How Do You Love a Spouse? Jesus Does It!

Men and women enter into a holy union when they marry. The two become one flesh (Ephesians 5: 31).

Whether a believer is married to another person or not, we are certainly married to Christ. We are one with Him, more than even a married couple can be one:

"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17: 23)

and

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 3: 28)

We are certainly married to Christ, too:

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Romans 7: 4)

and

"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11: 2)

Now, we believers were dead in our trespasses (Ephesians 2: 1), so there is no discussion of what we did to enter into this new covenant except to know and believe in His love for us.

This same love motivates a man to love his wife as much as a wife to submit to her husband:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." (Ephesians 5: 22)

Now, how do we submit to the Lord? By giving Him all of our cares:

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5: 6-7)

To humble ourselves, to submit ourselves does not mean that we throw on sackcloth and ashes and rend and humiliate ourselves, but rather that we present our bodies to Christ as a living sacrifice and He lives through  us (Romans12: 2).

As for the husbands, to love their wives is not a tall order, if they let God love through them:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

"That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5: 25-27)

Christ loved the Body of Believers by giving Himself and then His Holy Spirit to live and thrive through. As husbands grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, they then allow the Spirit of God to bear forth His love and lead the husband to love his wife.

We love because He first loved us -- this is true for spouses as much as for anyone still single!