“Building Quality Relationships: With Christians – Master Submission”
Phil. 2:1-11 & Eph. 5:18-21
Michael Hernandez has written a piece called “Property Laws as Viewed by a Toddler.” Included are the following toddler laws: “If I like it, it’s mine. If it’s in my hands, it’s mine. If I can take it from you, it’s mine. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. If it looks like it’s mine, it’s mine. If I saw it first, it’s mine. If I can see it, it’s mine. If I want it, it’s mine. If I think I can play with it better than you can, it’s mine. If I play with it long enough, it’s mine. If you are playing with something else and you put it down, it’s mine.”
Cute for toddlers – but unfortunately the self-centeredness and ‘me first’ attitude is indicative of our entire culture. The Apostle Paul, however, points us in a different direction. As we saw last week, in verse 18 of Ephesians 5 Paul encourages us to “be filled with the Spirit.” And he points out that when we are filled three things will happen. We will speak in spiritual language with each other, live with an attitude of gratitude, and will “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” It’s critical to spend some time reflecting on these words.
Let’s look, first, at THE MEANING OF SUBMISSION. Paul said, “Submit to one another…” We need to understand THE DEFINITION. To submit is to acquiesce, to subject ourselves. It is to GIVE PREFERENCE TO ANOTHER. When we come to a four way stop the rules of the road suggest an order to follow so not everyone goes at once. So we acquiesce and subject ourselves to the others at the stop and to the prescribed order. Paul is teaching that there is a prescribed order in God’s world and God’s community and its foundation is our submission to one another. Paul was familiar with the destructive nature of selfishness and individualism. He address it not only here and in his Philippian letter but in his first letter to the Corinthians as well. In fact Paul used the word submission at least 23 times in his letters. And Jesus taught his disciples about desiring to be the least and to wash others feet. So Spirit-filled people are willing to give up their own interests for the health of others. It is the opposite of self assertion and an independent spirit. It is the desire to get along with one another, being satisfied with less than one’s due, a “sweet reasonableness of attitude.” (1)
Here’s another EXPLANATION. We value the rights, gifts, needs, wishes, and feelings of others above our own. We are to PLACE OURSELVES UNDER ANOTHER. During the great Reformation in Europe, Luther and Zwingli found themselves at odds in their concern for the movements they were leading. Early one morning, Zwingli walked out on the mountains of Switzerland and a soul-stirring sight confronted him. He saw two goats making their way over a narrow path on the mountain. One was ascending the trail, the other descending. He also noticed that they must pass at a point where the trail was so narrow that there was room for only one goat. He watched to see what would happen. The animals rounded a turn in the path which brought them in full view of each other. They backed up, as though ready for a lunge, and then the most amazing thing happened. The goat on the trail below lay down in the path, while the goat above him walked over his back. The first animal then arose and continued his journey up the trail. (2) If I can put it figuratively, we are to take on a goat-like nature, giving preference to and placing ourselves under one another.
But why? What is the MOTIVE FOR SUBMISSION? “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Paul is not talking about a forced submission that we grudgingly offer. Rather we submit to each other in response to and because of GOD’S LOVE IN JESUS – not because we have to but because we want to. Just think about God’s love expressed in Jesus. Consider what Paul wrote to the Philippians. He began by saying that Jesus was SELFLESS: (6) “Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Jesus was co-equal with God. He was not a junior partner or an assistant; he was co-equal. Jesus was the Creator of the world; “For by him all things were created…All things were created by him and for him.” (Col 1:16) As co-equal and creator Jesus was all powerful, full of and surrounded by divine glory. He was worshiped and adored by all creation. But Jesus set aside his position of glory and possession of power; He refused to clutch it. Jesus stepped down. He resigned His position and let go of His power.
But that was just the beginning. Jesus stepped down further and became SACRIFICIAL: (7) “…but made himself nothing…being made in human likeness…” Jesus emptied himself of his divine trappings and all desire and personal ambition, and took on the appearance and likeness of a human. He was born in human flesh; and he was not born as a king in a palace but as a baby in a manger, and not into a royal family but to a carpenter, and not to a married couple but to a virgin. ”The Son of man came…to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:45)
Yet He still wasn’t finished. He stepped even lower because He was SERVANT-MINDED: (7) “... taking the form of a servant…” He voluntarily became a servant of that which He created. He chose to be the servant of those He created and ruled. “I am among you as one who serves.” (Lk. 22:27)
Then Jesus, said Paul, took the lowest step of all. He became SUBMISSIVE unto death – even a death on a cross. He chose to die and allowed himself to be crucified as the lowest of criminals. He allowed Himself to experience separation from God as He bore the sin of the world; as we say in the Apostle’s Creed, He even descended into hell. Jesus went from a being a full-fledged member of the Holy Trinity seated in the heavens to a being a baby in swaddling cloths in a manger to dying the lowliest, of deaths. Jesus went from riches to rags.
And he did it all for you and me! He did it to save us from the penalty of our sin. He knew no one else could do it; it was up to Him. So He stepped down – all the way down – to save us.
And because He did He is now SUPREME: (9-11) He was promoted to highest place, and given the highest name, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” FOR JESUS, DOWN WAS UP. He came from heaven to earth, from the earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, and from the grave to the sky. So Jesus’ own words guide us (Jn. 13:14-16): after washing his disciples’ feet, he said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”
Paul makes it very clear that Jesus’ submission is our MODEL FOR SUBMISSION. Look again at Phil. 2:5: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” Paul’s summary of Christ’s life is not just for inspiration or information; it is for imitation and action. God wants us to adopt the very same attitude: for us, too, down is up.
