Mutual Submission-2 Series

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

—OR—

‘Foundational Family Integrity’

—OR—

‘A Family’s Integrity in Mutual Submission’

Attention:

Some of you recognize that the men got hit pretty hard last Sunday with what I titled ‘A Wife’s Submission.’

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 nuclear 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 Christ-honoring family.

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

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

Last Sunday we found that Foundational(Christ-honoring) family integrity is found in...

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

1(part b)—Foundational family integrity is found in...

A WIFE’s submission(:22-25, 33)

:24—“Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”

“Therefore”—The result & or application of obedience to a God-ordered harmony between husband & wife is that in the same way “the church is subject to Christ,” so also “the wives” are to be subject “to their own husbands.” This is to be so in every aspect of their relationship to one another—He as head & she as body. This is a continuous relationship just as is the church to Christ.

*“Everything” does NOT mean at the husband’s every selfish/carnal/worldly whim.

*A wife has a sinful natural inclination to usurp the husband’s headship...

*...Likewise The Husband has a sinful natural inclination to artificially enforce his headship by keeping his wife under his thumb/feet lording over her in a domineering(arrogant) manner.

**!!The following questions & applications unused in this sermon. See ‘A HUSBAND’s Submission’ following!!**

?Ladies, do you think so highly of yourself that you joyfully head out to the mall after or even before payday, wantonly spending your husband’s(remember he’s Jesus to you—:22-23) hard-earned money brought to you with his sweat & tears?

?Do you have even one maxed out credit card? Do you have credit cards which have upped their limit ‘just for you’ as a reward from the credit card company?—Its a marketing ploy ‘just for you’ because they make megabucks off of your negligence! More credit DOES NOT mean that you have more free money at your disposal...it only means you have a higher allowance to max-out more credit & pay more interest over a longer time!

?How does your spending effect your family overall?—positively or negatively?

?How does such excess effect the relationship with your husband?—positively or negatively?

*?Does your husband have to overcompensate for your excess?, so that you consider his frugality too hard-hearted & tight?...So that he is forced to become a domineering tyrant, demanding his way, forcing your hand to release the finances to his control?...All because your ‘want-to’ has gone un-submitted to God in Christ.

You see, with one fell swoop(or swipe of a card) of your financial neglect, you have chosen to demolish a marriage brought into existence by Almighty God!...One I know you cherish!

?How does such effect your love life?...

?Your ability as a Mommy?...as a homemaker?...as a neighbor?, etc.? *Some here have been in that position before. You’ve suffered thru at least one failed marriage for such reasons... you’ve suffered the heartaches brought on by personal neglect.

Again:

Titus 2:1-5—“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things--that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

Your husband is not to kowtow to your ‘want-to’ or fleshly desire....with a Yes, dear,... Oh, yes dear, Melvin Milktoast. Or as a forced slave, ‘Yes, maustuh, I’ll take cauh uh that right nouh suh.’

And wives, you are not meant for that kind of repressive cowering behavior either!