Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleAs the Church is Subject Unto Christ
Bible TextEphesians 5:22-24
Date23-Jun-2018
Article Type Article
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

AS THE CHURCH IS SUBJECT UNTO CHRIST

 

Ephesians 5: 22: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24: Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

 

There is a false church, a false bride, with whom this order is upside down.  Her husband can only exercise his will and save her if she lets him have his way. That bride is an unruly woman who usurps authority over her husband. She is not a keeper of her husband’s house because she arranges her house around the children, preaching what the people want to hear, rather than arranging the house around her husband. Anyone with spiritual discernment can see how unbecoming this bride is to her husband.

 

     It is not so with the true church. The true bride is subject unto Christ her Husband in everything because she depends upon him for everything.  Constrained by his everlasting love, she submits to her Husband to redeem her from the curse of the law, to provide her with life and righteousness and holiness. In awe of his Wisdom, she submits to him for direction throughout her life. Knowing his power and grace, she submits to her Husband to protect her and provide for her in all things in this world and the world to come.  Taken by his faithfulness, she submits to her Husband to at last “present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  She shows her love and submission to her Husband by keeping herself a chaste virgin through the preaching of the gospel. She keeps his house, arranging everything around him alone as she teaches his children how great their Father is, that they are to obey him and give him the glory due his holy name as they wait for his return. Everyone with spiritual discernment sees the beauty of this bride by her submission and love and adoration of Christ her Husband.

 

     Therefore, it is to this true bride and her submission to Christ her Husband and Savior that the wife is exhorted to look to learn submission to her own earthly husband.   For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” (Eph 5: 24)