That’s tough for us. In our society – and that includes us – everything is up. Success is climbing up the ladder. Happiness is being up at the top. Satisfaction comes from the recognition given when we reach the top. Every house is bigger than the one before; every job is higher paying than the one before; every investment must make more than the one before. Companies must grow bigger, add more jobs, and make more profit. Anything downward is bad and to be avoided at all costs.
I doubt that Paul knew much about airplanes. But he would be pleased to know what we can learn from the airplane. Pilots use an “Attitude Indicator.” In flying, the attitude is “the position of the airplane, in relation to the horizon.” For example, when an airplane is climbing, it has a “high nose” attitude because the nose of the airplane is pointed above the horizon. So pilots watch the attitude indicator because it dictates performance and safe travel. Similarly, Paul was urging the Philippian Christians to adopt the right attitude – the one that keeps them level with Jesus Christ.
So Paul urges them, in light of Christ’s attitude, to RELINQUISH COMPETITION. (3a): “Do nothing out of selfish ambition.” J. B. Phillips translated it: “Never act from motives of rivalry”. Or as the Jerusalem Bible put it: “There must be no competition among you.” Do not clutch your positions and possessions, your honors, rewards, and recognitions – these are the things that hold us upward. Competition lifts up one party at the expense of another. Certainly, in the body of Christ, there is no room for competition and selfishness. Ministry must never be about who’s the biggest, the best, the most famous, or the most popular or powerful – it’s about stepping down, no matter what the cost. As Paul wrote to the Romans, the only competition ought to be to outdo one another in showing honor and love. After all, it’s not about us – it’s about Jesus our Lord!
To adopt Christ’s attitude we must also REJECT CONFLICT. (3b) “Do nothing out of…vain conceit…” J. B. Phillips worded it: “Never act from motives of personal vanity”, while the Good News Bible says, “Don’t do anything from a cheap desire to boast.” We are to reject the need to lift ourselves up, to have our own way. If we want to be up, then the way is down. Ministry has no place for the ego-centric attitude. Ever know someone who, one way or another, communicated the following? “Everybody is entitled to my opinion”. “Why aren’t you more grateful when I prove how wrong you’ve been?” “We’ll always be on good terms, as long as they’re my terms.” “Well, if you don’t like my opinion of you, you can always improve.” “Why am I so alone in my struggle to have my own way?” Reject conflict. Give up the urge to always be right, the right to always have the credit, and the desire to be considered better than others. It is not we who are the center of attention – it is Jesus our Lord!
The third attitude adjustment calls us to REFUSE CRITICISM. (3) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others better then yourselves.” It means, literally, to consider others worthy of respect. Humility is not thinking less of yourself in a depreciatory sort of way – rather it is respecting and valuing others. It is not groveling before others to demonstrate your unworthiness but adopting an attitude that desires to raise their feeling of worth. Criticism always means we think we’re better than the person we’re criticizing. The Bible is very clear on this issue. James 4:11-12: “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him, speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?” Listen also to Jesus’ pointed words in Matthew 7: “Do no judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Step down from our lofty position as judge. Hold our tongue – refuse to speak uncharitably about another person; recognize that, like Paul, we are all great sinners yet, through Jesus our Lord, are worthy of respect.
The fourth attitude adjustment is to RELISH OTHERS’ INTERESTS. (4) “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.” Hone in, zero in, focus on, and listen to others so we can meet their needs. This, too, is tough for us to do. For example, can you name 5 greatest needs of your spouse, your children, your parents, your co-workers – or your church leaders? Relish the opportunity to look after the interests of others.
It’s been suggested that the best way to step down is to give up being in charge by serving someone, doing good for someone, who cannot pay you back. But that’s hard. It’s more than interesting that Bill Hybels has often said that his worst selling book is one on servant leadership, entitled, Descending into Greatness. Yet when it comes to ministry and leadership, down is up.
So our task is to develop a MINDSET OF SUBMISSION. Phil. 2:1: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion…” Have you ever been affected, or impacted by Jesus? Have you ever been touched, moved, or empowered by His presence? Have you ever experienced the love and forgiveness of Christ? Have you ever been prompted, sustained, or strengthened by his Spirit? Are you gifted by His Spirit? Have you ever been blessed by Jesus? Have you ever experienced or exhibited Christ-like tenderness or compassion? Have you truly submitted to Jesus Christ? If so, Paul says, the next step is to (2) “… make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
UNITY IN THE CHURCH COMES FROM MUTUAL AFFECTION AND CONCERN FOR ONE ANOTHER, from putting the well-being and interests of others first in our minds, hearts, and actions. Just imagine what the church of Jesus Christ would be like if all members stepped down? Just imagine what Hope Church would be like if we all stepped down? The way down is, after all, the way up.
Psychologist Carl Jung told of a man who asked a rabbi, “How come in the olden days God would show Himself to people, but today nobody ever sees God?” The rabbi said, “Because nowadays nobody can bow low enough.” WE MUST BOW FIRST AT THE FEET OF JESUS. The Sufi Bayazid says this about himself: “I was a revolutionary when I was young and all my prayer to God was "Lord give me the energy to change the world." As I approached middle age and realized that half my life was gone without my changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to "Lord, give me the grace to change all those who come in contact with me. Just my family and friends, and I shall be satisfied." Now that I am an old man and my days are numbered, my only prayer is, "Lord, give me the grace to change myself.” If I had prayed for this right from the start I would not have wasted my life.” (3)
Let us move from toddlerhood to adulthood, from selfishness to selflessness. Let us “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” To do so, let us “be filled with the Spirit.” Let’s prayerfully make room for the Holy Spirit so He can possess more of each of us. Let us pray.
(1) Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 7: Exposition of Ephesians. New Testament Commentary (243–244). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
(2) Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.
(3) http://www.kairos2.com/change-the-world-by-changing-me.htm
