Butch howard in Studies in Ephesians -Butch Howard

9 years ago

Eph. 5: 21 KJV Session 17 "Submission" Humans are the zenith of God's creation on earth. Only the angelic realm, and God himself is known to be superior. Our lofty station has provoked arrogance, pride, and defiant will in most people. Convincing a person he/she was created to bow, and submit is a formidable undertaking. One is more likely to encounter anger than agreement towards such a notion. Many people had rather die than subordinate themselves. Slavery is humanity's most abhorrent station in life. Even poverty is preferable to slavery. Yet, our very existence demands we face the truth. We did not create ourselves. If there is a Creator, we are subject to this One. Humanity's unwillingness to bow to another is the central reason for atheism and evolution and all other non divine explanations for our existence. Where did this arrogance originate? Why are we so belligerent and stout hearted? Unlike any other living thing in this material world, humans have a the core of our being will. We are volitional beings. This means: We are self conscious  We are self determinant  The problem with our being lies in one element of our reality no human can overcome. We are not self existent. Only God is self existent. Human depravity is the result of satanic deception. The serpent deceived Eve into believing or at least momentarily thinking she could exist independent of her Creator. Long before the encounter in the Garden of Eden, Lucifer deceived himself into believing he could, and should break free from his Creator. Ironically, it was the vast beauty and superiority of Lucifer that provoked him to believe he could be free from God's rule and authority. He vainly thought himself, equal with his Creator. For thousands of years since the encounter with Eve, Satan has been trying to convince people to break free from their Creator. I'll admit, Satan can be very convincing. Billions of people have been enticed, hooked, and destroyed by Satan's enticement to human independence from God. What Satan cannot do, and shall never be able to do, is erase the fact neither, he, nor humanity is self existent. Unless a being is self existent, that being cannot be truly independent and supreme. The basic definition of sin, is desire, and attempts to live independent of God. Sin creates an illusion of independence from God, authority and other restraints. Yet, it cannot grant actual independence. Ironically, sin actually does the opposite. Sin leads to bondage, slavery, and eternal condemnation. Since no one can exist independently of God, everyone and everything is subordinate to him. This is as much fact, as the reality of our lack of self existence. This reality necessitates the human need for relationships. While everyone has some powerful capabilities, no one can live independently of everyone else. Human relationship is the agreement between people to relate to one another in ways mutually needful and beneficial. Many different levels of human relationships exist because of the vast array of human need, as well as vast human deficiency. Relationships create roles, responsibilities and expectations. Unless there are clear parameters in place, relationships cannot work to maximum mutual benefit. Within the context of roles, responsibilities and expectation; exists the reality of mutual submission. We might call this level of submission, "give and take." We ask, and allow others to perform either a role or service we cannot perform ourselves to enhance our life, or provide necessities.  The "allowing" of others to do their job, or fulfill their role is actually submission in its simplest form. Whether saved or unsaved, every person alive today lives in submission to others: generally they live at multiple levels of personal submission. We submit by allowing others to perform specific goods and services. We submit by acknowledging and allowing specific interpersonal roles. We submit by practicing specific family and cultural behaviors. We submit by adherence to various vocational roles. We submit to those who hold brute power and control over us. We submit by obeying laws and ordinances from law enforcement entities. We submit by adherence to various levels of human government. We submit by adherence to known laws of science. We submit to the tenants of religion or philosophy. No rational person will argue against these recognized forms of human submission. There is no protest whatsoever until the issue of subordination to God arises. Why is this? When people accept all other forms of human submission and interdependence, yet rebel and resist God right to rule us inevitably we are declaring our own depravity. Willingness to submit to anyone but God is unadulterated rebellion. There is no other way to explain it. Before anyone can adhere to Ephesians 5:22, one must admit and confess one's absolute dependence upon God to exist and manage life. How can anyone submit to another human being as one ought, without first becoming completely subordinate to God? The matter of submission is systematic, institutional. Having stated these things let's agree submission is a divine mandate incumbent upon every child of God. One cannot be in right fellowship with God while living in a mindset and lifestyle lacking submission. Mutual submission: "submitting yourselves one to another..." Amazing, isn't it? This verse gets ignored so we can rush onto the next verse which promotes marital submission from the wife to the husband. Wifely submission is actually a minor matter to the greater divine perspective. What is mutual submission? It is recognizing and acknowledging one's own insufficiency and need. Today, there are people who have amassed hundreds of billions of dollars in assets and wealth. Yet, even these mega rich individuals are not self existent, nor or they independent. Everyday, these people depend upon others to do what they themselves cannot do. Their billions in wealth would do them no good at all without other people doing what they cannot do for themselves. They will arrogantly declare they are financially independent. In reality, they are just as dependent as a pauper because they cannot do everything they need done by themselves. 