HotSermons
educate equip enable
Being a husband is a challenging calling and many men do not really understand their responsibilities in this area as Christians.
In fact, many men think that it's a matter of being the "boss" in the home, and that's all there is to it. In other words, it's all about making sure that the wife (and the children) do as they're told. Well, God makes very clear in His Word what He expects of Christian husbands.
1 Tim 3:12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
Husbands are to rule (manage) their children and their households well.
Eph 5:28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
Husbands are expected to love their wives.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
A husband's love for his wife is to be sacrificial just as Christ's love for the church was sacrificial resulting in His giving His life for the church.
1 Cor 7:3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
This verse makes it clear that a husband has a God-given responsibility to be affectionate towards his wife (as does his wife towards him).
Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
Husbands need to work hard at not allowing bitterness to come between them and their wives.
This means that there should be a constant flow of forgiveness.
1 Pet 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
A husband is responsible to learn to understand his wife; he is also to give honour to his wife.
If these guidelines are not followed, his prayers may well be hindered.
1 Tim 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Husbands have the overall responsibility of providing for their entire household; to not do this is a denial of the Christian faith.
1 Cor 7:4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
A husband must be sexually available to his wife as she has authority over his body.
1 Cor 7:11-12 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. (12) But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.
Husbands should be committed to making their marriage work.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body.
The husband is the head of his wife.
This is not a blanket authorisation to do anything he pleases, as this Scripture makes it very clear that he is to exercise that authority as Christ exercised His authority as head of the church.
To state this as plainly as possible, Christ exercised His authority sacrificially and for the benefit of the church, and that is how a husband is expected to exercise his authority over his wife.
If you like these Topical Bible Studies, don't forget to check out our Expository Bible Studies too.