The King and His Kingdom Video
Session 4
Welcome to session 4 of the King and His Kingdom which we’ve entitled the Role of the Wife.
In the last session we said the following:
- Knowledge of God – Never before in history has there been such a need for examples of Godly marriages, as now. To truly understand what God expects from us in our marriages, we need to have a knowledge of His character.
- God’s Government (The Kingdom of God) – God’s government or His word or law, is beyond debate or question and is final and irreversible. It is a separate system under which God does that which pleases Him. God himself is powerless to reverse His own Government. Anyone who obeys the will of God (or His government) is blessed. Anyone who does not walk according to His principles, will struggle through life, yet still, God’s infinite mercy provides us with ‘grace’ – the power to obey Him.
- Clearly defined area – The role of the Husband, like the role of the Wife and that of the church, is specific and VERY CLEARLY detailed in the word of God. If husbands have a heart’s desire to be the type of Husband God intends them to be, they will be blessed among all people. If they do not have this desire, they need to pray for it, because without it, they will struggle much in this life, and may even drag others into their situations.
- Suitable Partner – God decided that it was not good for man to be alone. He needed a ‘helper’. Someone to help him in his needs: spiritual, emotional and physical. To be an assistant to him and him alone. Not a slave, following behind him – or ahead of him in a position of authority. Husband and wife are inseparably linked by their spirits – a team working with, and for, each other.
- Understand your wife – To live with one’s wife in an understanding way is to accept by faith that which the scriptures say of her, praying for a Christ like attitude toward her and the way she has been created – the husband putting himself in her shoes.
- Honour and love your wife – To honour one’s Wife according to the scripture is to esteem her in the HIGHEST degree – to maintain her dignity. She is honoured because she is critically part of man and because she is a gift from God. Husbands should love their wives and not bear any unforgiveness (bitterness) towards them – neither for past or present circumstances. Husbands should be providers for their wife and family. This not only materially, but spiritually and emotionally. The wife’s role calls for sensitivity, but it can leave her vulnerable and therefore she needs understanding and protection, but NEVER is she inferior in terms of her ultimate reward of eternal life.
- God’s Line of Authority – According to God’s government, the husband is the spiritual authority of the wife. He is to instruct her in the ways of the Lord, by word and by example. The scripture says that Husband and wife are one. The husband cannot fulfil his role as a Christian unless he is fulfilling his role as a husband. He has a very essential partner as assistant, spiritual, physical and emotional support, in his wife. Husband and wife should never be out of step in their roles, the stronger even carrying the weaker at different times. The individual roles should never be taken over or changed.
- Our Role Models – Tragically today the family model is being poorly moulded. In some communities today ‘Fathers’ are scarcely even seen, never mind fulfilling their roles – sometimes having left home to find employment in other areas. The only lasting and workable solution for the marriage model is the word of God. We as Christians need to take a firm stand in this last hour. The best place to begin is in the family. Husbands, as the spiritual authority, must be the initiators.
- Next Step… – The beginning for the husband is to go earnestly before God and pray for the desire to change, whatever the cost. The effort of the husband to fulfil his role will amount to nothing, if it is not borne out of his relationship with God. Only in this way will he be the type of husband God wants him to be.
In this week’s session, many of the principles applying to the role of the husband mentioned the last session will apply.
God designed marriage as the cornerstone of our society. So as mentioned, when we “go and make disciples” as instructed by Jesus in Matt 28 (Matt.28:19-20), if we are married, we need the testimony of a solid marriage because we can only disciple others to the level we ourselves are with God.
Never before in history has there been such a need for examples of Godly marriages, as now. Therefore – what does God expect from us in our marriages?
Until we have some knowledge of the character of God, it is difficult to understand what He expects of us. Next, it is important to understand what He desires from us in the long term, eternally speaking, before we will be able to perform according to His will.