2. It is recognizing and acknowledging the means, abilities of others to do what one cannot. Recently, our house sustained roof damage from a hail storm. We needed our roof replaced. Neither my wife or me know how to roof a house. We know better than to even attempt to do that. We hired a roofing company to do what we cannot do. We submitted to the men employed by the roofing company to: Bring their equipment into our yard Climb onto our roof Remove our old, damaged shingles  Install new shingles We did not argue with them about either price, or method. We allowed them to do their job. On the other side was a company representative. He listened to us explain our need and our preferences. He offered suggestions not demands. We chose the color, style, and a price point we were comfortable with. He did not demand to install the color, style or price point he wanted. He submitted to our desires and did the work. It was understood, without even saying it: he and his men worked for us on this project. Yet, we would have been foolish to attempt to dictate to him and his crew how to roof our house. This is basic, mutual submission at work. What does mutual submission look like in the home, the church, and the community? These are important considerations. We must get God's perspective on them. Mutual submission rests upon these premises: God, as our Creator, Redeemer, Master is sovereign over us. We are to submit to him. God has in his infinite wisdom, foreknowledge and providence; made each of us with inherent strengths, weaknesses. These make us mutually interdependent. We, as finite, fallible beings need one another to fulfill our divine purpose for existence. God, in his providence, brings to us those we need to fulfill our divine purpose. God intends to provide for us by using other people and their skills. We exist to address and meet the personal needs of others while serving God. Affirming and allowing others to serve us is God's will for providing for us. Serving others is God's will for providing for others. Each one of us is accountable to God and to one another regarding mutual submission. Together we can accomplish more than any one of us can accomplish alone. Without others, we cannot reach our full potential in service to God. Without me, others cannot reach their full potential in service to God. Before we get into the marriage relationship which Paul does in the majority of the remaining verses in chapter five; let's consider mutual submission in the local church and the community. Two passages help establish the parameters of mutual submission in the church and community. Rom. 12:10 KJV "....preferring one another." I Tim. 5:21 KJV "...preferring one before another..." "Preferring one another," is to ascribe and affirm the value and equality of other people. It is the volitional determination to choose others who will be involved in our life. We choose our spouses. We choose our friends. We choose certain other people in the context of defined relationships. Our choices regarding the people we allow into our lives are crucial to our mission of fulfilling God's purpose for us. Though the choices are ours to make, love and loyalty as well as submission to God must prevail in the qualities and abilities within those with whom we choose to relate and engage. It's saying to others: "I need you in my life so I can please the Lord, and accomplish my mission in his will." "Preferring one before another," is to submit to the service of those who are in the various relationships of our life. We tend to have the mindset, we are the "star" of our own reality show. This perspective is horribly flawed, and dangerous. This might be the most important statement in this Session. Pay attention right here: We are merely supporting cast in God's story. We exist to fulfill a role which involves innumerable other people for the duration of our time on earth. Our mission is to exalt and glorify Christ. At no point are we entitled to have the spotlight focus upon ourself. Throughout life, we move in and out of the lives of other people both saved and unsaved. Others, likewise move both in and out of our life as well. The point is always upon what God is doing. Life is his narrative. He's the Author, Producer, Director. He's also the Financer, and Facilitator. Everything pertains to him. "It's not about you, or me." God has called us to a mission. The mission demands mutual submission to the people God brings into our life. What about those people who turn out to be different than we thought they were? We choose them, but must we still submit to them? Yes! God placed them into our lives on purpose for a purpose. We must adhere to God's precepts regarding them as long as