I remember doing premarital counseling and studying these verses from Ephesians 5. While the verses did have practical instructions for me and my now-husband to take in, the picture of marriage reflecting the relationship between Christ and the church is the lesson I think of most frequently when I read this text.
The modern world thinks of marriage as an institution of a bygone era or an outdated way of making a romantic commitment. However, scripture shows us that God has a deeper purpose for the covenant relationship Christians enter into when they get married.
Husbands give us a representation of Christ loving, serving and being the head of the church (the wife). And in His capacity as head of the church, Jesus is its Savior. As Ephesians 1:22 tells us, this is a structure that God purposely created. In the same way, a healthy, God-centered marriage makes spouses feel safe and loved, those of us who are members of the church body gain access to perfect love and eternal security through submission to Christ. This perspective shows me that the covenant of marriage is as relevant and significant as it’s ever been, just as God created it to be.