Proper Administration of Godly Authority in Marriage

Well, good morning again. Wonderful to see all of you today. I hope all of you did receive your Beyond Today magazine this past week. Actually, incredibly wonderful articles every time we get one. But this one obviously directed toward the Spring Holy Days and how it is that we celebrate the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread here in the spring. And there are a lot of things to think about. Certainly an interesting article regarding the gods in Egypt and how it is that God was, in a sense, showing His judgment upon those really non-existent gods in comparison to the great God who rules over everything.

Well, our loving Heavenly Father and Creator of all is the one who gives us life. He has all authority and all power in this universe. And of course, He has given all authority and power to His Son. He has authorized Jesus Christ as our Savior and our Redeemer. He also is the one who created and who ordered the family structure. Husband, wife, children. And of course, in our families, in our marriages in particular, God wants us to live together in cooperation, in love, in a certain order.

And yet He wants us to live in peace. See 1 Corinthians 7, 16. I'm not going to read that out of the Bible here to you, but it points out how God desires that our marriages be peaceful. And so, I want to cover a topic today. I guess you could say the title for this sermon is Proper Administration of Godly Authority in Marriage. Proper Administration of Godly Authority in Marriage. Now, whenever you think about authority or you think about government or rule, there's two essential aspects to that.

One of them, the first one, is the administration or the exercise of authority. And the second one is the response to authority, whether that is resistance or whether that is submission. Now, as husbands, and I guess you could say this is more directed to men today, but it's important for all of us to understand, as husbands, we need to examine ourselves.

Examine ourselves to see if we are properly reflecting God's instruction to husbands. And I will cover through the sermon here today. There are four words that I hope that either you would jot down or at least memorize because they are, in a sense, very special words that God uses to describe how it is that husbands should properly administer rule or order in the home. Those four words are love, nourish, cherish, and honor. Love, nourish, cherish, and honor. Now, I know all of you are familiar with those words.

I'm sure you could think of Scriptures where that would be supported, which we will go through. But I want to tell you how, in a sense, special those words are. We're going to go over information about how God says husbands should be toward their wives, how they should properly lead in their homes. But these particular words are words that are connected with that, obviously. And yet, as I looked those up, I found that these are really used very sparingly in the Bible. Now, obviously, love is all through the Bible, but others of the words there you see are somewhat very unique to how it is that husbands should be toward their wives.

So, in covering this topic of proper administration of authority and marriage, and asking us if you fit the category of a man who is married and has a wife, how is it that you are living up to God's standard? Living up to God's words. Because that's how it is that we're going to not only grow as we look at what God says, but how it is that we are going to cause our marriages and cause our families to thrive. Because that's what we want.

We want to be joyful. We want to be peaceful. But we can't do that apart from the Word of God. So, first of all, there are six points that I'm going to cover, briefly, because obviously there are really a small number of verses that I'll read to you today, but I would like for us to recognize just how it is that God has ordered things for the family and how He wants us to benefit from His wisdom.

His benefit to us in guiding our homes. First of all, as far as a husband in the proper administration of authority, we have to realize that it is God's authority and not our own. That's what we read here in 1 Corinthians 11.

1 Corinthians 11 tells us, and Paul is writing, he actually covers several things in this chapter. One of them even involves a Passover. It involves how we should prepare for the Passover and observe the Passover and yet examine ourselves as we get ready to do that. But here in 1 Corinthians 11, in verse 3, he says, But I would have you know, I want you to understand, I don't want you to misunderstand, I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ. And the head of the woman is the man. And in this case, the head of the wife is the husband. That's really the reference that he is making here. And of course, you can read that in other places as well.

But then it goes ahead to say that the head of Christ is God. And so he creates a succession there between God and Christ to the man, to his wife.

