Your Family: Lesson One
INTRODUCTION.
A. What is your goal for your future family?
1. You will be married to a faithful child of God. Together, you will be working to raise God-fearing children.
2. You will be married to a Christian who is no longer faithful to God. Working alone, you will be trying to raise God-fearing children.
3. Your spouse will not be a Christian. Because of the religious division in your family, you will be only partly successful in raising God-fearing children.
4. Your spouse will not be a Christian. Because of the religious division in your family, you will be unsuccessful in raising God-fearing children.
B. If you are not yet married, give serious consideration to which spouse will help you to realize your future family. Do not make your decision based upon emotions. This is probably the most important decision in your life. Think it through.
C. You must do all you can to shape your future family so as to obtain the best possible outcome. Be active, not passive.
D. To help prepare you for a future family, and to help improve the lives of the married, we will begin a study of the family and the various responsibilities.
I. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HUSBAND.
A. Leave father and mother.
1. While a man is at home, he is under his parents rule. (Ephesians 6:1-3)
2. Once a man marries, he is to leave the rule of his parents.
a. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
b. A man cannot rule his family if he is ruled by his parents.
B. Cleave to his wife.
1. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Gen 2:24, KJV)
2. Cleave = “to cling, cleave, keep close.” Used in modern Hebrew in the sense of “to stick to, adhere to, . . .” (Vine's)
C. Love his wife as himself.
1. The husband and wife are one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
2. “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:” (Ephesians 5:28-29)
D. Love his wife as Christ loved the church. (Ephesians 5:25-29)
1. “love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself . . .,” (vs 25)
2. “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.” (vs 28)
3. “. . . but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.” (vs 29)
E. Give honor and understanding to his wife.
1. The husband is to dwell with his wife with understanding.
2. He is to give honor to his wife.
3. “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)
F. Do not be bitter towards his wife. (Colossians 3:19)
G. Do not deprive his wife of her needs. (1 Corinthians 7:2-5)
1. “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, . . .” (vs 3)
2. “. . . And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” (vs 4)
3. “Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, . . . and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you . . .” (vs 5)
CONCLUSION.
A. Every young man should consider what type of spouse he will be. Every young lady should consider what kind of husband she will one day marry.
B. For the married men, how are you doing in your role as a husband? If you find yourself falling short of God’s standards, then make the necessary changes today.
C. If you are a married woman, then do what you can to help your husband to be the best husband he can possibly be.
D. In the next lesson, we will consider the responsibilities of the father.
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Your Family: Lesson One -- February 6, 2005 -- File # 2584 - Home
by John M. Duvall – Lawton, OK