they are in our life. God brought them into our life. He is well able to remove them when he is ready to do do. In the meanwhile we can learn from them. We can learn from anyone, if we put our mind to learn from them. Within the local church, God has established his designed order. This is fixed. It's not negotiable. We don't vote on this divinely established order. We submit to it. Christ, Himself is Head of the Church The pastor is the divinely ordained under shepherd of the assembly. There is only one under shepherd regardless how many serve on the pastoral staff. Deacons, are divinely ordained servant leaders charged not with administration but service. Thus, deacons are NOT a corporate board of directors or governing body. Teachers are the third divinely ordained fixtures within local assemblies. Their role is instruction both biblical doctrine and practical holiness. Spiritual giftedness within an assembly will guide vision, focus, and ministry. Each local church will have the spiritual giftedness necessary to fulfill God's mission for that assembly. Those spiritually gifted persons are to work together in mutual submission within God's will and purpose for themselves, and the local assembly. Faithful servants are what every member of the local assembly must become, and will become when living in submission to God's will and mutually submissive to one another. Mutual submission in the community: This is an ever increasingly difficult arena for fervent Christians to discern and navigate God's will. It cannot be done without consistent, and passionate prayer and Bible study: as well as close communication and counsel from godly Christian leaders. Contrary to militant fundementalism, Christians are not to become proverbial thorns in the sides of our neighbors and community leaders. There is no merit nor virtue in merely being difficult to get along with. There will be enough battles to fight without creating preferential battles. I'm reminded of a landmark SCOTUS case in the 70s where a distinctively Christian university lost its tax exemption status over either real or perceived racial discrimination. Of course there was fiery dialog all around from both non Christians and Christians. The institution in the case, was seen by some to compromise because they accepted the verdict without protest. The university leadership understood mutual submission in the context of community. Tax exemption is a privilege not an inalienable right. They amended their admissions policy. They were able to keep their testimony in the community because they understood mutual submission. Is there a line beyond which we cannot pass in the area of mutual submission within a community, state, or nation? As you might imagine, this very issue has historically been a topic of much debate. There is no universally accepted position on this issue. Worse, the variance of many of the positions is quite wide, and even extreme. The parameters of these extremes are commonly labeled liberal and conservative: though there clearly are extreme positions beyond these widely accepted positions. What does the Bible actually say regarding community and authority? How are God's people to conduct ourselves in community and legal matters? Actually, legal matters are much easier to discern our biblical boundaries. Essentially, the Bible requires us to obey all legal authority and laws unless such laws require of us to expressly disobey God's laws as declared in the Bible. Acts 5:29 KJV Titus 3:1 KJV It must be emphasized there is no exemption provided us if the said human entity is wicked. For most of history, God's people have lived under oppressive regimes. Rome, in power in the days of Christ and the apostles: was ruthless and sought to eradicate Christianity. Yet, Paul, and Peter specifically, addressed the issue of civil obedience. Clearly the intent was toward obedience rather than civil disobedience. Even Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's." The premiere situation where civil disobedience is clearly endorsed within the Scriptures is when the human authority demands one to renounce Christ. Hebrews 11: 33-39 "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:" God clearly approved of those martyred for refusing to renounce their faith. This brings up the matter of submission to community. Often, the tell tale signs of oppression and persecution first manifest themselves in the form of cultural and community norms and values. These are frequently expressed and validated with written ordinances, policies, and local, state, national laws. As we study the book of Acts, it ought to be noted, early on there were no specific written, legal local ordinances against Christian evangelism. Although the local leaders opposed the apostles and new converts to Christ, all they legally could do was ask them to refrain from speaking publicly about Jesus. We see this played out in Acts 3. Soon, the community had armed itself with legal ordinances forbidding evangelistic activity. Now the apostles were arrested, flogged for violating community ordinances. Eventually, Herod arrests James and Peter. He executes James. His crime, now a capital offense was preaching Jesus. Herod intended to execute Peter as well, but God sent an angel to release Peter from prison. Let's go back and examine the progression of events as they occurred. While, in those days, passing community ordinances was not a ballot casting by citizens: in many cases it is today, in our