TWO
PASSAGES ON LOVE, AND
TWO TUBES
CRAZY-GLUING YOUR MARRIAGE
Ephesians 4: 25-32
25
¶ Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH
ONE {of you} WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY,
AND {yet} DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not
give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but
rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he
will have {something} to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome
word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a word} as is good for edification
according to the need {of the moment,} so that it will give grace to those who
hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the
day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and
slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be
kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in
Christ also has forgiven you.
I COMMON
FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
·
II Corinthians 6:
14
14 Do not be unequally yoked together
with unbelievers. For what fellowship
has righteousness with lawlessness? And
what communion has light with darkness?
- Image = agricultural
-
Two oxen yoked
together as a team
-
Stronger ox
compensates for the weaker one – both destroyed
-
Context applies
to close friendships, business partners, MARRIAGE
·
I Corinthians
3:11
11 For no man can lay a foundation other
than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
II COMPLETE HONESTY
– vs. 25
“ Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.” – 13: 6
FALSEHOOD = PSEUDOS
What are the variations of lying? Deception, Hedging, Stretching the facts,
Not
telling the whole story, Staying silent, Whitewashing motives, Flattery,
Twisting the truth, Adding false details, Contriving stories,
MARRIAGE
IS BUILT ON TRUST, AND TRUST
IS BUILT ON TRUTH
Lay
PSEUDOS aside and determine today to begin speaking only truth.
III CONTROLLED
ANGER – vs. 26, 27
“Love is not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs.” – 13:5
A
marriage characterized by mutual respect will allow each partner enough room to
express angry feelings.
What
is appropriate?
·
Never causes fear
·
Never belittles
or intimidates
·
Self-control is
evident
·
Short-lived
·
Not an excuse for
the sin of a bad temper
IV COMBAT
THIEVERY – vs. 28
“Love is not self-seeking” – 13: 5
Don’t withhold: time, trust, forgiveness, helps, best self,
body
V CORRECT
SPEECH – vs. 29-30
“ The tongue is the only tool
that grows sharper with constant use.” –
James
3:6 –
6 And the tongue is a fire, the {very}
world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles
the entire body, and sets on fire the course of {our} life, and is set on fire
by hell.
“Love is not rude.” – 13:5
“Out of the abundance (overflow )
of the heart the mouth speaketh.” – Matthew 12:34
·
Words already
exist (in the heart)
·
We must evaluate
them before speaking them
·
Unwholesome: ROTTING vegetables
RANCID
fish
·
Unwholesome
applies to: CONTENT
TONE
TIMING
MOTIVATION
VI CULTIVATE A
TENDER HEART
“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 13:7
·
Courtesy / small
kindness
·
Simple, authentic
gestures of affection day by day over many years
·
Avoid criticism
·
Thankfulness,
verbally expressed
·
Notice something
in your spouse’s character to compliment
·
WHAT IS YOUR
SPOUSE BECOMING BECAUSE OF YOU?
VII COME ON –
DON’T PUT ME OFF!
There will never be a “convenient” time to apply I
Corinthians 13 and Ephesians 4. Take
some time to think about your mate and why you love him or her, then handwrite a note or a brief letter. Too often we have nice, beautiful, uplifting
thoughts that never find expression. But
the impact of these thoughts, written down, can be powerful. Satan would love to lull you into
procrastinating. Don’t wait until
tomorrow.
MEMORY VERSE: EPHESIANS 4: 29 - 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a
word} as is good for edification according to the need {of the moment,} so that
it will give grace to those who hear.