This document discusses biblical principles for marriage and family relationships. It emphasizes that Christians should love one another as Christ loved the church. Husbands are called to sacrificially love their wives as Christ loved the church, while wives are called to submit to their husbands. The document outlines godly traits for husbands, like loving God, respecting their wife, and being a leader, as well as traits for wives, like being submissive, gentle and quiet. It encourages defining qualities in a future partner and maintaining a corporate prayer life within families.
4. A LOVING IMAGE
Love One Another
1 John 3:11 (NIV)
For this is the message you heard
from the beginning: We should
love one another
5. A LOVING IMAGE
Jesus’ love
1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down his life for
us. And we ought to lay down our
lives for our brothers and sisters
6.
7. Christ, Church and Marriage
Ephesians 5:22-26 (NIV)
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the
husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the
church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. 24 Now as the
church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to
their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with
water through the word
9. A LOVING IMAGE
Christ, Church and Marriage Relationship
• Traits of a Godly husband
- Love God and know the Scripture
- Love and respect your wife
- Stewardship
- Leadership
- Communication
- Dwell and spend time with your wife
10. A LOVING IMAGE
Christ, Church and Marriage Relationship
• Traits of a Godly husband
- Integrity, faithful and reliable
- Forgiving and admit when he is wrong
- Humble and peacemaker
- Kind and compassionate
- Self- control and meek
11. A LOVING IMAGE
Christ, Church and Marriage Relationship
1 Peter 3:1 (NIV)
Wives, in the same way be submissive to
your husbands so that, if any of them do not
believe the word, they may be won over
without words by the behaviour of their
wives
12. A LOVING IMAGE
Christ, Church and Marriage Relationship
1 Peter 3:1 (NIV)
• Authority in home
• God’s design
• Transformation
13. A LOVING IMAGE
Christ, Church and Marriage Relationship
Traits of Godly Wife
• Submissive
• Gentle
• Quiet
• Focus on Internal
14. A LOVING IMAGE
Christ, Church and Marriage Relationship
• Define specific traits & qualities in your
future life partner
• Wait for your gift and do not compromise
Our Family background:
As a Family, we are blessed to still have both our parents who loves God. My parents have been married for 56 years and they are still staying together. We have been married for 23 years and blessed with 3 beautiful daughters.
We believe that a family is a foundation of a society, so when the home falls, and when the church falls, then the nation falls. Good families will results in good society that is caring and have good moral status. When marriage does not function properly, it mars the image of God and breaks dowm every aspect of society.
Eph 5: 1-2 (NIV) “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
African American Christian Family:
The Wives are providing or earning more money than their Husbands and in return they demand to rule in their families.
These principle of material possessions gives women more power than their husbands.
African Families Experiences
Husband has more authority over the wife and marriage is characterised of: 1. Polygamist life style 2. Elders chooses wife for you at an early age.
3. Most African married men stay with their parents whilst some stay far away from their wives due to work demand. 4. In-laws (uncles, aunts, sisters, etc.) mingles and interfere in the affairs of married couples. 5. Zulu culture women does not participate in the lobola negotiations or family decision making meetings.
These kind of interferences create animosity within the families.
It is not all that bad about different cultures in marriage, there are good things that we could learn and cherish. E.g. Shangan’s and Venda’s women they respect their husbands. English men are known for loving and caring for their wifes and they open doors for their wives.
The Cornerstone for any family is the relationship between husband and wife.
Marriage represent Love
We are living in a society today where Love is defined in many different ways. Biblical Love is a commitment that seeks the highest good of the one we love. As Jesus’ death on the cross, Love is self-sacrificing, caring for other not only in words but in deeds and action. Biblical, loving one another is not an option but a commandment and we display this in our “IN” focus relationship. The Family is a very good example of Love. For us as Children of God, a Loving family is evidence of our salvation.
Jesus a good example of Love. He has shown unconditional love, went out of his way and crossed racial and cultural barriers to help the poor, healing the sick and sacrificing his life for us, similarly we should do the same for others in our family, community and society.
Godhead - 1 Corinthians 11:3. Marriage reflects the Godhead This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters
o have intimacy relationship with God.
Both of them (Adam and Eve):
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Gen 1:28 God blessed them and said to them. Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. To have intimacy relationship with God and amongst themselves.
These mean God loves and value families.
Togetherness or Oneness is the key and the heart beat of a loving family.
We are called to a higher model which is God’s original plan for the man and woman. It is a plan for the family, church and society
God’s purpose for marriage is to make us more like Christ
The Head of Christ is God. The head of Man is Christ. The head of woman is Man. The man should submit to Christ and the woman should submit to her husband because he is the head of the wife. The woman’s relationship with the husband should mirror Christ’s relationship with God. God’s order of marriage is established in the scriptures. He is a God of order and he has created the same order to apply in marriage. Our home and marriage should be established on the word of God and not peer pressure, culture and what the society is saying.
While in marriage the wife submit to the husband, spiritually husband and wife submit to God. Our home and marriage must resemble the order of God and not be succumb to peer pressure, cultural ideologies and what the society is doing. We should live according to God’s standard.
Christ equips the Church with to serve through the Word of Go
Loving God – Husband who loves and honour God will do his best to have a godly marriage
Love your wife -the Cornerstone for any family is the relationship between husband and wife. It is a command to love your wife not optional.
Stewardship – know your wife’s needs and serve her. As head of the family, to faithfully handle all that God has entrusted the husband with
Leadership- husband is the leader in the marriage relationship, Christ-like leadership – Spiritual Leader
Communication – Colossians 4:6 be gracious in speech and listening
Families are not perfect, it take determination to pursue character that is continual moulded and refined by God and persistently in order to successful shoulder responsibilities and expectations that God has placed on husbands.
IVK
Scripture talks about submissive that will transform the husband – unbeliever
Husband is the head of the family, has nothing to do with equality
Husband is the head of the family, has nothing to do with equality e.g company
Scripture talks about submission that will transform the husband – unbeliever
God made institution of marriage and place structure so that if functions well
God of order
Dynamics in marriage – cultural, feminist etc
I always wanted a wife who fears and honour God, but I was disappointed in life and told myself, I will never marry.
God has now blessed me with a wonderful wife. Trust in the Lord, He will give you your heart’s desire, tell him what you want.
Christ came to demonstrate what a loving marriage should look like
As a husband, you are called to step up and lead like Christ in the home, Church and society
Marriage is a gift from God to us, therefore, the quality of our marriages is a gift from us to Him.
Whom do you love or imitate?
Christ knows your weaknesses and failures within your family
God is inviting you to bring your family to Him – are you ready to take that decision