The Spirit Filled Life Series

Info: Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

Source Unknown.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Triune God. It was the Holy Spirit that hovered over the waters of the deep at creation. It was the Holy Spirit that anointed the prophets and kings in the Old Testament. It was the Spirit that descended like a dove on Jesus at His baptism. It was the Holy Spirit that was given to the disciples and apostles on the day of Pentecost. It is the Spirit in Ephesians 1 that marks us as true believers and plants the life of Jesus in us. It is the One Spirit that can unite us together as the one body and temple for Jesus to live in. In Ephesians 5:18 we are commanded by Paul to be filled and controlled by God’s Holy Spirit that lives in us.

If you want to know if you are saved or not then look for the evidence of Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:19-26 tells us that the works of the flesh and the works of the flesh are obvious. You don’t have to pray about or try to decipher whether or not the Holy Spirit is working in your life. It is obvious. Those things that lead to giving up your rights and pride are of the Spirt. Those attitudes, thought processes and actions that come from asserting self and your own rights are not of God’s Holy Spirit. You can google rights and find 3 billion 130 million hits on rights. Many of them having to do with each group trying to assert their rights despite how this assertion with impact other groups. The world says assert the Bible says submit. These are opposed to each other so we must choose which one we will give authority over our life.

In this very practical section by Paul he is teaching us that Holy Spirit filled living leads to submitting to each other in Jesus Christ. It leads to submission in marriage, the family and the workplace. We are not submitting to the Authority of Christ and the Bible because of the great benefits it gives us but instead because it is the command of Jesus!

Because we have trust and reverence for Jesus we choose to joyfully submit to each other. God has ordained authority and submission in various spheres to accomplish His purposes for His glory and our blessing and protection.

I. The Spirit filled marriage

Submission to the Lord

A) Wives controlled by God’s spirit submit to your husbands

This has nothing to do with inferiority but everything to do with Gods design for order in marriage. This is a voluntary submission that seeks to allow God’s order to be established in marriage. The Greek word used to describe this was a military term meaning to draw up in order of battle to from, array or marshal either troops or ships.

1) Spirit filled submission comes from obedience to Jesus

In creation woman was made from and for man. Even before the fall with both being equal there were different roles designed by God. In the fall woman rebelled against God and rejected her husband’s leadership. Part of the curse God placed on woman was the rule of her husband. The spiritual leadership and accountability before God of the husband is not removed in Jesus.

2) Spirit filled submission comes proper response to man’s headship

God’s design for the Church is for Jesus to be the head. The head is responsible what the body does. As Jesus is the head of the church the husband is the head of the wife.

The husband is responsible to lead the wife and family spiritually.

Adrian Rogers used to say anything with two heads is a monster and no heads is dead. There must be someone responsible to lead. If the husband is not responsible or Godly this does not erase God’s design. Some husbands are weak, lousy, ineffective and just plain lousy. In this passage it is stated as a fact, “the husband is the head of the wife.” Husband you may do everything you can to not fulfill your obligation as God designed it. However, you may lead poorly but you will still lead.

Submission does not mean being passive, being inferior or hiding strengths and spiritual gifting’s. Submission does mean following God’s design to respect your husband and voluntarily place yourself under his leadership to help and strengthen Him. (in everything)