You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Mankind can no longer see God face-to-face. These lessons examine Jesus Christ’s solution for the discord men and women now face in marriage. Now let’s focus on the man.

Original purpose of the man –Genesis 2:

¹⁵ And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

The man chose disobedience to God -1 Timothy :

¹⁴ And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Disobedience brought consequences to the man – Genesis 3:

¹⁷ And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

¹⁸ Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

     ¹⁹ In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast    thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

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

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.

The man’s responsibilities to his wife and to Jesus Christ

1) Dwell with your wife according to knowledge- 1 Peter 3

Give honor to your wife as the weaker vessel and an heir together of the grace of life

⁷ Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Dwell =to live with

Honor =high respect and public esteem

Vessel=a person regarded as a holder or receiver of something, especially something nonmaterial

Grace = unmerited favor, God giving us what we do not deserve

Life =state of existence

2) Love your wife as Jesus Christ loved the church-Ephesians 5:

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Do you see a responsibility of the man to present his wife at the end of life’s journey to Jesus?

3) Love your wife as your own body

²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

4) Nourish and cherish your wife

²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Nourish = to strengthen, build up, or promote

Cherish = to care for tenderly

5) Leave your father and mother to become one with your wife

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.

6) Love your wife as your self

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.

7) Study God’s Word to answer your wife’s questions

³⁴ Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

³⁵ And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

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 wife? 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 wife?

6) What 3 qualities do you want your wife 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