Christ's headship of his Church is a matter of sacrifice. He came and suffered and died for his people: the greatest price imaginable. Eternity will not adequately reveal to us the cost of the sacrifice he offered up on Calvary. He leads the church by his initiative, by his love, by his amazing patience towards us. We fall so many times. We deserve to be swept from the scene; but no, his patience is so great.
He heads the church also by securing our consent, even though he does not need it. How does the Bible proceed towards us? It reasons with us. It is the will of God that we should be personally, subjectively, consciously persuaded of our need of Christ, and so there is preaching, and the Spirit of God works in our hearts. By regeneration our minds are inclined, and our will is opened, and we receive this reasoning. But we will be persuaded in a measure by the reasonings of the gospel. He most amazingly secures our consent. He overrules in that, yes, but then he gives us his promises. The way in which Christ deals with his church is so gentle, and that is the model for a husband towards a wife. ‘Even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body’.
He keeps us by his power. We would surely fall, but for him. And husbands keep, in every sense, their wives. Christ makes the church happy. He gives us joy and peace in believing. We have salvation, we have heaven’s blessings. We have answers to our prayers. We have so much to be thankful for. He is head of his Church in terms of heeding our cries. And his faithfulness – he will never let us go or desert us. And his tenderness – when we deserve sharp chastisement, so often he deals with us gently, bringing us under conviction. He also protects all the way through. If that is Christ's headship to his church, what is the husband’s headship with regard to his wife in Christian marriage? So, these are the very highest standards.