Convinced??


Lynne and I are both readers and serious students of Scripture.    We owe part of that to turning off our cable over a year ago, which freed up time to read, study and talk.    Recently we watched the video series called Love & Respect based on the book by Dr. Emerson and Sarah Eggerichs.  Please don't get the idea that any part of this blog is my idea.  The words I write are drawn directly from Dr. Eggerichs's book.  Most people will not read the book or watch the video series, 
so I am sharing with you more of the more salient points of the book that applies not only to marriage but to life as a follower of Christ.   I would appreciate hearing what you think of what I share by e-mailing me any comments (good, bad indifferent) at larryninas@gmail.com.

There is a key word in Romans 8:38-39 with which I have wrestled for a year or so ... it put me in a cocoon.  Just as I thought my butterfly would emerge from the cocoon, Dr. Eggerichs called me back for some more thought and metamorphosis.  The word is "convinced"  If you want to do a word study of the Greek you will find it mans:  persuaded, believe, have faith, trust, sure (ESV).  Think of the assistant for a knife thrower who stands calmly at the target while razor-sharp knives land all around him/her.  They don't flinch, sweat, fidget or doubt.  You and I both know that comes through relationship and experience.  Lots more comes to mind on this topic, but like Luke Skywalker in Episode 4 of Star Wars, I need to "stay on target."


The majority of the book, Love & Respect, centers around Ephesians 5:22-32.   Women are to submit to their husbands.  Dr. Eggerichs renders that word as "respect."  Husbands are to love their wives the way Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.  In essence, women were created to need love and men were created to need respect.  Be patient with me here, I am summarizing a lot of the book that leads up to what I am going to share with you.  

I would submit that it is not always easy for Lynne to respect (submit to) me, nor is it always easy to love your wife.  In the book they talk about the crazy cycle.  "I am not going to respect him because he is, said or did something that was unloving."  "I am not going to be loving, because she is not, said or did something that is not respectful."   Ephesians 5 gives us a command to love our wives the way Christ loved the church, even when it is not easy or she is not being respectful.

Go with me to Colossians 3:23-24.  What does that have to do with our topic?  Kay Arthur has taught me that we interpret Scripture with Scripture.  If you have a question about a passage, look for the answer in Scripture.

Colossians 3:23-24  Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Let that sink into you mind and heart for a minute!  Take a minute to meditate and cogitate on that passage.   I am to love my wife the way Christ loved the church as unto the Lord.  I love her even when is not lovable, because I am "serving the Lord Christ."   She is to respect me even when I don't deserve it because she is "serving the Lord Christ."    Remember where we started with the post?

When I study Scripture and encounter a command, three questions come to mind:
  • What does that look like?
  • How do I accomplish that?
  • What difference will it make?
I think the answer to the first two questions involves our word "convinced."  Let me pose a question that gives some perspective and brings together Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.  Am I convinced that the reward (inheritance) that I will receive from God is greater than any reward I could receive this side of heaven?  If the answer is an unqualified 'YES' then it is not difficult to love my wife the way Christ loved the church unconditionally.  The same applies to wives respecting their husbands.

This has a broader appeal than just in the marriage relationship.  Jesus tells us that if we love Him we will obey His commands.  Obeying His commands is not difficult if we are convinced that the reward we will receive from God in Heaven is far greater than any reward we will receive this side of Heaven.

I think of this every time I have to choose between obeying God or obeying the world.  It comes to mind when my wife seems to be unlovable.  Jesus set an example for us to follow.  As sinners we would appear to the world to be unlovable.   Romans 5:7-8 tells us, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  You could read that as, "while we were unlovable, Christ loved us anyway and was obedient to the point of death. (my words)."


In the words of my Chi-Tonga friends, "mbobo"  or "there it is." Does my relationship with my wife (or does your relationship with your husband) show the world that you are convinced that the reward of a glorious inheritance from God is far greater than any reward this world has to offer?

That's me on the far left, or maybe the second from the left.  Are you convinced?  You are welcome to hang your chrysalis beside mine.


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