You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Mankind can no longer see God face-to-face. This lesson examines Jesus Christ’s solution for the discord men and women now face in marriage. First let’s focus on the woman.

Original purpose of the woman –Genesis 2:

²⁰ And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help fit for him.

²¹ And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

²² And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

²³ And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

The woman trusted her eyes and her judgment rather than what God said -Genesis 3:

⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Jesus Christ loves you and me so much He gives us free will

You and I can choose our choices but not the consequences to follow.

Disobedience brought discord between the man and the woman-Genesis 3:

¹⁶ Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Desire = feelings that compel one to attain or possess something

The wife’s responsibilities to her husband and to Jesus Christ

• Be in subjection to your husband-1 Peter 3:

¹Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

² While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

Subjection =    submission

Chaste =          decent, undefiled, simple

Conversation = manner of life

Fear =              reverential trust in Jesus Christ

⁵ For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

⁶ Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Afraid          = feeling apprehension, regret, reluctance, unwillingness

Amazement =  overwhelming astonishment

Example of Sara before Abram was saved-Genesis 12:

¹⁰ And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

¹¹ And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

¹² Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

¹³ Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

Notice Abram’s words seem to focus only on himself?

Do you listen only to your husband’s words?

Example of Sarah after Abraham was saved-Genesis 20:

¹ And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

Do you see any concern from Abraham for Sarah’s well-being?

How can you apply this to your own marriage relationship?

Submit as unto the Lord-Ephesians 5:21

²¹ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

²³ 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.

Submit as is fit in the Lord –Colossians 3:18

¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Submit =       yield oneself, allow oneself to be subjected, defer to another’s opinion or decision

Notice you are to submit to your own husband, not to all men. Why is this important?

• Adorn self with meek and quiet spirit and subjection to your husband- 1 Peter 3:

      ³ Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

⁴ But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Adorn =           enhance, make more pleasing

Meek =            humbly patient, gentle, kind

Quiet =            restrained in speech and manner, being at rest

• Reverence your husband – Ephesians.5:33

³¹ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

³³ Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Reverence =  a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; or the outward

manifestation of this feeling

How can you show reverence for your husband by your words?

How can you show reverence for your husband by your actions?

4) Act in the Name of the Lord –Colossians 3:

¹⁷ And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

5) Love your husband God’s way – 1 Corinthians. 13:

⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

By ourselves we cannot live these obligations. We need Jesus – John 15:

⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Questions for Reflection

1) Is it easy or hard for you to accept your role in marriage assigned by Jesus Christ?

2) How easy is it for you to live your responsibilities to your husband? Why?

3) Which responsibility is easiest for you to live? Why?

4) Which responsibility requires the most effort from you? Why?

5) Do you see a link between lessons learned in your meaningful experiences and the ease or effort required to fulfill your responsibilities to your husband?

6) What 3 qualities do you want your husband to see in you?

7) What actions will you take to live those 3 qualities?

8) Why not ask Jesus to help you –John 15:

 ⁷ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Notice Jesus says ‘unto you’ not ‘for you’ – Why do you think He chose those words?

Hebrews 12:

¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good

plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through

you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti