We often hear that husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loved the church. But, that’s really only half the statement Paul made.

He begins that particular section of Ephesians 5 by telling his readers how Christ loved the church. Jesus gave himself up for her and, in so doing, made her holy by cleansing her with water through the word. He did this and then presented her to himself as a radiant church, free of stains, wrinkles, or any other blemish. Because of Christ’s work, she—the church—was and is now holy and blameless. That’s what Jesus did and Paul says that husbands ought to do the same thing.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7, ESV)

Here Paul writes that God’s mercy comes from “the great love with which he loved us” (v. 4). Not only that, but God loved us “whenwe were dead in our trespasses” (v. 5a). That’s what mercy is.