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gave up His life for her”(v.25 NLT).

Thesearedifficulttasksinaculture

wherewomensometimesseekto

overpowertheirhusbandsandmen

sometimesneglecttheirwives.Submission

isnotawayforonepersontodominate

another,oralwaysgethisorherway.

Submissionisawillfulactivity

acknowledgingthedignityofeach

individual.Itisawillfulagreementto

unconditionallysupportthehealthofthe

relationship.Whencouplessubmit

themselvestooneanotheroutofreverence

forChrist,theybecome“fellowheir[s]of

thegraceoflife”(1Peter3:7NASB).Thus,

couplescanexperiencethefullnessof

God’srelationshipwiththemwhenthey

haverightrelationshipswithoneanother.

Freedom

AsChristians,wehavefreedomin

Christ,whichleadsusfromsintofreedom

andsalvation.InRomanswereadthat

throughouracceptanceof Christ,sinloses

itspowerinourlives:“Forwhenwedied

withChristweweresetfreefromthe

powerof sin”(Romans6:7NLT).This

kindof freedomdiffersfromwhatthe

worlddefinesasfreedom—theabilityto

dowhateveronewantstodo.Whenwe

are“inChrist,”wecanbegintoknowwhat

itmeanstobefree—freefromthedistress

of sin,freefromworryanddoubt,free

fromtheconfinesof religion,freefrom

judgingandtheworryof beingjudged,

freefromfear.Thisfreedomcomes

throughcompletetrustandfaithinGod

whenHebringsusintounionwithHim.

ItisthisunionwithGodwhichallowsone

tobeinunionwithaspouseina

Christianmarriage.

Many in our culture view marriage

and family life as limiting or restricting

our personal freedom.They sometimes

equate marriage with bondage.

Paradoxically,the permanent nature of

Christian marriage,coupled with its

emphasis on unconditional love,creates

freedoms unknown in other unions.In a

Christian marriage,two people are

totally committed to each other in all

circumstances,not just in certain

circumstances.Marriage is not seen as

something that ends personal growth.

On the contrary,in a vital Christian

marriage each partner is free to continue

developing individual gifts and

discovering new abilities with the

support and encouragement of the other.

This total commitment frees Christian

couples from fear of change over the

years,because they are assured of

working out a life together—regardless.

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