Malachi‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.””

GOD RING-FENCED MARRIAGE WITH TWO COMMANDMENTS IN THE MORAL LAW

Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭14‬ ‭

“You shall not commit adultery.”

Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭17‬ ‭

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.””

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BE CONTENT WITH YOUR WIFE

Job‬ ‭31‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? Does he not see my ways and count my every step?”

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Matthew 5:27-28

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Proverbs 6:21-29

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭15‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

… The man who allows his wife to occupy the second place in his affections is dishonoring himself and his God. This thing is one of the signs of the last days. But surely you do not desire to fulfill this sign. – {Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce p. 200.5}

Proverbs 5:18-21

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. 20And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 21For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

CHRIST IS FAITHFUL TO THE CHURCH SO MUST HUSBANDS BE TO THEIR WIVES

Ephesians 5:25

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

Lamentations 3:22-23

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

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Love ❤️ thy Neighbor: Divine Limits to the Wife’s Submission

By Pastor and Mrs Chifamba

Ephesians 5:22-23

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

BEING THE HEAD OF THE WIFE IS NOT AN ARBITRARY RIGHT BUT A RESPONSIBILITY TO LOVINGLY ❤️ TAKE CARE OF HER

Colossians 3:19

Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭

“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

1 Timothy 5:8

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

THE WIFE’S SUBMISSION IS NOT AN OPEN CHECK‼️ THERE ARE DIVINE LIMITS TO THE WIFE’S SUBMISSION, WHEN YOUR HUSBAND ASKS YOU TO DO THINGS CONTRARY TO THE WORD OF GOD HE HAS CROSSED THE LINE OF HIS DIVINELY DELEGATED AUTHORITY‼️

Colossians 3:18

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

There is One who stands higher than the husband to the wife; it is her Redeemer, and her submission to her husband is to be rendered as God has directed—“as it is fit in the Lord.” – {Adventist Home p.116.1}

When husbands require the complete subjection of their wives, declaring that women have no voice or will in the family, but must render entire submission, they place their wives in a position contrary to the Scripture. In interpreting the Scripture in this way, they do violence to the design of the marriage institution. – {Adventist Home p.116.2}

NO POWER ON EARTH SHOULD SEPARATE A SPOUSE FROM HIS OR HER ALLEGIANCE TO GOD‼️

Ephesians 5:1-2

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Acts 4:18-19

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Acts 5:29

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭37‬

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

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Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭35‬-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:7-8

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.