Spiritual, Sensitive Husbands

The biblical model of a husband has rarely been popular. It is not often that you see a husband who is a “little Christ” to his family, a man of spiritual stature and genuine experience, a leader not a driver, a man whose strength is not proved by his brute force but by his faith in Christ and whose love reflects the glory of the Cross rather than the lechery of the world.

In its place we have had such patterns as the ancient heathen domestic despot, the remote ruler of the Victorian Age or the absentee abdicator of responsibility that is so prevalent today.

Never has there been a more urgent need for Christian husbands and fathers to recognize their God-given roles and by the grace of the God to fulfill them.

Ephesians 5 gives us the most extended and detailed exposition of those roles and it is important to notice that before Paul mentions anything of the role of the father he speaks of the role of the husband. There are obvious reasons for this.

First, the Bible does not countenance fatherhood or motherhood outside of wedlock.

Second, a man who is a bad husband will not be a good father. Success in every part of the home starts with the husband-wife relationship.