The Role of the Wife in Marriage
November 25, 2018 Speaker: Michael Knight Series: Marriage
Topic: Marriage Passage: Genesis 2:1–25, Ephesians 5:22–24
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The husband and wife have God-ordained roles within marriage. God's role for the wife is addressed in our texts: Genesis 2 and Ephesians 5:22-24.
The Wife's Roles
I. To Help Her Husband (Genesis 2:18)
• The Definition of a Helper:
- A fitting helper, completer, one that complements
• The Description of a Helper
- A wife should fit her husband like a glove.
- A wife should complete and complement her husband like a shirt and tie complement a suit.
- A wife helps to complete her husband mentally, emotionally, and physically.
2. To Submit to Her Husband (Ephesians 5:22)
• Submission does not mean (taken from notes from Faith Baptist Counseling Ministries):
- The wife is inferior.
- The husband is infallible.
- The wife is immobile.
- The wife cannot speak or disagree. (Colossians 4:4-6)
- The wife does not have part in the decision-making.
- The wife has no influence.
• Submission does mean:
- To obey, to subject, to subordinate (The same Greek word for submission is used in Luke 2:52, Romans 13:1, and Titus 2:9.)
- To arrange yourself in rank under God’s appointed authorities
- The submissive position is a position of honor given by God. (Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:5)
- Submission is not based on feeling, but is an act of the will.
- Submission to your husband starts with your submission to God.
- Submission is an attitude coming from the heart.
- Submission is easier for a wife who has a husband who is submissive to God.
What if submission is not practiced?
- The wife cannot prosper. (Proverbs 28:13)
- The testimony of Christ is hindered. (Titus 2:4-5; 1 Peter 3:1)
- The picture of the church’s relationship to Christ is marred.
- An unsubmissive wife is an unsubmissive Christian.
3. To Respect Her Husband (Ephesians 5:33)
• What does it mean to respect?
- To venerate, to treat with deference, or reverential obedience.
- To regard, to notice, to honor, to prefer, to esteem, to praise, to love, or to admire exceedingly.
• How do I regain the respect that I have lost for my husband?
- Stop trying to change your husband. Pray for and let God deal with him.
- Stop criticizing your husband.
- Respect his position even if you don’t respect his person.
- Deal with offenses lovingly and quickly.
- Focus on the positive traits of your husband.
- Focus on your responsibilities and not his.
- Pray for your husband.
- Remember that you can obey with God’s help.
More in Marriage
November 18, 2018
The Husband's Role in Marriage, Part 2November 11, 2018
The Husband's Role in Marriage, Part 1November 4, 2018
God's Purposes for Marriage, Part 2