Now, that's certainly not new information, but what I point out to you is simply that if a man misunderstands that, if he doesn't comprehend that the structure that we live under as we live according to God's Word is from God, if he thinks it's just up to me to decide what I think we ought to do, well, we might misperceive the first part of that. The head of every man is Christ. We have to be, as far as husbands or men, we have to be in subjection to the authority of Jesus Christ. See, the family structure is ordered by God. It's a natural order that's established by our Creator, and God did ordain authority and rulership for the home. And He instructed man in how to administer that, but where did it go wrong? Well, obviously Adam failed. Adam was misled immediately, and you don't find that recovering as you go along. You don't find that the family order or the family guidance from God, really, they were pushing God out of their lives and out of their home and choosing to follow the serpent. See, that's kind of weird about St. Patrick's Day this weekend.

You know, I think it's tomorrow, I guess. I don't really keep track of those kind of things, because they're irrelevant, but amazingly, we have a parade in Kansas City this week called Snake Saturday. And, you know, they've got this great big parade and a big old snake on there. You know, what image do you conjure up when you think of a big snake? Well, the serpent, of course, as was available to deceive Eve and Adam from the very beginning. And so, you know, that's just amazing to me. But what I want to point out about this first point is, you know, the authority that God extends is divine. It's His authority. It is not man's authority. God did create Adam before He created Eve. He created that order even there. But He didn't create and say, well, men are actually better than women. He didn't create in that way. He said they're quite different. Actually, they're remarkably different, but they both reflect the image of God. We've made in the image and likeness of God. And so there's clearly something for us to learn. God actually gives His authority to a man. And man is, of course, to be a representative of God in His actions with His wife and children. So it's God's order for the family. And we have to examine ourselves and ask, are we really under the authority? And whenever I say we, I'm including me in a discussion about this topic, are we really under the authority of the Word of God? Or do I just do what seems right to me? Do I do what is convenient for me? Do I do what's easy for me? Because it's too often to fall into that pattern instead of, you know, to truly recognize, as I've said about this first point, realize it's God's authority and not your own. So the second point is one, again, that we can easily read here in Ephesians 5.

In true love, a husband is to lay down his life for his wife. In true love, the husband must lay down his life for his wife.

Now that's amazing when you think about it. Of course, if everyone took that to the ultimate end, you know, then we would all die as far as men, and there would be plenty of widows.

You know, that's not clearly what that's talking about. Obviously, Jesus would die for the church. He was willing to give his life for all of us to be a part of the church of God.

But in true love, in the true expression of love for our wives, we've got to be willing to lay down our lives. And in a sense, we willingly give up our own ego, our own self. Here in Ephesians 5, verse 25, "...husbands, love your wives." Of course, you knew that that's what that said.

But of course, how is that explained as you go further? Well, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. That's what Jesus was willing to do for all of us who make up His bride, the church. He was willing to give Himself up. And so, the type of love that God is describing here, so that the wife can be properly helped and encouraged and loved, it is a love that is based on being willing to lay down your life, being willing to self-sacrifice. That's what this is referring to.

And in verse 28, it talks about how this is about Christ and the church. But in verse 28, He says, in the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. And He loves His wife, loves Himself. See, that's the type of love that God is wanting for husbands to extend to their wives.

Now, in discussion of that, what's the basis, the foundational basis for the administration of authority? Well, Jesus gives this. The disciples came to Him and asked Him, well, who gets to be the greatest? Who gets to be in charge? Who gets to lead? And He told them in Matthew 20, and maybe we should read that, because here in Matthew 20, He says, if you're going to lead, don't be like the Gentiles. He says in verse 25, He called everyone to Him, says, you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first must be your slave. So here He explains the whole concept of servant leadership.

He says the world uses a sense of leadership that is more or less dictatorial, more or less tyrannical, and yet that's not what I want you to do in the church. And it's not what we are to do in our homes, in our families. Not the way of the world, but the way that God explains. See, the foundational basis for the administration of authority is love.

It's service. Being willing to serve, in this case, our family and directly our wives.

