Make It Real December 2011

Question: What do I do if I know the Lord wants me to go on a missions trip, but when I ask my husband if I can go, he tells me not to go?

Answer: First, if the Lord instructs you to go, why would you place your husband in a higher position than the Lord by asking your husband for permission? Many people misinterpret Ephesians chapter five as placing women under the spiritual headship of their husbands. However, the scriptures are actually revealing that the husband has natural headship in the home as Christ has spiritual Headship in His Church.

If you study the entire book of Ephesians, you will find a clear message of spiritual blessings for the people of God. Paul states in Ephesians 1:3-10:

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies with Christ, even as He elected us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, predestinating us to adoption to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace in which He favored us in the One having been loved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of deviations, according to the riches of His grace which He caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and understanding making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, for the administration of the fullness of the times to head up all things in Christ, both things in the heavens, and the things on earth, in Him .…

At the beginning of Paul’s letter he reveals the purpose of God to bring all things (male and female) under the Headship of Jesus Christ. As you continue to read the letter to the Ephesians, you will see Paul’s prayer (Ephesians 1:16-23) for us to be enlightened and to know the greatness of God’s power towards us. Look at Ephesians 1:22-23 And He (God the Father) put all things under His (Jesus) feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the assembly, which is His body: the fullness of the One filling all things in all…

Paul is praying for the Church to recognize the Headship of Jesus Christ. He is the One to order the steps of His body. Women are a vital part of His body. We have the spiritual position on this earth of being His Church or Assembly. Ladies your spiritual position after salvation is to be His body- His called out one- His Church.

The letter continues and in chapter three, Paul emphasizes that we are joint heirs and joint sharers of His promise in Christ through the gospel. We are called to reveal to the principalities and rulers in high places (spiritual rulers) the manifold wisdom of God. We all have the same access to boldly come into the Presence of God. Paul declares in Ephesians 3:14-16 that every family in Heaven and on earth is named of the Heavenly Father. Relationships on the earth (natural relationships) reflect truth about our heavenly relationship with our God. 

In chapter four, Paul indicates the need to grow and mature in our understanding of God so as not to be blown by every wind of doctrine. We are to understand the heart of God. 

We will begin to understand the process of the Holy Spirit bringing the Body of Christ together for the glory of God. Chapter four and five of the book of Ephesians clearly reveal the need for believers to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts and minds from all ungodliness. And finally, we find the portion of the letter that reveals that we should all subject ourselves to one another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21). Paul then adds that wives (who represent the natural bride, as we shall be the heavenly Bride to Jesus for eternity) shall subject herself to her husband. Now remember we are talking to Christians who have been instructed to love one another and to mature and be free from the filth of this world. She is to subject herself to her husband as unto the Lord. I believe this clearly means that her subjection is in the area of godly conduct. God would not have a wife submit to lying for her husband (like Ananias and Sapphira in the Book of Acts). Therefore her submission has to line up with God’s will.
Then Paul reveals in verse 23 that the husband is head of the wife as Christ is Head of the Assembly or Church. Now can you see that the wife is spiritually part of the Assembly or Church? Does this mean that she has two heads? I believe that her husband has natural headship (which I believe is a natural headship which reflects the spiritual Headship of Christ to His Church). So her spiritual or eternal Head is Christ Jesus and while on the earth, in her natural day to day life she is to reveal submission to godly headship by submitting herself to her husband as he submits his day to day decisions to Christ. He is to love her and lay down his own desires for his wife and family. She is to recognize the wisdom that God will give her husband and trust God to work in his life. As the husband yields to the working of the Holy Spirit, will he find the unconditional love of God for himself, and that will flow from him into his family.

When a husband and wife seek the Lord concerning this natural reflection of an eternal Headship and relationship with Jesus Christ then the divorce rate will drop dramatically in the church and the world will want what we have. God does not insist that we trust and serve Him, but He works in such love towards us that we will eventually trust Him and desire to serve Him.

When God gives a wife instructions for her life, then because He is her spiritual Headship she is to obey Him. A godly husband that fears the Lord and does not desire to control his wife will pray for her and yield to any wisdom God would give him to help his wife fulfill His call upon her life. I use the example from my own life. When the Holy Spirit very clearly told me to go on a missions trip to Russia, even though my young son was very sick, I knew I had to obey God. My husband, who is not a controlling person, respects my love for God and my walk with Him. Though he probably questioned the timing of the trip, he trusted God to speak to me. I learned when I returned from the trip that my son was instantly healed the minute I stepped on the airplane. Being in the will of God is the only safe place for your family. We have a series named Happily Ever After on CD which goes into greater depth on this teaching. God bless as you seek to please Him with your life.