God’s Government (The Kingdom of God)
We shared before the fact that God is sovereign. He is supreme and not accountable to anyone except Himself. We see in the books of Zech and Daniel that His government, another expression for His word or law, is beyond debate or question and is final and irreversible (Zech.14:9; Daniel 2:44). His Kingdom (or His government) is a separate system under which God does that which pleases Him. We see this in the scriptures of Plasms and 1 Timothy (Psa.135:6; 1. Tim.6:15). God himself is powerless to reverse His own Government (Is.40:8). Pray for a revelation to understand this fact to gain meaningful change in our lives.
Anyone who obeys God’s principles is blessed. Anyone who does not walk according to His Government or principles will struggle through life (Psa.1:1-3). God is powerless to help the one who wilfully disobeys Him (Heb.10:26), yet His infinite mercy provides us with ‘grace’ – the power to obey Him.
His government is precise and exacting and has far-reaching and often devastating consequences for those who will not follow in it.
Clearly defined area
The role of the Wife, like the role of the Husband and that of the church, is specific and VERY CLEARLY detailed in the word of God. There are NO grey areas, no aspects of uncertainty. If wives have a heart’s desire to be the type of Wife God intends them to be, they shall be blessed among all people. If they do not have this desire, they need to pray for it because without it they will struggle much in this life. Not only will they suffer, but they may drag others into their situations.
Both the role of the Husband and the role of the Wife, are Godly principles
(See Part 2—The King and His Kingdom)
Suitable Partner
We also saw previously that God decided that it was not good for man to be alone (Gen 2:18). He needed a ‘helper’. Someone to help him with his needs: spiritual, emotional, and physical. The animals were paraded before man and whilst he named them all, NONE WERE FOUND AS A SUITABLE HELP FOR HIM, as was a woman (Gen.2:19-20).
God put Adam to sleep and created a ‘helpmeet’ for him, from his own body … from a rib taken out of Adam. The woman was “brought unto the man” and was given to him as his possession, and it was him that named her ‘woman’ (Gen.2:21-23).
She came from his rib, out of his side. This is symbolic that God intended her to always be at his side, to be an assistant to him and him alone. Not a slave, following behind him – or ahead of him in a position of authority. Husband and Wife are inseparably linked by their spirits – a team working with, and for, each other. (Gen.2:24).
All of this is the government of God (God’s Kingdom) – Undisputable, irreversible, and final.
God’s Line of Authority
In 1.Cor.11, we are told that a woman is under a DIVINE authority order (1.Cor.11:3). Her husband is her head, his head is Jesus, whose head is God. The scripture goes on to say that women were created for men, NOT the other way around (1.Cor.11:8-9). However, as previously mentioned, this is not as a slave, but as a partner or assistant so that THEY together, can jointly achieve God’s divine purpose. Please take some time out in the next few days to prayerfully look at these scriptures (1.Cor.3:12; 1.Pet.3: 7; Mal.2: 15)
Wife’s Obedience
The wife is under the authority of her husband according to the book of Titus. Paul says this must be so, in order that the word of God is not dishonored (Titus 2:4-5). As a wife, no earthly career should be above obeying her husband, loving him and their children, and caring for their home. She can work to support the family’s needs, with her husband’s blessing, or perhaps to work with her husband, to support the work of the Lord. Please find time in the next few days to read the following scriptures to support this statement (Prov.31:10-31) ( Acts 16: 14-15, 40; Acts 18:2-4).
Submission – A Great Blessing
Submission, which is the role of the wife, is perfectly portrayed in the scripture of 1 Peter 3: 1-6. This is a lovely scripture for wives to take quietly before the Lord. In obeying this scripture, the wife honors God through submitting to her Husband and brings blessings to her home, household and all those she comes into contact with. She honors God through her submission because anyone who obeys Godly principles, honors Him. In this way also, she prepares herself, her husband and children, for God’s ultimate and eternal plan – HIS BRIDE.
Our Role Models
We are products of role models or templates: Firstly, those which our parents were responsible for giving us, and subsequently that which the world shows us via television, magazines, and other media. Therefore, we will continue our lives according to the role models we see around us. Worldly models for marriage are limited in their power. Paul confirms this in 1 Cor (1.Cor.1:18). Only adhering to Godly principles will give us the correct role models.
