It is God’s plan that a husband (male) has authority over his wife (female) just as Christ has authority over the church, and that a husband loves his wife just as Christ loved the church and gave His life of her. Because God has ordered it this way, the husband’s authority does not nullify the wife’s freedom. But the authority of sacrificial, Christ-like, love liberates both the wife and all others in the family. (Ephesians 5:2-23)