...submitting to one another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:21)
We hear the word submit, and most of us immediately take the offensive - "I'm not submitting to anybody"; "I'm nobody's slave"; "No body is going to tell me what I can and cannot do". Well, submit means to accept or yield to the authority or will of another person. We all submit every day, to the law, to our bosses, to our desires. What we all have to learn to do is submit to one another in the fear of God, not out of fear but in fear, reverence and respect to His authority and His way of order.
The first place God teaches us about submitting is within the home, within the first human relationship that God created, husband and wife. (Genesis 2) Even though the scripture addresses the wives first, we're going to address the husbands first, to follow God's order of authority, because the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (I Corinthians 11:3)
God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the husband, and the husband is the head of the wife, For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. (I Corinthians 11:8-9) But why was the woman created for the man? And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:18) Wives were not created to be their husbands servant, but his helper. Just as God is the head, but Christ, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (Philippians 2:6) The man is the head of the woman, but they are equal, because God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
However, there must be order, For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. (I Corinthians 14:33) We who profess to be Christians are saints and a part of Christ's body, the church. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 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. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
What wife wouldn't want to submit to a husband that loves his wife, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her; that sanctifies and cleanses her with the washing of water by the word, making the Word of God the standard by which he conducts himself and leads his family; whose desire is that she should be holy and without blemish, a glorious representation of Christ and reflection of their relationship? What wife wouldn't want to submit to a husband like that? Most women wouldn't mind at all!
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” [Genesis 2:24] This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself,... (Ephesians 5:28-33)
If husbands loved their wives just as Christ also loved the church, what a reduction we would see in the divorce rate, in the misbehavior of our children, which would lead to a positive change in our communities. God made husbands the head, but if the husband doesn't follow Christ's lead, the consequences trickle down throughout his family and into society.
However wives, if you do have a husband who is being lead by Christ ...and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:33) Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:22-24)
Yet again, what wife wouldn't want to submit to a husband that loves his wife, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her? It's easy to submit when we know that the person we're submitting to has not only their best interest but our best interest at heart also. We trust God as our Heavenly Father, we trust Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord; then if Christ is the head of the husband and he's submitting himself to the Word of God, wives should have no problem being subject to their own husbands in everything.
Remember, “We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29) If God says to submit, we must obey God and submit. But If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. (I Corinthians 7:12-15) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. (I John 4:18)
Once the husband and wife relationship is in order, they can better train their children and their children will obey, because children don't just listen to what we say, but they do what they see us do. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” [Deuteronomy 5:16] (Ephesians 6:1-3) However, the husband has to be lead by Christ, and just as he loves his wife, he has to love his children. And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) Again, husbands sanctify and cleanse with the washing of water by the word, ...rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15)
Once the husband and wife relationship is in order, then the parents and children relationship is in order, then the relationships outside the home will be in order also. The main relationship we all will have outside of the home is an employer employee relationship.
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. (Ephesians 6:5-8)
Paul wrote the same thing to the church in Colossi. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. (Colossians 3:22-25)
The point is regardless of where we work or who we work for, God is the head of Christ and Christ is the head of us, therefore whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Ultimately, we work for God and we are to work in such a way that pleases Him, but our employee reaps the benefits. Wherever we work, that place should be blessed because we're there. 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. (Ephesians 6:9)
Everyone will have to answer to God, those in authority and those under subjection. Let us all conduct ourselves in all our relationships with the realization that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:9-10) AMEN!
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