SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-31

Verses 30-31 say, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’” God ordained the marriage relationship as a picture of the developing relationship between Christ and the church. As a husband and wife grow together in unity, so the church is designed to grow together in unity with the Lord. That is hindered if we don’t recognize that we are chosen, that we are holy and that we are blameless. One place that God ordained to develop this is in the husband and wife relationship. How are we doing in this process? Has the church grown into the fullness of relationship with the Father. Probably not! Any mature believer should be able to answer that question. We are not there yet and maybe it is because nobody pointed out that we need to start by embracing the Sonship gifts. Just as Christ died for us, husbands are invited by faith to treat wives as spotless and without blemish. The husband covers the spots and the blemishes. We don’t battle the spots nor do we go to war with the blemishes. We don’t deny the spots and blemishes, but we cover by loving through to acceptance. Jesus displayed this love to all people. This dynamic is exactly what is present for those unmarried as well as for the husband himself. This is the dynamic Jesus walks out for all His people, whether married, single, incarcerated, or those lost in grievous sin. The same powerful truth Jesus walked out for His people is the pattern for marriage. The husband can’t argue them away. He can’t mistreat them away. He loves them away with acceptance, and understanding. What an assignment!