The husband's role is to make his wife holy: The Journal P/3

                                          Read Part ONe HERE

In this post I have decided to focus on Pastor Matthew St John whose statement is very much in line with the statements of the previous two posts. He is the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Anson, Texas, USA.

Pastor Matthew St John has said the following:

"If my wife does not choose to follow me as I seek to love her fully, am I no longer obligated toward her sanctification, cleansing her through the word of God and striving to present her in all her glory, without blame or spot? I must die to self in seeking the spiritual growth and vitality of  my wife. Her following me in this is what I seek to earn. We have different roles and that is good. That is designed by God. My role is to be willing to live and die for her. Her role is to respond to such great love.

My Comment

Pastor Matthew St John seems to believe that he has to fulfill the role that only Christ can fulfill  in relation to the Church as Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25-26
"Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her (the Church) to make her (the Church) holy, cleansing her (the Church) by the washing with water through the word, and to present her (the Church) to Himself (Christ) as a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless."

No husband, including this pastor, is able to sanctify his wife. nor is he required to do so. Moreover, he is not able to cleanse her through the word of God nor is he required to do so. Neither is he able to present his wife in all her glory without blame or spot not is he required to do so.
Pastor Matthew St John is very confused about his role as husband believing he has to fulfill the task that only Christ can fulfill. Moreover, he does not seem to realise that he, as part of the Church, is part of the Bride of Christ, together with his wife, which means that as part of the Church, Christ will sanctify him, cleansing him through the word of God and presenting him in all his glory without blame or spot. Of course, that will only happen if Pastor Matthew St John is truly born again.

Furthermore, he is confused about his role in that he believes that he is to live and die for his wife and his wife is to respond to such great love. It seems he believes he is to take the place of saviour instead of Jesus in the life of his wife. 

 

Read Part Four HERE