I do. (Or do I?)

Here's a statement. Think about whether you believe it or not.

a) The Bible is from God. The Bible is the story of Israel (Old Testament) and Jesus and the early Christians (New Testament). Although written two thousand years ago, the things that the Bible teach still apply to Christians today.

Do you believe that?

What about this statement:

b) The Bible is an interesting book. It's got lots of great ideas in it (good values and morals), but that's about it. The rest of it are just historical stories that may or may not be true.

What about this statement:

c) The Bible is a load of nonsense.

Ok, so now you've made your decision I want you to read the following verses from Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:22

'Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy... and to present her to himself as a radiant church... In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.'

Ok. Now if you believe in STATEMENT #B or #C, you've got two choices. Either you can pick and choose which part of Ephesians you like and which part you don't like and live accordingly. Or you can change to STATEMENT #A.

If you believe in STATEMENT #A... well... here's the challenge.

Have a look at the verses from Ephesians. Do they sound like the recipe for a controlling husband and a backstabbing wife? Do they sound like the recipe for a good marriage or a bad marriage?

Well, let's have a look.

The author (PAUL) uses the example of CHRIST (husband) and CHURCH (wife). The wife must submit to the husband as the church submits to Christ. This is - lovingly and respectfully; understanding that the husband has a very important job.

The husband must love the wife as CHRIST loves the CHURCH. That is in the following two ways:

a) Must be willing to lay down his life - now this doesn't necessarily mean dying. It's not going to help my wife if I lay down on the road and get killed, while she crosses the road... it just means committing his whole life to her.

b) Must be willing to present her to God as pure and radiant. What do you think this means?

The verses from Ephesians actually look like a nice, godly way for a marriage relationship to work.

It's not saying the wife must become a doormat, and the husband a wife-beater. NO WAY!

Often marriages break down because the wife wants to take control... and the husband just lets her.

Ok. So there are LOTS OF THINGS to think about.

It's time for you to BLOG your socks off.

Do you think this relationship advice still applies?

Do you think that the fact that the divorce rate in Australia (google it - not sure what it is) PROVES that when you move outside of the Bible's guidelines, marriages collapse easier?

Do you think this is all a load of nonsense...?

GO FOR IT.

(Sorry this one is so long.)