Ephesians 5:25

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).

Federal Visionists love this verse because they think that Paul is giving instructions on how to be a better husband. They assert that a husband, by imitating Christ’s example, can love his wife better by giving himself up for her. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Reformed faith has always insisted that the only way that we can become better husbands is by looking to Christ. To the extent that we try to be better husbands, we are only cementing our failure. The law was given to drive us to Christ. If we try to “do” the law, then we are failing to rest in Christ.

Many read the commands of the Bible and think that we are supposed to try to obey them. They read Paul’s commands about marriage and think that he is actually writing about how we can improve our marriages. These same people go to marriage seminars and hear about how to be better husbands. They read books on marriage and think that these are helping their marriages.

However, this is fruitless. We do not need marriage seminars. We do not need to read another book on improving our marriage. This misses Paul’s entire point.

Rather, we need to love Christ and rest in his works. We need to stop working and simply look to Christ. Husbands need to stop being Marthas and be Marys.

Thus, Paul’s real message is revealed: husbands, do not love your wives, nor give yourselves up for her.

James 2:12

"So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty" (James 2:12).

Federal Visionists love this verse because they think it shows a positive use of the law, as if “the law of liberty” refers to the law setting us free. However, there is no reason to take James to mean this.

The Reformed faith has always taught that the law only brings us a knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20). In no way does the law set us free. This is the path to legalism!

Notice, too, that this comes just before James 2:14-26, where James makes some rather unguarded statements about justification. Remember that James is not a systematic theologian. He writes on a practical level. Thus, the Reformed faith has rightly disregarded James when it comes to systematic theology.