God will bring Wives to a place where they submit to their husbands on an unconditional basis, (which is really the only basis for submission). Wives submit to OBEY GOD not because they expect to see the fruit of their labors. Submission is doing all things as unto the Lord for the benefit of others. The lives of those around the wives change, especially their husbands, because they submit and serve. They submit whether their husbands receive it or not. (1. Peter 3: 1).
If wives feel the need to correct their husbands, it should be done according to the scripture of 1 Tim., where Paul talks of ‘Exhorting’ or ‘encouraging’ them (1 Tim.5:1). Wives should try not to repeatedly approach negative topics verbally with their husbands, but instead seek the Lord, praying for her husband and also for God’s will to be done in that particular circumstance. This is an exercise of trusting God for the wives.
The Government of God is not difficult to follow … it is impossible in our own human strength! By His grace alone can this be accomplished – let’s ask Him to help us follow – always.
Next Step…
Wives begin by praying to God for change and to receive the mind of Christ, which 1Cor tells us, is given to us, through the scriptures. (1Cor2: 16). As wives pray this in all earnestness and sincerity, DAILY, they will begin to experience change. They will become the wise woman that builds her house, and not the foolish one that tears it down. (Prov14: 1).
Right… let’s recap what we’ve shared this week:
- Knowledge of God – Never before in history has there been such a need for examples of Godly marriages, as now. To truly understand what God expects from us in our marriages, we need to have a knowledge of His character.
- God’s Government (The Kingdom of God) – God’s government or His word or law, is beyond debate or question and is final and irreversible. It is a separate system under which God does that which pleases Him. God himself is powerless to reverse His own Government. Anyone who obeys God’s principles is blessed. Anyone who does not walk according to His Government or principles, will struggle through life (Psa.1:1-3).
- Clearly defined area – The role of the Husband, like the role of the Wife and that of the church, is specific and VERY CLEARLY detailed in the word of God. If wives have a heart’s desire to be the type of wife God intends, they shall be blessed among all people. If they do not have this desire, they need to pray for it because without it, they will struggle in this life, and may even drag others into their situations.
- Suitable Partner – God decided that it was not good for man to be alone. He needed a ‘helper’. Someone to help him in his needs: spiritual, emotional and physical. Not a slave, following behind him – or ahead of him in a position of authority. Husband and wife are inseparably linked by their spirits – a team working with, and for, each other.
- Wife’s Obedience – The wife needs to respect her husband’s authority (Titus 2:4-5). This is in line with God’s authority spoken of in 1 Cor.11. As a wife, no earthly career should be above obeying her husband, loving him, their children and caring for their home.
- Submission – A great blessing – In obeying the scriptures about submission, the wife honours God through submitting to her Husband and brings blessings upon her home, household and all those she comes into contact with. She honours God through her submission because anyone who obeys Godly principles, honours Him. In this way also, she prepares herself, her husband and children, for God’s ultimate and eternal plan – TO BE THE BRIDE OF JESUS.
- Our Role Models – We are products of models: Firstly, that which our parents were responsible for giving us, and subsequently what the world shows us via television, magazines and other media. Only adhering to Godly principles works. God will bring wives to a place where they submit to their husbands on an unconditional basis. Wives submit to OBEY GOD not because they expect to see the fruit of their labours. Submission is doing all things as unto the Lord for the benefit of others. The lives of those around the wife change, especially her husband, because she submits and serves. Wives should ‘exhort’ and encourage their husbands, being a partner in the marriage unit. This is an exercise of trusting God for the wives.
- Next Step… – Wives should begin by praying for change in their lives, asking for the mind of Christ, which is given to us through the scriptures. As this is prayed in all earnestness and sincerity DAILY, change will be experienced. Wives will become the wise woman that build their homes, and not the foolish ones that tear it down.
Please join me soon for PART 5, where we will explore some more principles of the Kingdom of God. Be blessed during this coming week – I look forward to being with you soon.
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