culture. Civic officials opposed followers of Christ. They saw a problem. Civic officials had no power of intervention initially. Civic officials created problematic scenarios to justify their opposition to Christianity. Civic officials wrote, enacted local ordinances restricting and legislating Christianity. Civic officials manipulated public opinion and response to Christianity. Civic officials staged unrest and opposition to Christianity. Civic officials petitioned Rome to intervene. (community petitions federal intervention) Christianity is outlawed and prohibited throughout the empire. Every one of these steps occurred in the book of Acts. Satan has used this same format now for nearly two millennia to oppress and persecute Christians. His clear intent is to eradicate biblical Christianity from this world. The apostles and early Christians probably had very little capacity to influence either civic leaders or the community politically. They were clearly influencing the community spiritually. Otherwise there would have been no official opposition to them. What if it had been different? Suppose the apostles and early believers had understood what was happening and they had the capability to influence the politics of their time? Would they have done things differently? Should they have intervened if they could have? These are hypothetical questions. However, in our time, these are very real issues. We know we can influence the politics of our day. The question is, should we? If yes is our answer: how? How much influence? Can we go too far? Will political activism detract from our primary mission of the Great Commission? Suddenly, we find ourselves in the deep end of the pool. There are a lot of people weighing in on this issue. Literally hundreds of books have been in the last half century presenting their case for and against Christian, political activism and either support or opposition to the idea of civil disobedience. It's quite tempting to delve into this hot button issue of our time. There are two specific reasons I choose to refrain: There are incredibly great authors far more capable than me who have addressed        these issues already. 2. My instructions from the Lord are to focus upon the text and offer commentary and        applications. I'll close this portion with one summary observation. In the words of Jesus I quoted earlier, "Render unto Caesar..." I believe there is cause to believe God intends us to use all of the provisions of our government at its various levels to influence those outside the body of Christ in ways that glorify Christ, and advance his Kingdom. The portion of our Lord's statement I did not quote provides the crucial balance we must achieve so as not to abandon and damage our primary mission of the Great Commission. Jesus finished his thoughts by saying, "...(render) unto God, the things that are God's." I understand this to mean, "keep the main thing, the main thing." When our attention is diverted to politics at the expense of ministry and mission, we have trespassed the boundary. I vote. I stay informed. I speak out with what I believe to be a biblical perspective of current issues and concerns. I support, or choose not to support community events, businesses, etc. based upon my biblically based convictions. I admit here, I have too often crossed the line as to consumption of time, and emotionally charged responses. I have regretted it when I have done so. I have apologized on occasions for not exercising biblical restraint in opposition to issues or persons promoting what I have perceived to be violations of biblical standards. Herein lies the danger for us as Christians. We are still very much dealing with our old sin nature. We still have our flaws, and personality issues. Satan will use these things to: Distract us Divert us Divide us Discourage us Damage our Testimony  Defeat our efforts Deceive the lost Destroy our influence Diminish our mobility and freedoms Wow! That's a lot to take in isn't it? Before we wade into the political fray we must determine whether: This is God's will for us. It's clearly not God's will for everyone. Has God gifted and equipped us to be effective in the public and civic arena? Is my engaging the public debate worth the potential adverse consequences? Can I do this without adversely affecting my primary call and mission? Even when God green lights our civic activism, we must be vigilant and cautious. It doesn't guarantee there won't be setbacks, even defeats. It doesn't mean we won't make mistakes along the way. I know some pastors who have chosen to not involve themselves in social media, civic activism. They have some good reasons for their position. Others, do proceed with limited engagement in the community. They also have good reasons for doing so. I know of a few Christians who have left the pastoral ministry to enter politics. Some of them I highly esteem. I don't think I could do that. But that's not my decision to make. Deteriorating conditions will continue: The Bible reveals and thus assures us emphatically, political, cultural, social, and moral conditions will continue to deteriorate until Christ returns for us. I counsel two things at this point: Vigilance  Faithfulness to Christ and the Scriptures  I need other people both saved and unsaved in certain situations. Other people need me. My mission is to serve my Savior and his Kingdom, by serving others he brings into my path. I must ultimately leave the rest in his domain.