It was a joy to witness the marriage of Robin and Muno this morning, I’ve known both of them for a number of years, and could not think of a better match. The sermon given by the leader of Muno’s church and was on the Gospel of John, chapter 15.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” Jesus Christ (John 15:12)

Love is often spoken about, but little understood. For many, the extent of love is feelings, infatuation, sexual attraction and so on. Whilst these things are necessary in a marriage, love in its true extent is necessary. As Jesus explained to his disciples, love also requires commitment, the will to stick through thick and thin, regardless of the circumstances. Love should be unconditional, not traded in some balancing act, but given without expecting something back. Love should be selfless, putting others before yourself. The husband should seek to care for his wife, sacrificing himself and his desires in order to please his wife. Love should be obedient, with the wife doing what the husband asks, as long as it is accordance with God’s commands. Above all, we should love, because Christ first loved us, and that by the power of his Holy Spirit working in us, we will be enabled to love.
I pray that Robin and Muno will be so blessed by God, so loved by God, that they will love each other for as long as they both live.

This evening’s sermon, though conducted in a different church, was a further explanation of loving obedience. Whilst a wife should submit to the authority of her husband, this is not to say she will unquestioningly do what he asks. If the husband has asked her to do something which conflicts with the commands of God, she should resist. After all, God’s commands are for our chief good, so all God’s commands will be for the well being of the husband, the wife and the whole family. So a husband cannot ask his wife to do something which is not for her chief good, and expect her to do it. This will include not only cases where the husband has actively asked for something detrimental to his wife’s well-being, but also when he neglects his position as the head and fails to ask her to do things which are for her good.
Ultimately, we were designed by God to glorify him, to keep his commands, and so to enjoy him forever. In out natural state, we are unable to keep those commands, and so we cannot truly have joy. Through faith in Christ, he fills us with his Spirit, enabling us to keep his commands and so have joy.