Now when we read this in Ephesians 5, we can see that this love is measured by our ability to give ourselves as a living sacrifice. Is that the way I view myself? Is that the way I view how it is that I try to care for my wife, that I try to love my wife? Now that's something that the Bible is pretty clear about, but I would say that in many ways people often read and read into it whatever they want it to say. Instead of what He really says, He says, Be like Jesus Christ. Be willing to lay down your life.

See, I think we have to think about the fact that we have to examine ourselves and our own attitude toward authority, our own attitude toward God's authority. Only if we live under authority can we properly administer authority. If we don't understand that we are clearly subject to Jesus Christ and we are subject to His directives in His Word, then we're not going to properly use the authority that God extends. Those who are under authority can truly understand what it is to live by faith. What it is to live by faith, which means knowing that God is able to deliver us, even when we may not see directly the answer ourselves. We need to be able to do that. If we find that in our home that we don't have the peace that we need, that we have conflict, that we have resistance or even rebellion, if we find that we have that, a man needs to take a look at his own relationship with the source of authority, Jesus Christ. And of course, we have to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. That's what He tells us. If you want God to support you, well, then you've got to humble yourself before His throne. And of course, we have to have that attitude that would reflect an attitude and approach toward Christ that could also be respected in us. What if somebody continually lectured you, and this is often a failing as far as marriages, and the breakdown, of course, of marriages, what we have in society around us, and sometimes even with ourselves, but what if somebody continually lectured you on their office? Don't you know who I am? Don't you know that I'm the head of the house? See, that's surely been done before. That's happened before. That doesn't work. I can prove that to you, which I'll do in this third point. But, see, that's not properly reflecting what the Word of God says about loving your wife by being willing to lay down your life, by being willing to give up yourself. So, in summarizing this second point, we must surely be thinking about and examining whether the foundational basis for our exercising authority is self-sacrifice. If it's not, if we're not willing to serve our family, then we need to reconsider. We need to reconsider, are we really subject to the example and to the Word that God has given us about what He is expecting?

Love, laying down our lives, is something you see directed as being done for the brethren. I mean, that's clearly what we see taught in the Bible, but it also is applicable to our home settings. It's applicable to our marriages. The third point that I will mention as far as to successfully properly administer authority in a marriage is that husbands must be meek. Husbands must be meek. And if this is actually the case, then they're going to more clearly understand repentance. And they're going to be desirous of leading in reconciliation. Actually, instead of solving the problem myself, I'm going to take it to God and ask God for the help that is needed. Husbands need to be meek. And as I said, if we are, then we've got to be benefiting from the concept of repentance and of reconciliation. See, much of the knowledge that the Bible gives us on this topic is really through example. We have the example of God the Father and how He dealt with Israel and obviously with all people or the church. And then ultimately, God is the one who's an excellent example. Christ, of course. We have His example dealing with the disciples, later dealing with the church. And we have other chief human leaders that God placed in authority.

Now, in connection with, we must be meek or to try to support that. I want to go to two different places. One of them is to take a look at Moses. And the other one is clearly the example of Jesus Christ. See, does that really sound like a solution to you? To be meek? To properly benefit your home? Well, I think you'll find that it is. Because, currently, as you look at Moses, you know, Moses was given a responsibility and a charge to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. And that was quite a daunting task. And yet, you find in Numbers 12, verse 3, now the man Moses was very humble. He was meek, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth.

Now, that's quite a remarkable statement. You see other acknowledgments about David as far as being a man after God's own heart. And you see other descriptions of people that God commended for different things. But Moses is commended for being meek. And yet, he was selected to be the leader of the children of Israel being delivered from the land of Egypt. I think we might overlook why it was that Moses was meek.

