Bringing the Wonderful Life Home

After putting off the old man and clothing ourselves with the 8 graces mentioned earlier in Colossians 3, the first place it should make a difference is at home. Home is where people see us as we really are -- with all our strengths and weaknesses on display. The Colossians were caught up in mysticism -- trying to look for some ecstatic experience or warm fuzzy abstract truth in order to reach a new spiritual plane. But Paul makes the point that real Christianity is intensely practical. He would encourage us to quit looking for ecstatic and mystical experiences and instead allow Christ to change our marriages, our parenting, and our relationship to employees and employers. This sermon focuses on the most important human relationship of all -- marriage. And it clears up the long-standing confusion and trouble over the idea of wives submitting to their husbands. Pastor Rohlin makes it clear that Scripture commands wives to submit to their husbands but does not command them to obey their husbands. But children are commanded to obey their parents. There is a key difference between submitting and obeying. This message also clearly puts the responsibility for the success of a marriage squarely on the shoulders of the husband. Yes, it takes 2 people to make a marriage. But the heavier responsibility for marital satsifaction and endurance is on the husband. Pastor Rohlin explains the 2 key meanings behind the word 'husband.' Pastor Rohlin also shows from Genesis 3 and Genesis 4:7 how most preaching on the Adamic curse as spoken to Eve is wrong -- we often misunderstand the words 'your desire shall be to your husband and he shall rule over you.'