| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net At Emmanuel, we have been talking a great deal about Submission. It’s not a particularily popular subject, yet it is amazing how much of just the New Testament is devoted to it. Jesus taught on submission as much as any other subject. He said things that some in ignorance or defiance, just write off as being noble, or humanly unattainable. They are basic however to our understanding of how we relate to our creator, and each other. Jesus said things like “but I am among you as he that serveth.” Luke 22:27. Or, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:” Matt. 20:27. The world tells you that this is a bad quality. That surrender is weakness, but in our weakness, Jesus is perfected. It is something that is humanly impossible to understand or achieve absent a working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and effects a greater part of your life than you think. Paul, in Eph. 6, admonishes us as employees, to submit (be obedient) to our employers. He says this is pleasing to the Lord, and is His will. This is not what you hear around the water cooler. In the preceding chapter, we see where wives are told to be submissive to their husbands (as unto the Lord) - 5:22; husbands are to love their wives (as Christ loved the Church) - 5:25; children are to obey their parents (in the Lord) - 6:1; parents are to raise their children (in nurture and admonition of the Lord) - 6:4; and servants are to be obedient (as unto Christ) - 6:5. I see a pattern developing. We all struggle with submission to authority. It started before you can remember, and is propagated by a perversion of the meaning. You see, we are told that if we submit, it means that we are admitting that the one we submit to is either Superior, Smarter, of More Worth, More Intelligent, or that (for us guys) we are afraid of them. None of these things are true. We submit because of Roles. Theirs and ours. Ex. If I leave Church Sunday, and as I walk across the parking lot Terry in full uniform holds his hand up and motions me to stop. I could puff up my chest and tell him: “I am the pastor. This is Church ground. I am in charge around here!” - but I won’t. I’ll stop. Why? Am I admitting he is smarter than me? Worth more? Am I afraid of him? (maybe that thing he has that clicks and makes you do the happy dance). No; although any or all of these things may be true, I will submit because of roles. Is it important to God? “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness fo God.” Rom. 10:3. “My husband isn’t worthy of my submission.” Perhaps, but God is. Next week, maybe the Greatest Hero of the Bible, and It’s not who you think. God Bless. |
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