You find numerous examples how Moses looked after the people, in a sense, out of a love and a desire to serve them. We could go back, and I'll only read this to you, here in Exodus 3. You see, whenever, and of course this is when God was beginning to tell Moses, what I want you to do. Exodus 3, God was telling Moses, and this was at the point of the burning bush, and he was having spent a good amount of time, I guess 40 years, in training as a shepherd in Midian, and God was going to introduce him to the new role that He had for him. And I want you to deliver my children out of Egypt.

Now in Exodus 3, maybe I'd better go there and read a few of these verses. Exodus 3, verse 7, God says, I've observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and I've heard their cries on account of their taskmasters, and I know how much they're suffering, and I'm going to come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of the land to a good and broad land, a land fulling with milk and honey to the land of the Canaanites. And so this is what He said He was going to do in verse 10, so come, I'm going to send you, talking to Moses, to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites out of Egypt. And what was Moses' first response in verse 11?

Moses said, who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

See, he recognized there wasn't any way he could do that. He didn't have a chance.

He understood the situation. He had lived there, and he had been in the royal palace, and he had fled.

But to go back and to try to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he knew that's impossible. Physically, I could not do that. But God, of course, said, well, no, I'm going to be with you. But see, what kind of attitude had God developed in Moses through these 40 years of sheep herding?

Well, He had developed an attitude. It wasn't the next in line or a ruler in the house of Pharaoh. You know, He wasn't the type of general that He had been in His earlier life, who was, in a sense, learning the way of an Egyptian and of royalty.

You know, He was humble and meek, and He says, I don't have it. I am unable to achieve what you want me to do. God says, well, that's all I need to see, because I can do what I'm going to do about bringing Israel out of Egypt.

And see, whenever you look at what Moses did in dealing with the Israelites, God obviously brought them out of the land. And He did that through Moses and his leadership, but numerous times, whether it was at the golden calf or whether it was dealing with Aaron and Miriam or whether it was dealing with the spies who came back and said, you know, this is impossible, or whether it was with Korah and the rebellion that Korah created.

See, Moses would always go and intercede for the people. He would always appeal to God.

He says, well, I don't have the answers. I'm not the one who's really in charge here. God is. And that's why I say, as in this third point, that husbands need to be meek.

Meek, like Moses was, where he would take whatever the problem was and take it to God.

And as you know, in each of those cases, and we won't read them, in each of those cases, God showed the answer. He showed what it was that needed to be done, or in many cases, He showed that He would support Moses. He would achieve what He was going to do through Moses. Now, Moses was not perfect.

He did make some mistakes. And once, Moses made the error of saying or thinking, don't you know who I am? See, that's what we read in Numbers 20.

In Numbers 20, at the waters of Maribah, God told him how He was going to provide the water to them. Here in Numbers 20.

Numbers 20, wherever that is here. Numbers 20.

The people were quarreling with Moses. They knew that they needed water.

Verse 7, God said to Moses, Take the staff, assemble the congregation, you and Aaron, command the rock before their eyes to yield its water.

Thus you shall bring water out of the rock for them. Thus you shall provide drink for the congregation.

So in verse 9, Moses took the staff from before the Lord as he had commanded him.

Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water out of this rock?

And then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock.

It says twice with his staff.

I bet he wondered after he whacked it once, why is this not working? I bet, you know, I mean, it says he hit it twice. God didn't tell him to hit it at all. He just said to command that I will bring water out of the rock. But clearly, Moses was in the wrong in this case.

And he was exemplifying, Don't you know who I am, you rebels? But it says, he struck the rock twice with his staff, and water came out abundantly in the congregation, and livestock drank. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you didn't trust in me and show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring the assembly into the land that I've given them. See, that particular error, God did provide the water. He helped the people.

But he told Moses, you know, you're not going to go into that promised land.

See, how had Moses failed? Well, he was taking too much upon himself. Instead of relying on the power and the authority of God to provide what was needed, he took it on himself. And see, that's why again, this point is about, we have to be meek.

