Godly Men Part 3

Today in the world there are many good people who we will not see in heaven because they reject God’s way of salvation, similarly, there are many good marriages but men do not follow what the bible says their role in marriage should be. I was one of those men for 43years (in the eyes of everyone we had a great marriage) however due to circumstances that I have written about I came to understand the significance of Ephesians 5:25 & 28 and in the last 10years together our marriage went to a new level so I desire all men to experience God’s best for them. Before I start turning to the scriptures I want to pause and ask the Holy Spirit to challenge each reader and inspire them to live by following the word of God.  I want to commence with Genesis 2:18 which says And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” The phrase ‘helper comparable’ is better translated as ‘completed’  – a wife make a husband complete. There is a big danger that a man can withdraw into himself and lead a solitary life that is not healthy nor Godly. The next important thing to understand is that a woman was created from a man so is part of his body, so that men should never do anything to hurt that which is part of themselves. Genesis 2:23-24 says: “ And Adam said’ This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man’. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh”. (AMP  Become united and cleave to). These verses clearly state that a man and a woman shall be united and joined together and the man shall cleave (be faithful to) to his wife and put aside outside distractions. Marriage is certainly not two individual people living together that is a partnership. Proverbs 18:22 NLT says: “He who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favour from the Lord”. This truth I have experienced, “a treasure” is a good way to describe my wife of 53 years and I have certainly experienced the favour of the Lord over the years so many times that they cannot be counted. 1 Peter 3:7 NLT says: “In the same way, you husbands must give honour to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered”. This verse is very clear of the consequences of not treating your wife the way that you should. This is why I have no respect for a man who tells ‘jokes’ that belittle marriage because marriage is God’s gift to men. This verse is very precise on the consequences, your prayers will not be heard, this how serious the Lord is about treating your wife correctly. Ephesians 5:25 says: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her”. When I first seriously read this verse I thought that is impossible, but as I reflected on it I realized that the word of God is true and we can achieve what it says. It is important to understand that the word ‘Love’ is not a feeling but an action word and we know what Jesus did for us and the Lord expects the same commitment to our wife. To understand the action of love we need to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and when love becomes our everyday expression to our wives you will find a new level of experience in the marriage that you have not experienced before. I am so glad that God created marriage and gave man the ability to experience the greatness of marriage that God intended from the beginning.