Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. ‘For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. – Ephesians 5:25-32
The church is the wife of Christ.
He sacrificed his own life to redeem her. He is returning someday to claim her. According to Revelation 19:9, we all will celebrate the “Wedding supper of the Lamb” with Jesus someday, and what an awesome occasion that will be!
So in the meantime, don’t slap, mock, or treat the bride of Christ with disrespect.
Don’t Miss
I remember when I first got married twenty-two years ago, my wife and I were with a group of her co-workers at a Christmas party. The place where we had the party was in the back room of a bar-meets-grill kind of joint. As we were leaving, my wife was walking about 10 feet in front of me, talking to one of her female co-workers.
She didn’t notice the two guys who were eyeing her up and down as she walked by…but I did.
Without thinking or blinking, I walked up to their tables as they were still leering and hit my left fist so hard on their table I made their drinks jump.
Startled, they looked up at me, and before they could figure out what was going on, I barked, “Do you see this ring?” showing them the wedding ring on my clenched fist. Before they could answer, I said, “You want to see it up close?” Still not getting it, I said, “That girl you were gawking at is my wife, and I don’t like the way you were looking at her.”
Either of these guys could have beaten the tar out of me, but my bold action embarrassed and shocked them. Luckily, I got out of the door before they realized they could have easily smashed me.
Why did I react like that? Because I love my wife and I will not tolerate her being treated with disrespect.
Neither will Christ.