We have to be willing to be repentant, and that's what you see in Moses' eyes.

See, what kind of meekness did Moses display?

Well, for the most of the time, you know, he interceded for the people. He asked for God's help. He asked for God's answer. And only once do you see him resisting that or forgetting that. So clearly, he was human and he had flaws. But, you know, we have to think about that ourselves. Who am I that God would allow me to be the husband of my wife?

A man should not think of himself more highly than he ought. That's again, directive from God about how we can properly lead in our homes.

You know, I'll apply this, or I will mention in connection with this, that if we find that there is resistance in our house, what should, as we think about what it was that Moses actually would commonly do, intercede for the people, go to God, ask for the solution, ask for an answer, and truly humble himself. See, how would that be applicable to a husband in dealing with difficulties in his home? See, his first recourse, my first recourse, should be to go to God.

And the mood that I would need to do that in would be to do that in a repentant attitude and ask God why He has not established His authority in my family.

What is it about me that makes me an unfit tool for you to work through? See, that's not a common thing that people think about doing, but that's exactly. See, the tendency in that kind of situation is not to go before God as an intercessor, but to discuss why His wife and children are wrong and why they ought to be in line. See, that is—we'll cover that next time—but that's not what God says to do. He says, go and seek help. True spiritual love that we're describing here as a way a husband should be toward his wife can be measured by self-sacrifice. See, what we read in John 15, John 15, 13 says, no one is greater loved than this to lay down his life, one's life for his friends. And who greater of a friend should we have than our wives?

And that's applicable to brethren in general, but it's even more directly applicable to husbands in proper administration. So, you know, a husband's response in that case would be to humble himself, to ask forgiveness for whatever is wrong is in a behavior. And of course, that involves humility and meekness and death to his own ego. Because we've been called to love our wives as Christ loves the church, not just as it is convenient for me. See, in a sense, husbands have to simply decide I'm going to be following the example of Christ, being willing to deny myself because, you know, God has called me to be a servant leader. He has called me to properly love and respect and serve in that way. See, and of course, you know, you might say, well, you know, a husband, if he did truly do that and did truly repent, could he also in the back of his mind think, well, you know, surely then my wife ought to respond properly? You know, you can't do that and have ulterior motives. You have to do that by simply leaving it in God's hands.

You know, it's amazing. This is an example about Moses that we were discussing. Of course, he says that Moses was the meekest man on earth. And yet, you had the example of Jesus in a similar way of being willing to be meek and humble. He says, I am lowly. I am meek. I am lowly in spirit. That's the way he described himself. But I want us to look at this second example, the one of Jesus, here in John 13. And I think all of us know what John 13 is about. But in John 13, you see as this chapter is usually read regarding a foot-washing service, what does it say in verse 1? It says, Now before the festival of Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father, having loved His own, who were in the world. He loved them to the end, and the devil now having put into the heart of Judas to betray Him. During supper, verse 3, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God. He got up from the table.

See, knowing that the Father had given Him all authority, knowing that He had a responsibility to exercise that authority in only the right way, what did He do? He got up from the table, He took off His outer robe and tied a towel around Himself and poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around Him.

See, what kind of humility, what kind of service was Jesus devoted to not just doing, but to set the example as He says, I have set an example for you that you should do as I have done to you.

That's what He tells us to do, and I'm applying this to the way that husbands are to be toward their wives. It's an incredibly important thing to comprehend the type of leadership that God is desiring to see. And if we don't examine ourselves from time to time regarding how well are we doing, well then, how can we say that we're really subject to the One who is our Head, Jesus Christ?

So Moses and, of course, Jesus are both an example of the type of meekness that is necessary in order to be a self-sacrificing servant in our home, in our family.

Now, the fourth point, I'll kind of quickly go through this. You must provide physical nourishment. I mean, that's part of what a husband is required to do, but also spiritual nourishment. And, of course, that type of nurturing, see, that's what we read here in Ephesians 5.

