Mutual Submission-3 Series

MUTUAL SUBMISSION-III—Ephesians 5:21—6:4

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‘Foundational Family Integrity’

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‘A Family’s Integrity in Mutual Submission’

Attention:

Grace Udder Pressure:

A big city lawyer was called in on a case between a farmer & a large railroad company. The farmer noticed that his prize cow was missing from the field through which the railroad passed. He filed suit against the railroad company for the value of the cow. The case was to be tried before the justice of the peace in the back room of the general store. The attorney immediately cornered the farmer & tried to get him to settle out of court.

The lawyer did his best selling job, keeping the conversation moving & not letting the farmer get much of a word in. The farmer finally agreed to take half of what he was claiming to settle the case. After the farmer signed the release & took the check, the young lawyer couldn't help but gloat a little over his success. He said to the farmer, "You know, I hate to tell you this, but I put one over on you in there. I couldn't have won the case. The engineer was asleep & the fireman was in the caboose when the train went through your farm that morning. I didn't have one witness to put on the stand."

The old farmer replied, "Well, I'll tell you, young feller, I was a little worried about winning that case myself. That durned cow came home this morning!"

If both the Farmer & Lawyer had been truthful with one another, everything would have been fine.

Need:

We are a country embroiled in individualistic endeavors to the exclusion of & to the ruin/destruction/devastation of others....manifested in Hedonism(drugs/sex/possessions)

Work-ism or busy-ness(Work=Good)...borne by financial indebtedness, etc.

It is not possible for a marriage & family to thrive, when one or more of the members is into themselves to the exclusion of others!

We may learn to live with one another, but we will have no power in the world!

Integrity—“The state of being whole & undivided: upholding territorial integrity & national sovereignty.” a.—The condition of being unified, unimpaired, or sound in construction. b.—Internal consistency or lack of corruption.

&/or

Integrity—1. Adherence to moral & ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty; 2. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished; 3. Sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.

Paul unveiled the role of submission inherent to a Christ-honoring family.

Christ-honoring families must operate under the umbrella of submission.

How is submission essential to the integrity of Christ-honoring families?

4 arenas in which submission secures Christ-honoring integrity for the family.

*Foundational(Christ-honoring) family integrity is found in Mutual Submission!

*Mutual Submission cannot be experienced fully apart from God’s love!

The last two Sundays we've found that Foundational(Christ-honoring) family integrity is found in...

1.(part a) A WIFE’s submission(5:22-25, 33)

1.(part b) A WIFE’s submission(5:22-25, 33)

2—Foundational family integrity is found in...

A HUSBAND’s submission(:25-33)

Explanation:(:25-33)

:25—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her,”

“This is the wonderful new point not in Col 3:19 that lifts this discussion of the husband's love for his wife to the highest plane.”—RWP

In order for God-ordained marital harmony to be true harmony & thus be effective, the husband must love his wife. A love that foregoes one’s own desires for that of the other. An arrogant, belligerent, & self-seeking husband is no husband to his wife, for he is showing her that he is unwilling to sacrifice/give for her welfare & ultimately for his own cause as the head. He thus works against himself if he has no love for his wife.

The love that a husband has for his wife must have the same character & substance as that of Christ for His church. The concern & passion for one’s wife is to mimic that of Christ in His having given Himself for the church.

?What exactly did & does that “love”(concern & passion) entail?—That is answered in :26 below.

Prov. 10:12—“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.”

Col. 3:19—“Husbands, love your wives & do not be bitter toward them.”

“Bitter”—pikrainw—To embitter. exasperate—2a) Render angry, indignant, 2b) to be embittered, irritated, 2c) To visit with bitterness, to grieve(deal bitterly with).

“Love”—agapaw—Boundless, Unconditional, Objective, Unscathed.

“Just as”(See :29; :24—wsper)—kaywv—Adverb—1) According as—1a) Just as, even as, 1b) In proportion as, in the degree that; 2) Since, seeing that, agreeably to the fact that; 3) When, after that. Strong—Just(or inasmuch) as, that.

From—kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along.—&—wv—1) As, like, even as, etc. Which how, i.e. In that manner(very variously used).

“Gave”—paradidwmi—Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To give into the hands(of another); 2) To give over into (one's)power or use—2a) To deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage, 2b) To deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death, 2c) To deliver up treacherously—2c1) by betrayal--To cause one to be taken, 2c2) To deliver one to be taught, moulded; 3) To commit, to commend; 4) To deliver verbally—4a) Commands, rites, 4b) To deliver by narrating, to report; 5) To permit allow—5a) When the fruit will allow that is when its ripeness permits, 5b) Gives itself up, presents itself. Strong—To surrender, i.e. Yield up, intrust, transmit.