How do you treat your wife?

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.” (Ephesians 5:28-29, KJV)

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4, KJV)

Notice the difference between your wife and your children. Your wife is to be nourished and cherished. Your children are to be nurtured and admonished. Both are to be nourished.

Wives are to be cherished
Children are to be admonished

Wives are not to be admonished. Suppose my wife needs to be admonished. There is a way to admonish people.

“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28)

Admonishing is done with all wisdom, to present everyone perfect in Christ. Husbands do not do it with all wisdom and it does not present your wife perfect in Christ.

There is another condition to be met. It is this,

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

You must be “spiritual” and you must be “gentle.” If you do not fit their requirements, then you are not qualified to restore your wife. If you have admonished your wife, you are in great sin against God. This needs to be confessed with godly sorrow, renounced, and forsaken.

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