Tiffany

The Bible says “wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord.” How is it that we are to submit to God? The Bible says that the relationship is a type of Christ and the Church. How is the church to respond to Christ? Those are the questions that have to be answered first. Then we can move on to everything else. But those statements are there and it is incumbent on us to know what they mean and then live that out.

No, the verses do not tell the husband to take authority. But that isn’t what I (and others) have been saying. I understand there are those that do say that. I am not in the business however of explaining why people believe things that I don’t.

I believe I am to submit to my husband *as unto the Lord*, which is a distinction made to the husband/wife relationship that isn’t made for the others. I don’t fully understand how marriage is an image of Christ and His bride, but it is, and it is my desire to convey truth of that relationship through my own and to see others do the same.

Are there times when husbands do a horrible job conveying the truth of a Christ in their marriages? Absolutely. I rather think it is caused by the sin of pride and self reliance. Usually by well meaning men who want to be good husbands so they try and find out “How can *I* be a good husband? What must *I* do?” But the thing is it isn’t about *I* doing anything. There isn’t some magical formula. We can’t pull ourselves up by our bootstraps to be better husbands/wives/Christians/friends/parents/children/etc. We can surrender to Christ as our Lord, be filled with the Spirit of the Triune God and live our lives enabled by His power, His grace, His truth. But it isn’t something we do.

It all comes back to Christ as Lord and what that means practically? How does that play out?

This has already gotten quite long, and I must go to bed. Sorry I haven’t addressed the questions directed towards me. I might be able to tomorrow.