Masterpiece | Part 11
Revealing the Masterpiece of God in Our Relationships
(Ephesians 5:21 – 6:9) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
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. 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. However, each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first commandment with a promise – “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or
free.
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
3 Relationships Where We Can Reveal God’s Masterpiece in Us . . .
1. In our marriages.
a. By wives submitting to and respecting their husbands.
b. By husbands sacrificially loving and leading their wives.
(Ephesians 5:22, 25, 32) Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord . . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her . . . each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
2. In our parent-child relationships.
a. By children honoring and obeying their parents.
b. By parents teaching them about Jesus, raising them to know Him, and not pushing them to be rebellious.
(Ephesians 6:1 – 4) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first commandment with a promise – “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and
instruction of the Lord.
3. In our work relationships.
a. By employees honoring, respecting, and obeying their employers.
b. By employers honoring and respecting their employees, treating them like people NOT property.
(Ephesians 6:5, 9) Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
