Ephesians 5:21-24

Ephesians 5:21-24 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

1 Peter 2:13-16 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone.

Paul encourages wives to submit to their husbands. He also encourages each of us, male or female, to submit to others out of reverence for Christ. Of course, the implication is that husbands also need to submit to their wives (submit to one another) out of reverence and love for Christ. Any husband who desires to lead his family into righteousness knows that submission is good for him too. In the world or in the church, submitting to one another generally advances unity and peace. Christians should submit to the Lord as his bond-slaves regardless of the difficulties in our lives. Out of love, we yield to his authority, knowing He desires to do good by us. This same love should govern our interpersonal relationships: wives, love your husbands, submit to them; husbands love your wives, submit to them; children love your parents, submit to them. With a servant's heart, we prefer the needs of others above our own needs. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. (Philippians 2:5-7) We love because He first loved us.

Does God ask us to submit regardless of the consequences? No, that would be ridiculous, unscriptural. Paul has already told the Ephesians: Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (5:11) If a friend or relative dabbles in darkness and wants us to participate in this activity, we should not submit because the activity is not of God, but of the devil. We should not submit to the leadership of a boss who demands duplicity in our work or supports unscrupulous choices even if it costs us our job. We should not knowingly choose sin because light has no fellowship with darkness. Wives do not have to submit to brutality in word or action. If a husband beats the children out of anger, the wife does not have to condone and support such actions. A husband and wife who are one and committed to Christ are accountable to each other and to God. If one spouse operates outside the Spirit of God, the other should pray and patiently believe for change, but if willful disobedience continues, eventually the partner who walks in the Spirit will need to confront the other. We are God's creation, born into his light and love; therefore, our allegiance is first and foremost to Christ. We are no longer born of Adam, the first man; we are heirs to the second man, Jesus Christ. New life has come to us through Christ's sacrifice of his own flesh on the cross. By his mercy and grace are we saved, not by fleshly works.

As we submit daily to Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit, we do not function perfectly or live uprightly, but we do our best, believing God to perfect us. As we pray, read the Bible, meditate, and fast, we better understand and fulfill God's will. We submit and serve by yielding to Christ through the power and the unction of the Spirit. If we serve God first, we will submit more readily to others for Christ's sake, bringing unity, peace, and civility to the home, the workplace, and the church. We live as free men and women, yet we pay proper respect to everyone because God's love constrains us and shapes us into his image. If a person tries to serve two masters, confusion and failure result. The Bible says, a double-minded man will receive nothing from the Lord and a house divided cannot stand. God tells us: Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. (Amos 5:14). Jesus said, For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew 18:20) Those who tarried in the upper room were of one mind with the singular purpose of waiting on God and receiving the Holy Spirit. God powerfully met them, pouring out his Spirit upon them and filling them with his love. Godly submission brings God's holy presence to every situation. Today, do not harden your hearts in unbelief, doubt, and sin. Turn to the One who loves you, who has set you free to love him and others in return.