We read verse 28 the same way husbands should love their wives, he who loves his wife loves himself. That's a statement that I won't spend a lot of time on, but in verse 21, no one ever hates his own body but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church. Now, again, what is that saying about how a husband should be toward his wife?

That he should provide physical and spiritual nourishment, and that he should cherish his wife. Now, how do you provide spiritual nourishment?

Well, a husband should not only provide physical nourishment, which obviously is something that all of us would need and be able to eat, usually three times a day, but a husband should take leadership in Bible study and prayer and obedience, in repentance, and in every aspect of spiritual life. See, is that something that we feel a responsibility to do?

See, I think when we think about providing spiritual nourishment to our wives and then to our families, that fall into the category of truly desiring above all else that your wife would be a part of the Kingdom of God. Even if it means that you're left out, that's what Paul says. Paul says in Romans 9, verse 3, he had such a concern for Israel. He says in verse 3, if I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, my kindred according to the flesh. He realized that most of Israel was not being dealt with right then, but he so desired for them to be a part of the Kingdom of God, saying, well, even if I'm excluded, I really want, I really desire for them to be in the Kingdom.

Is that my thought as I think about and as I mentioned to you, these words, when you look them up, are nourishing means to nurture or to bring up to maturity or to cherish, which means to tenderly care for your wife. See, the example of, as Christ does, the church puts a whole new dimension to nourishing and cherishing. We have to think about our wives as and is a wonderful blessing that they are. You know, God has seen fit to give us marriage as an institution, and yet He wants us to have marriages that are not only happy and joyous, but that are loving and are appropriately guided by God's Word. And when that's the case, then we're able to not only properly nourish, but then cherish. See, do our wives need appreciation and motivation? I would say most of us don't realize how much our wives need that.

I see that myself way too many times, that I'm not as appreciative or I'm not as motivating. I'm distracting. Maybe I'm creating more problems than I'm solving with some of the stuff that I say or do. See, husbands need to consider that their wives are an incredible treasure, that a very bountiful God has given us. That's why when it says to nourish, to nurture, and to cherish or to tenderly care for your wife, that's what it says. You can't get away from it, but too many times we might be failing in that. We have the responsibility to love and honor, to recognize her talents, to appreciate her efforts, to be considerate of her feelings, to express our love for her every day. And I think when of course we do that, you know, we find that that benefits both of us. That benefits both of us if we are following the Word of God and examining ourselves about that. The fifth thing I want to mention is in a sense of caution because we find one caution in Colossians 3.

The point itself is you should not deal harshly. See, Paul mentions one direct fault that outweighs much of others. Here in Colossians 3 verse 19, he says, husbands love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

Or husbands love your wives and never treat them harshly. Now, whenever you think a little more about that, not to embitter or to make bitter, or as the word translated, to be harsh, not to irritate or exasperate our wives. Now, I'm clearly guilty of that, and I see that that's wrong, and I would prefer not being that way, but too many times I need to repent of doing that, and then I need to resolve that. I mean, it's amazing that this is, you know, Paul gives to Colossians one little warning. Now, that's all it says about husbands. It doesn't say all the other stuff. You see in Ephesians, and you see in Peter, it just says, don't deal harshly.

Don't embitter your wife. Don't exasperate her.

And actually, if we go back to Ephesians 4, you know, this is a key to doing this exact same thing of properly caring for and nurturing and then not being harsh, is by being willing to resolve difficulties on a daily basis.

Ephesians 4, verse 26 says, be angry and not sin. But it says in verse 26, don't let the sun go down on your anger.

