Ephesians 5:25-27 Outline

God’s New Family: An Exposition of Ephesians (LI)
God’s Household Rules: Marriage and Family (6)
Love Your Wife (3)
Ephesians 5:25-27

Introduction (review):
1. As we continue our study of Ephesians 5:25-29, a passage that spells out God’s expectations for Christian husbands, let’s recall the outline of Paul’s argument. There is a command, followed by two analogies or illustrations. This morning we will consider the first analogy or illustration. This evening we will consider the second.

2. Here, again, is an outline of Paul’s argument in this passage:

1. The Command - Love your wives (25a)

2. Analogy #1 - Like Christ loved the church (25b)

a. Purpose of Christ loving the church - to sanctify her (26)

b. Ultimate goal - the glory of the church in holiness and perfection (27)

3. Analogy #2 - Love your wife in the same way you take care of yourself (28a)

a. Elaboration #1 - you are caring for your own self when you love your wife (28b)

b. Elaboration #2 - that means, specifically, nourishing and cherishing her (29)

3. We have spent two weeks reflecting on the love command to husbands, and we have said repeatedly, in light of what we’ve already learned in Ephesians, in light of what Paul says here and elsewhere, that God calls Christian husbands to a radical, God-originated, Gospel-based, Grace-empowered, Spirit-wrought, Atonement-illustrated, Christ-emulating, self-denying love for our wives — in which we seek to serve our wives and to care for our wives’ best spiritual and temporal interests
4. Today we want to look at Paul’s elaborations on the love command in Ephesians 5:25-27 and see four specific points: (1) church, (2) atonement, (3) sanctification, (4) glory.

Ephesians 5:25-27 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Paul says that God expects Christian husbands to love their wives like Christ loved the church

and that means:

I. Loving our wives in light of Christ’s special love for his bride, the church
[just as Christ also loved the church] (25b)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church


II. Loving our wives in light of Christ’s work on the cross, his atonement
[just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her] (25c)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her


III. Loving our wives with a view to her growth in grace, her sanctification
[so that He might sanctify her] (26)
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,


IV. Loving our wives in light of/with a view to glorification, their future glory
[the church in all her glory] (27)
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.