1. The Husband Must Be The Leader Of The Family: Eph. 5:23
A. Not a privilege but a responsibility: 1 Cor. 11:3 (God and Christ's Lordship involves responsibility as does the husbands)
B. Not easy: (must make difficult decisions; financial, religious, etc. the wife should appreciate this)
C. Lead the way Jesus leads: 1 Jn. 5:3 (Jesus is an easy Lord to follow because he gave so much and is not unreasonable, a fit example for husbands)
2. The Husband Must Love His Wife: Eph. 5:25-31
A. Action, not mere romance: 1 Jn. 3:18 (the emphasis of his love is in the way he treats his wife, not his emotions toward her)
B. Love well described: 1 Cor. 13:4-8 (illustrate each characteristic of love in the context of a husband loving his wife)
the loving husband is patient with his wife
the loving husband does not envy his wife
the loving husband does not brag or act proud
the loving husband does not behave shamefully
the loving husband is not selfish
the loving husband is not quick tempered
the loving husband does not contemplate evil
the loving husband does not rejoice in sin
the loving husband bears his due burden
the loving husband is trusting
the loving husband has hope for the relationship
the loving husband is all-enduring
the loving husband never lets his love die
3. The Husband Must Provide:
A. Failure: 1 Tim. 5:8 (one who does not provide is worse than an unbeliever)
B. What to do: 2 Thes. 3:6-15 (one who fails in this duty is to be admonished and avoided)
C. The wife may assist the husband: Prov. 31:16, 18, 24 (the virtuous woman is seen as helping provide a living for her family; this is not required of her but it is permitted; the husband may assist the wife in her domestic duties unless it hinders him as a provider)
4. The Husband Must Be Unselfish:
A. Sex within the marriage is holy: Heb. 13:4 (God sanctions this holy union and has purposed it for the married persons pleasure)
B. The husband must gratify his wife: 1 Cor. 7:1-4 (rendering due benevolence relates to the concept of providing physical pleasure)
C. Sex must not be a weapon: 1 Cor. 7:5 (denying the spouse their due cannot yield good fruit; Satan will tempt in times of prolonged abstinence)