Gospel Manhood - part 5

What does Gospel Leadership look like?

A Gospel leader follows the example of Jesus and lives a Spirit filed, led and enabled life of servant leadership. Leading by both example and command in submission to Jesus and the authorities placed over him.

Ephesians 5:22-33 ESV

22: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23: For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
24: Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
26: that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27: so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
28: In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29: For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
30: because we are members of his body.
31: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
32: This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
33: However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 6:1-9 ESV

1: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2: "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise),
3: "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."
4: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
5: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
6: not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7: rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,
8: knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9: Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

For context and as a counterpoint, consider also what Solomon writes in the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 31:10-31 ESV

10: An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
11: The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12: She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13: She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
14: She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
15: She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.
16: She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17: She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
18: She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.
19: She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20: She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21: She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22: She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23: Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
24: She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25: Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
26: She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27: She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28: Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."
30: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31: Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

As we can see from verse 16, the Proverbs 31 woman is no Stepford wife. See is a strong woman who willingly submits out of strength and not out of weakness.