Christian Marriage III: Men and Marriage

Notes from Sunday sermon by Pastor Mark Driscoll


III. Men and Marriage
http://marshill.com/media/real-marriage/men-and-marriage


Bottom line: Men are placed as the head of the family by God. That means, men are suppose to lead their families. The question is never, "Should he lead," but always, "Is he leading well." The inherent concept is that men are always leading their families. Period. God placed men in that position, and that's that. Therefore, whether he likes it or not, he's leading. And therefore, there is only the question of how well or how bad he is leading and never the question of whether he should or could.




Genesis 3
In the Garden of Eden, who sinned first? Eve (Genesis 3:6). But who does God first confront? Adam (Genesis 3:9). He calls out to Adam, "Where are you?" Why did God do that? Is it because God did not hold Eve responsible for her sin? No, we read in Genesis 3:16 that God spoke to Eve about her sin and the consequences for women today because of that sin of our first mother, Eve.


However, God first looked to Adam because God held the man primarily responsible. He held Adam primarily responsible, because he was the head of his family.




Romans 5:12-21
Because of the Adam’s sin, the whole race of man fell. Women are still held accountable for responsible for their sins. Wives are held responsible for their sins. But husbands, in addition, must also bear responsibility for not leading his family well.




1 Corinthians 11
Woman is the glory of the man (1 Corinthians 11:7). That means that she is the reflection of his affection, that if she is flourishing, it should be because of his loving investment and involvement.




Ephesians 5:22-33
Proverbs 2:17
Malachi 2:14


The first and foremost important factor for a Christian marriage is that marriage is to be covenantal. This is in the biblical context of a covenant.


In a covenantal marriage, a husband and a wife are in covenant with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and they are to be in covenant with one another. As Jesus loves and serves the church, the man, as the covenant head, is to lovingly lead his wife. Men are to be the head like Jesus, and that in every way the relationship between Jesus and the church is to be for men a pattern of covenant relationship.




Ephesians 5
Colossians 3
1 Peter 3
1 Corinthians 11
When the Bible says that the husband is the head of the wife, it doesn’t mean that men are over women. It means that the husband and wife are in the covenant of marriage, and that the man leads and takes responsibility before God to lovingly and humbly lead his wife. By the grace of God, the man will continually seek to reveal Jesus to his wife in his words and his deeds.


If the man is leading well, not only will his wife flourish under his leadership, he will exemplify to those around him what it looks like to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Furthermore, he will model for his son how to lead and model for his daughter how to discern Godly men from the rest.




Related article:

http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-men-need-marriage.html