark.
The passion that now inflames our souls was once a spark.
This all-consuming fire, great light dispels the dark,
As we abide in God’s presence in a place beyond the Ark.

We continue to strive ever toward the highest good
With sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

Like Christ, we endure the cross while despising the shame
And accept this high calling and embrace our new name.
By grace we stand in His presence without any blame;
We continue to strive ever toward the highest good.

Always remaining aware that God is in control,
We are still running to serve as our life’s highest goal.
This zeal for God and His Word burns deep within our soul,
With sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

Being fully persuaded, we now know that we know
That God will fulfill His will and declare, “It is so!”
We set aside pride; where He leads us we will follow
And continue to strive ever toward the highest good.

Looking to the future, we walk by faith, not by sight.
To do all the will of God still remains our delight,
To follow Christ’s command that we should be salt and light
With sacrificial Living: assignment of manhood.

To speak the Word of life in all that we do and say,
To follow in the steps of Christ all along the way.
Until the final victory, we must watch, fight and pray.
We continue to strive ever toward the highest good.

Triumphant from faith to faith and glory to glory,
We still seek God’s face in the place of our destiny.
Our lives unfold as scrolls read by those with eyes to see
Our sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

With a love so strong, yet ever so tender,
Nothing can dissuade us, nor can anything hinder.
We will hold fast to the faith and never surrender.
God’s Word hidden in our heart, we’ll always remember:

We continue to strive ever toward the highest good
With sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

In order for us to love as Christ loved the Church, we must first receive that same love ourselves and then demonstrate the love of Christ to our wives. The song “My Lord, What Love is This” expresses the wonder of such “Amazing Love”:

Sacrificial Living: Assignment of Manhood

Instead of posting a blog based on the Verse of the Day, I wanted to comment on a men’s Bible study that I attended last night at the Life Church in Memphis where my wife and I were visiting our daughter and son-in-law. The Bible study focused on one of the initial sessions from “33 the Series: Journey to Authentic Manhood as modeled by Jesus in his 33 years on earth.” Following a DVD presentation that examined God’s mandate to authentic manhood expressed in Genesis, those present discussed some of the challenges that confront men in carrying out that mandate as husbands, fathers, co-workers, and in other areas of responsibility that men face each day.

After the meeting, I happened to think of previous blog entries in which I discussed the topic of manhood and what it means to be a man. In fact, my son-in-law and I were talking about that very subject the night before, as I shared with him, excerpts from Wild at Heart by John Eldredge and other related books. In reflecting on the session last night, I thought of this poem written a couple of years ago that captures the essence of one of the principal attributes of authentic manhood:

Sacrificial Living: Assignment of Manhood
Forgetting things left behind, I press toward the mark.
The passion that now inflames my life was once a spark.
This all-consuming fire, great light dispels the dark,
As I abide in God’s presence in a place beyond the Ark.

I continue to strive ever toward the highest good
With sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

Like Christ, I endure the cross while despising the shame
And accept this high calling and embrace my new name.
By grace to stand in His presence without any blame,
I continue to strive ever toward the highest good.

Always remaining aware that God is in control,
I am still running to serve as my life’s highest goal.
This zeal for God and His Word burns deep within my soul,
With sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

Being fully persuaded, I now know that I know
That God will fulfill His will and declare, “It is so!”
I set aside pride; where He leads me I will follow:
I continue to strive ever toward the highest good.

Looking to the future, I walk by faith, not by sight.
To do all the will of God still remains my delight
To follow Christ’s command that I should be salt and light
With sacrificial Living: assignment of manhood.

To speak the Word of life in all that I do and say,
To follow in the steps of Christ all along the way.
Until the final victory, I must watch, fight and pray.
I continue to strive ever toward the highest good.

Triumphant from faith to faith and glory to glory,
I still seek God’s face in the place of my destiny.
Life continues to unfold as a scroll before me.
With sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

With a love so strong, yet ever so tender,
Nothing can dissuade me, nor can anything hinder.
I will hold fast to the faith and never surrender.
God’s Word hidden in my heart, I’ll always remember:

I continue to strive ever toward the highest good
With sacrificial living: assignment of manhood.

Chris Christian offers “A Living Sacrifice,” a musical expression of this concept: