Our pastor reminded us recently to look back to the cross when we find ourselves facing the choice to submit to or fight against the Lord in a difficult situation. He was actually preaching about the roles of men and women in marriage. Often a woman will reject the teaching of the Scriptures on submitting to/respecting her husband, because she feels that his sinful mistreatment of her makes him undeserving. A man, in a similar way, will give up on choosing to love a woman that belittles him and treats him in a dishonoring way. While these responses are the natural human response, they are not the right response.
Instead, the believer has been given the power in Christ to actually love as Christ loved. With the power of the Holy Spirit at work in her life a Christian woman can actully submit to and follow the leadership of an unreasonable, even hateful husband. And dependent on his Savior, a husband can have the grace to tenderly love a woman that fights against him.
How? Looking back to the cross will motivate us to love others as Christ loved us. We will remember that when we despised God and mocked His Son and cared nothing for all the kindness He had shown us and were ungrateful for the gifts He'd given, even then Jesus suffered and died FOR US!
How can we ever fight against a Savior so gracious and kind??!! How can we not obey His commands when He has forgiven us every affront?
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