March 19, 2023
Morning Service

We have completed our “spiritual inventory” and Paul now is commanding us to use that as a motivation to “therefore walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph. 4:1).  Last week he painted a picture for us of the dark world that is around us and one that we were once part of.  But he told us “you have not so learned Christ;” in other words “you know better!”  He proceeded to name specific sinful activities and attitudes that we are to “put off” and encouraged us to “put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.”  We KNOW the things we should be removing from our lives and the areas in which we should be improving our lives, it is just a matter of submitting ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  That is how we follow Jesus faithfully by submitting to the changes in our life that the Spirit, which lives in us, reveals to us through the Word of God (being doers not hearer only).  Just as we as parents try to lead our children to maturity, God is doing the same for us spiritually.  He is leading us to a closer walk with Him that begins with submission on our part to trust Him and allow Him to lead us there.  Our spiritual maturity will begin to look something like Paul describes here:

Eph. 5:18-21 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, (19) speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, (20) giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (21) submitting to one another in the fear of God.

            Paul here gives us an example that we are to allow the Spirit to control us much like wine does to one who becomes drunk.  The Spirit will have us talking to each other about scripture, singing songs of praise, making melody in our heart, and be always being thankful and grateful to our Father for all He is, has, and will do for us.  Does that describe you?  It should as when we submit to the Spirit, He will guide us to a deeper attitude of worship and gratitude that is not effected by our circumstances; we live above our troubles.  This should be a goal for us to reach in our relationship with Jesus.  Seeking Him first and focusing on His goodness and faithfulness even in the time of storms in our life by always believing He is in control.  Now notice the next step after submitting to God is submitting to each other (verse 21).  What does that look like?  Let’s continue and find out.  Paul begins with the most intimate of relationships and that is between man and wife.

 

Eph. 5:22-29 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  (23)  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  (24)  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.  (25)  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  (28)  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  (29)  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

            Submission to God and to each other begins with submitting to the roles God has assigned to us in the marriage relationship.  God has chosen the man to be the head of the house and the woman to accept her role as his helper (Gen. 2:18).  This is no way demeaning to women, but something we must accept as the Will of God; submitting to His authority over us in everything.  Ladies your role in this relationship is not as the leader, but as the one behind your husband who works tirelessly to encourage, support and submit to him in order that he fulfills his role faithfully as God designed it.  God will bless the household in which the husband steps up and leads his family putting their needs ahead of his own loving them as Christ loved His wife (the church); giving up everything for her.  This becomes difficult when either of the two feel they know best and choose to do it how they want to.  If the husband will not lead, the wife feels she must step up and do it to get things done.  Or if the wife feels she can lead better, she constantly is trying to undermine her husband’s leadership rather than supporting it.  The husband may misuse his authority and rule his home as if he were the king of his family and not the servant he is called to be.  These scenarios do not sit well with what God is calling us to in this commandment!  Paul reveals to us that marriage between a man and woman is to be a shining example of the relationship between Christ and the church which models true submission.

 

Eph. 5:30-33 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  (31)  "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."  (32)  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  (33)  Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

            Understanding marriage allows us to help understand the “great mystery” of Christ and the church.  The man and woman are joined to no longer be separate individuals, but are joined making the “two to become one flesh.”  The same is true with the church’s marriage to Christ.  We die to ourselves to become one with Jesus, our Lord and Savior (Gal. 2:20).  Both of these things are made possible by our willingness to submit to each other and to the God.  To follow Jesus, we must submit to Him as our Lord and to each other within the marriage relationship as He has commanded us.  Now Paul moves the perspective to the relationship of parents and children.

 

Eph. 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  (2)  "HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER," which is the first commandment with promise: (3) "THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU AND YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH."  (4)  And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

            Children are called to submit to their parents through obedience; honoring them as commanded with promise.  In so doing, we are promised long life on this earth (Ex. 20:12).  This does not end when we come of a certain age, but honoring our parents is a lifetime calling for us.  We do come to a point however, where we must choose out own path and our parents release us to leave them and move on (5:31).  Paul here also speaks specifically to fathers to “not provoke your children to wrath.”  Parents you must come to a balanced relationship with your kids to fall somewhere in between being their “buddy” and their “master.”  We must live a life that earns their respect by consistently disciplining them but always in love.  Parents your single most important job is to introduce them to Jesus and model what following Him looks like.  Paul now expands this command of submitting to extend outside the home and even be a part of our working environment.

 

Eph. 6:5-9 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; (6) not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, (7) with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, (8) knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.  (9)  And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him

            Our submission to others extends even in to the workplace where we are called to be obedient to anyone with authority over us.  Here Paul was speaking to “bondservants” or slaves calling them to willingly submit to their masters with “fear and trembling in sincerity of heart as to Christ.”  Since that is true of slaves, we must also follow the command and apply it to those who have authority over us at work.  Submit to your boss, just as you would submit to God.  We are called to be men and women of integrity; working hard even when no one is looking.  We are to do our job as if we are doing it for the Lord, not only for our employer, knowing God will reward us for it (a promise to stand on).  This is not always easy as not all of our bosses are easy to work for, but the Spirit will enable us to do so through prayer and submission to His guidance.  This submission also applies to our government as well as we see in the Roman letter.

 

  Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

            God has appointed those in authority and we are called to honor Him by submitting to the governing authorities He has put in place.  We as Jesus followers should be good citizens of the community we live in; obeying, respecting, and praying for those who have God has place in authority over us.  This applies as long as we are not required to do something that contradicts our faith.  I am no prophet, but I can see the day quickly approaching when those in authority will dictate to the church what things we can or cannot preach from this pulpit.  It is then that we must, as the disciples did, and say “We ought to obey God rather than man.” (Acts 5:29).

            As a Jesus follower, we are called to submit to God, to each other, and to the authorities placed over us.  We must surrender our will to God’s in order to be victorious in Christ; by giving up we win!  Notice an unnamed theme is this; life is not only about me and my happiness.  Submission is an act of obedience that we choose as we grow in the Lord; surrendering our will to His.  It is part of our journey and in practicing it, it becomes who we are not what we do.