Mark 8:35 “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
Last time, we reviewed the staggeringly heavy calling upon men when we become husbands. So heavy that the apostles, upon hearing just part of it, remarked “The disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ ” (Matthew 19:10)
Peter of course, was already stuck.
But before we go all gloomy, let’s remember that the apostles did not yet have the power of the Holy Spirit empowering them to actually live out following God’s will for their lives. Not so for the Christian husband. And it is, after all, to the Christian husband that Paul gives the command, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” (Ephesians 5:25).
I do not see how a husband could love his wife as Christ, without first having Christ. That being said, we’ve already looked at how much sacrifice is entailed in this. And it’s true. But lest we get a distorted perspective, let us look closer at the love of Christ and His actions on the cross …
Ephesians 4:7,8 “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ ”
Now just what is Paul quoting? It is from Psalm 68, (68:18 specifically) and if you were to read this Psalm, the impression you’d get is distinctly opposite that of sacrificial death. No, instead, it reads more like a celebratory war parade, with Christ the King having just obliterated His enemies and marching them around in a procession of shame, for everyone to see the bad guys humiliated and defeated. Meanwhile, King Jesus is giving out loot after His victorious conquest of the enemy.
Sacrificial love?
Absolutely. But in that sacrifice, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:13-15
That, gentleman, is our calling as husbands. Yes, to sacrifice, but through our sacrifice to God, through our submission to His will that we love our wives – We conquer! We triumph! We crush the forces of hell beneath the boot heel of God’s love and put them to open shame. Putting my enemy, the enemy of my wife to open shame? Triumph?
Yeah, I’m on board. Let’s do this.
So, in light of this. Men. Make War. Start by loving your wives, TODAY!
Fight warrior, fight.
~Scott