‘It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.’ 2 Corinthians 1:21-22(NLT)
‘And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
Conclusion
I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. ‘ 1 John 5:11-13(NLT)
‘Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?” “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’#19:4 Gen 1:27; 5:2.” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’#19:5 Gen 2:24. Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.#19:9 Some manuscripts add And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Compare Matt 5:32.”’ Matthew 19:3-9(NLT)
The Bible tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. That’s a tall order! How in the world are you supposed to do that? You’re just human, after all.
That’s just it! You’re going to need supernatural help. If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation from sin, then you already have it. Jesus’ Holy Spirit came to live in your heart the moment that you surrendered control of your life to Him, and He will guide, direct, and empower you to do God’s will even in what can sometimes prove to be a tough arena, your marriage.
If the Holy Spirit lives in your heart, He’s there to stay. His presence is proof of the permanence of your status as a permanently adopted child of God. God doesn’t want you to doubt your salvation or spend most of what could be an otherwise productive life worrying about where you stand with Him or where you’re headed. He wants you to feel safe and secure so that you can grow to your full potential and impact the Kingdom. Cool, huh?
Your job is to do the same for your wife.
See, marriage is a metaphor for the relationship between Jesus and the Church, those who have put their faith in Jesus for salvation. In this metaphor, you represent Jesus, and your wife represents the Church. What Jesus did/does for the Church, you must also do for your wife.
Living out the metaphor begins with establishing the permanence of your marriage. The Holy Spirit’s presence in your heart is your proof that Jesus will never leave or forsake you. By the same token, make sure that your wife knows that divorce is not an option as far as you are concerned and that you will never leave or forsake her either. Spend your life proving your resolve through your words and actions. Make her feel safe and secure so that she can grow to her full potential and—whether or not she is a Christian yet—impact the Kingdom according to God’s will for her life.
- Do you have the Holy Spirit living in your heart, or are you trying to do this marriage thing alone?
- Does anything need to change?
Read 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 1 John 5:11-13, and Matthew 19:3-9.
from Becoming The Husband She Needs