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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

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 2

November 11, 2018

The Husband's Role in Marriage, Part 1

November 4, 2018

God's Purposes for Marriage, Part 2