INTRODUCTION: The central command given to husbands as husbands in the New Testament is the command to love. The central command given to wives as wives is the command to honor and respect. We will consider the first in detail this week, and the second next week. THE TEXTS: For the husband is the head …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XX
Introduction: It may seem odd to include a message on imitation in a series of sermons on marriage, but it is actually a very important aspect of marriage. In fact, it is so important to godliness in marriage that the world has an entire framework of “countermeasures” arraigned against it, so that most of our …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XIX
Introduction: Learning is awkward. Even assuming good motives, and a desire to learn, and no rebellion against God’s pattern, there are still difficulties. G.K. Chesterton once said that the “chief object of education is not to learn things but to unlearn things.” Couple this with the fact that what we must unlearn is frequently what …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XVIII
INTRODUCTION: Being a married Christian is a function of being a Christian. In other words, we should not expect to find a set of marital “techniques” that are unrelated to the task of living as a Christian generally. For the unmarried, the best preparation for future duties is a pleasant embrace of current duties. For …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XVII
INTRODUCTION: In the Scriptures, jealousy is a virtue. Like all good things, it can be bent and distorted into sin, but for some reason, we have come to think that jealousy is necessarily sinful. This is not the case at all. In the modern world, we are not nearly jealous enough. THE TEXT: “Take heed …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XVI
Introduction: Some people take an approach to marriage that flatters everyone. In other words, it is assumed that everyone wants (deep down) to be a godly husband or a godly wife, and that the only impediment to this marital bliss is ignorance. That ignorance, it turns out, can be remedied with this book, this seminar, …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XV
Introduction: Forgiveness makes it possible to “start over.” The power of forgiveness is enormous—the reason it is so infrequently employed is because it transforms everything, and not because it is “a dud.” Last week we addressed what forgiveness is (a transaction), and how to understand it when the other party is being difficult. We now …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XIV
Introduction: Although it is not possible to separate the various aspects of marriage from one another, it is possible to distinguish them. We have come now to the third section in this series on marriage, a section that deals with marriage and sin. And in order to understand sin rightly, we have to understand forgiveness. …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XIII
Introduction: In looking at the differences between masculine and feminine, and in considering the respective duties of husbands and wives, we have been assuming that differences between the sexes exist. But what are those differences, and how can they be understood together with what the Scriptures teach us about our equality in Christ? The Text: …
Foundations of Marriage XII
Introduction: So now we come to the particular duties of wives. We have to remember the same distinctions we covered when talking about the duties of husbands. That is, we have to remember the difference between being and doing. Wives must be careful not to rush off to work through a list of do’s and …