AS THE CHURCH IS SUBJECT UNTO CHRIST
Ephesians 5: 22: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as
unto the Lord. 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.
There is a false church, a false
bride, with whom this order is upside down.
Her husband can only exercise his will and save her if she lets him have
his way. That bride is an unruly woman who usurps authority over her husband.
She is not a keeper of her husband’s house because she arranges her house
around the children, preaching what the people want to hear, rather than arranging
the house around her husband. Anyone with spiritual discernment can see how
unbecoming this bride is to her husband.
It is not so with the true church. The true bride is subject unto Christ
her Husband in everything because she depends upon him for everything. Constrained by his everlasting love, she
submits to her Husband to redeem her from the curse of the law, to provide her
with life and righteousness and holiness. In awe of his Wisdom, she submits to
him for direction throughout her life. Knowing his power and grace, she submits
to her Husband to protect her and provide for her in all things in this world
and the world to come. Taken by his
faithfulness, she submits to her Husband to at last “present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” She shows her love and submission to her
Husband by keeping herself a chaste virgin through the preaching of the gospel.
She keeps his house, arranging everything around him alone as she teaches his
children how great their Father is, that they are to obey him and give him the
glory due his holy name as they wait for his return. Everyone with spiritual
discernment sees the beauty of this bride by her submission and love and
adoration of Christ her Husband.
Therefore, it is to this true bride and her submission to Christ her
Husband and Savior that the wife is exhorted to look to learn submission to her
own earthly husband. “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.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing.” (Eph 5: 24)