Please turn in your Bible to: Reading of the Text Please turn in your Bible to: Ephesians 5:22-33

The main idea of Ephesians 5:22-33 The sacrificial love of Christ for the church; a love that is to cause those in the church to respectfully be unified and subjected to Him and to one another in our pursuit of Christlikeness [holy and blameless].

Ephesians 1:22-23 22 And He [God the Father] put all things in subjection under His [God the Son’s] feet, and gave Him [God the Son] as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His [Christ’s] body, the fullness of Him [Christ] who fills all in all.

Ephesians 4:15-16 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

The main idea of Ephesians 5:22-33 The sacrificial love of Christ for the church; a love that is to cause those in the church to respectfully be unified and subjected to Him and to one another in our pursuit of Christlikeness [holy and blameless].

Ephesians 5:22-33 I. The affinity of Christ for His Church (31-32) 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH [this unity, this affinity for one another]. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. As the Church we are one with Christ; taking His name; in communion with Him; being His fullness; the revelation of Christ in the world.

Ephesians 1:22-23 22 And He [God the Father] put all things in subjection under His [God the Son’s] feet, and gave Him [God the Son] as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His [Christ’s] body, the fullness of Him [Christ] who fills all in all.

1 John 4:16-17 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us…because as He is, so also are we in this world.

Ephesians 5:22-33 II. The affection of Christ for His Church (25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her…

Ephesians 1:4-8 “In love He [God the Father] predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Ephesians 5:22-33 III. The authority of Christ over His Church (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

What is meant by “head”? First, the “head” makes the final decision on goals. Second, the “head” coordinates all the action so the goals can be completed. Third, the head looks out for the welfare of the entire body.

Ephesians 5:22-33 III. The ambition of Christ for His Church (27) that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

The ambition of Christ Christ sanctifies and cleanses the church (5:26); cleansed by the power of His Word and set apart for His purposes. Christ intends to present the church without spot or wrinkle (no scars; no mars); but rather that she be set apart from everything else and perfectly righteous (5:26)

The ambition of Christ Christ nourishes and cherishes the church (5:29); not stopping at cleansing the church, He actually does everything necessary for the church’s well-being. Christ is the Savior of the church (5:23) – the only one that can accomplish this ambition.

Ephesians 4:11-13 “11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

Ephesians 3:10 “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”

Revelation 19:6-9 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

The main idea of Ephesians 5:22-33 The sacrificial love of Christ for the church; a love that is to cause those in the church to respectfully be unified and subjected to Him and to one another in our pursuit of Christlikeness [holy and blameless].