And don't make room for the devil. See, that's powerful instruction. And it can be applied to husbands and wives and maybe is even most directly needing to be applied in a day-to-day effort to show love and proper love and courtesy toward our wives. And I want you to drop on down to verse 31 and verse 32, because resolving difficulties on a day-to-day basis before the sun goes down, meaning to just do this in a timely way, do it as on a daily basis. Verse 31, if we do that, if we actually don't deal harshly and desire to resolve difficulties, verse 31 says, put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander together with all malice. And verse 32, be kind to one another. Be tender-hearted. Be forgiving to one another as God in Christ has forgiven you. See, that all kind of goes together and it goes directly to how a husband should be toward his wife in not dealing harshly, but in being reconciliatory and in improving the way that he extends the administration of his role in the family. I think you could say whenever you see when it talks about being tender-hearted, being kind, being thoughtful in that way, you'd have to consider just, in what manner of expression am I speaking or do I say things? Because it's pretty easy to say things that are hurtful. Pretty easy to say things, especially when husbands and wives are together perhaps all the time. You know, men should not be careless in how it is that they express themselves. And they ought to show tenderness and respect. And unfortunately, sometimes men show more respect toward others, but at home they're quite different. That's, you know, the nature of the fact that you're there all the time.

We need to think about how it is that God expects us to not deal harshly. The last thing I'll mention is what we read here in 1 Peter 3. And this is an incredibly wonderful section here in verse 7 and 8 and 9. Now clearly, this is Peter's direction regarding how families should work and how husbands and wives should live together and how they both have the potential of eternal life in God's divine family. But we need to be able to do what it says here. 1 Peter 3 verse 7, Like my husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, or dwell with them with understanding, or show consideration for your wives in this life together. Giving honor, which would be showing her value in your eyes, stating things or acting in a way that expresses honor. As to the weaker vessel or a more delicate vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. See, amazingly, that's incredibly good instruction regarding showing consideration for our wives. Doing whatever we can to express appreciation and express honor, even before others. That is a right thing to do. Actually, you usually read, and I think I often have read verse 7, but it goes on in verse 8 to finally have unity and sympathy and love for one another. Be tenderhearted and have a humble mind. Now, this seems to be clearly applicable to the way husbands are going to actually achieve dwelling together according to knowledge, or right understanding, or right consideration and respect. But verse 8 finally have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, a humble mind. Simply do not repay evil for evil, or abuse for abuse, but on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you have been called that you might inherit a blessing. See, if we want God's blessing, if we want Him to express His desire and His will in our lives, well, then we're going to need to follow the instruction of giving honor to our wives as heirs together of the grace of life. See, it's a husband's duty to gladden his wife's heart daily in order to continually bind to himself or her by doing the tender things or the right things, and certainly not to belittle or blame in the presence of others.

If we do that, then that's going to create bitterness. That's going to create harshness. And this, of course, tears down our wives. And yet, if we do that, it actually tears down ourselves in the sight of God. God's the one who sees and knows all of that, and so He wants us to follow His Word and honor our wives. So, I know I've had to quickly go over all of these, and actually each one of them, when you think about them, when you contemplate just how it is that I could do that, then it's certainly a wonderful maybe chart to examine. How well am I doing? Are we willing, and we have to ask ourselves, are we willing to lay down our lives to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, truly living by faith that if we take things to God and look to Him for help and look to Him for direction from His Word, although we can actually have improved outcomes that maybe we were getting on our own. See, I think we find wonderful examples in the Bible of how it is that we can live together and create, actually, as He says, the peace that He wants us to live in. So, I encourage all of our husbands and men, and certainly wives need to understand this as well, but then, I encourage you to examine yourself in the light of God's Word, of what He says. Because that may mean something when we read it initially that we are overlooking, but examine ourselves in the light of God's Word. And I've kind of gone over the first part of this topic as far as how it is that authority ought to be administered, and I will plan to cover next time, you know, response to authority. And I hope most of you ladies will come back. It's obviously, I didn't read any of those verses today, but that's not the point, certainly not today, because the point is, you know, to love your wife as Christ loves the church is different than what most men think that they are doing of simply being in charge.

So, look forward to seeing you all the next time.