“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God—that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” 1 Peter 2:13–15
1 Peter 5:5 says, “ Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
So why should I submit? The reason why, is there in chapter 2, verse 15, “For this is the will of God…” We are living in a time and an age when people are unwilling to submit to any type of authority. And what happens is that by being rebellious, we think we’re going to beat the system, and sometimes we do. But the one system that we will never beat is the government of our Lord Jesus Christ. When God declares in His Word that we are to submit according to the will of God, it teaches us that there are no options at that point. And so, to be filled with self-expression, or to be powered by pridefulness, or to be possessed with independence, that’s not really pleasing to God. What pleases God is that we love God. And if we love God, then we will have the desire to do His will. And His will is that we must submit to all that He says, to all that He is and to all that He wants in our lives. So if we say that we love God, but we’re unwilling to submit to those that God has put over us or if we’re unwilling to submit to our spouse or if we’re unwilling to submit to others when they are trying to talk to us, then it’s just not acceptable. Some of us would rather go to Iraq or to China, instead of talking about submission. What’s the reason? We may been abused. Most of the time, wives will not submit because (A) They do not respect their husband, or (B) They do not like him, or (C) No longer do they want to have anything to do with him. So there’s a hardness that develops. The same thing happens at work. Oftentimes, we do not respect the owner and so we do what we want. We think that we know better, so we violate principles. Sometimes it happens in the church. We don’t think that people are being used by God, so we go around and do things ourselves. Even though it looks like we’re gaining, from God’s eyes, we’re actually in trouble because we’re exalting ourselves. Therefore, God has to put us down. But if we would trust the Holy Spirit, God would begin to do a work in our lives. The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:18, “ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” To illustrate this, when we see a man who is drunk, the Holy Spirit is saying in some ways that there’s a parallel. When a guy is drunk, he can be beaten up, and still wouldn’t even know what’s happening. When he’s drunk, he’s going to sing; he’s going to talk—you can’t shut him up. But when the Spirit of God comes upon him, no matter what Satan does, he’s going to stick it out. No matter what happens, he’s going to submit and he’s going to have a song in his heart, and he’s going to be thankful for what God is doing.
Verses 19–21 says, “…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
Let’s take these four verses (18 – 21) and apply them to our own personal lives. In verse 18, God wants to fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit. We have leaky vessels and when we begin to lose that anointing because of carnality, or because of disobedience, we can come to God and ask God to do a new work. To illustrate this, let’s say you are single and you are having a great time, but then you get married. You need more of the Holy Ghost! You‘re doing great; you’re having a wonderful time, but then your wife gets pregnant. You need the Holy Ghost. Every child you get, you’re going to need more of the Spirit of God. Then, all of a sudden, you go into business—you need the Holy Spirit. We don’t think that way. We think that we’re okay; we’re saved; we’re filled; and now we’re going to live our own lives. Actually, we’re living on fumes; we live in anger; we live in jealousy; we live in pride; and we don’t treat each other very well. We’re mean at home and we’re nasty. We come to church and we don’t like anybody; we say what we want without discernment; we’re not giving—there’s not a song in our hearts. This is what God wants. He wants us to have a melody in our hearts—giving thanks always and submitting to one another.
So there is the answer to why we should submit. If we’re not submitting, then why are we not submitting? We know we should, but why are we not? Why are we not loving? We really want to love, but we don’t. And we really want to be thankful, but we’re not—We’re kind of nasty. The Bible says in the last days that people are going to be unthankful. We look around and see selfishness all around, and when we look in the mirror, we see ourselves being selfish. We don’t want to be selfish; we don’t want to be unthankful; We really do want to submit, but we rebel; We’re angry; and we’re uptight. What is wrong? When we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, we’re willing to submit and we have a song in our hearts and so we’re willing to be thankful in our lives.
True submission does three things—it makes us joyful (verses 18 – 19); It makes us thankful for what God is doing (verse 20); It makes us submissive. True submission comes by the power of the Holy Spirit; true thanksgiving comes by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and true joyfulness comes when God comes upon our lives.
So one of the first things that we need, more than anything else in our lives, is to solve our marriages, to heal our businesses, and to minister to the church by allowing God to fill this vessel of ours. If He changes our lives, it will make all the difference in the world.
Is there submission in Christianity? Is there submission in my Christian life? Ephesians 5:24 says, “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” Notice, “…the church is subject to Christ.” This is what I want to share concerning my relationship with the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ.
Three things really jump out. Number 1, we are the church; Number 2, we are the body; and number 3, we are His bride. So if our bodies are out of control, it is because we’re disconnected from the head. If we’re trying to control a situation, dominate a situation, try to dictate a situation, it is because God is not in charge of our lives. All decisions need to come from God. So, when we don’t trust God, then we have a tendency to take things into our own hands and we begin to dictate. And that’s what happens in marriages—we dictate, we begin to dominate, we begin to control and that’s the worse thing we can do. If we love our wives, if we love our husbands, if we love the children, if we love the church, then for God’s sake, be filled with the Spirit of God. When the Spirit of God isn’t there, then we’re going to control and we’re going to dominate and we’re going to be mean and nasty and people are going to get hurt. We are going to be an instrument of the enemy. So how do we get away from all this? We need to submit to Jesus Christ. If we say that we’re submitted to Christ, but don’t like anything else, it doesn’t work. If we love God, God’s going to fill us with His love. God’s going to give us the capacity to love everybody else. If we’re worshipping God, we’re going to be thankful. If we’re in love with Jesus Christ, we’re going to be a servant; We’re going to give and look and help. We’re not going to be wanting, taking, or needing, because the Holy Spirit is beginning to work out of our lives. When the Spirit is not there, it’s all about us.
So if He’s the body, then our minds, our hands, our feet, our hearts, and our ears need to be given to Him. So, if our eyes are lusting constantly, or if our ears are hearing gossip, or our minds are filled with fantasies, or our hearts are filled with pornography, that should not happen? If it is, the answer is so crystal clear—we’re disconnected. The moment we connect, we wouldn’t be doing that stuff. And the very fact that we’re doing it is because we’re disconnected. So here’s the million-dollar question. Why are we doing it? Ask someone, “When was the last time you read the Bible consistently?” Some people will say four, five years ago. So without the Word speaking to us, without the Word encouraging us, without the Word empowering us, we’re never going to do it.
In reality, when we leave to be with the Lord, there’s going to be a marriage feast and I’m going to be married. Jesus is the groom and I’m the bride (Revelation 19:7–9, John 3:29). So as a man who is now a bride, I have to submit. So when women say, “You don’t know what it’s like.” I can answer, “Yes, I do. You have to submit to me, but I have to submit to Him, so I have to be careful.” Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, I cannot submit to God, wives cannot submit to husbands, and children cannot submit to parents. We need to understand that Christ is the head and I’m the church. He’s the head and we’re the body. He’s the head and we’re the bride and everything a bride does is to prepare. So it bothers God when we’re flirting and we’re messing around and we’re looking here and there, doing all the things that we shouldn’t be doing because we’re breaking the heart of God. The Holy Spirit put a down payment on our lives. We need to be pure; We need to be spotless; We need to be ready when the Lord comes. Without the Holy Spirit, we can’t be faithful. Without the Holy Spirit, we can’t be thankful. So when the bridegroom does something to us that we don’t like, we have to be thankful. So in our walk, God help us to be thankful. Help us to be servants, and most of all, fill us with Your Spirit.
Secondly, not only are we to be submissive to the Lord, but is there submission in our homes? Ephesians 5:21 says, “submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” Affection—that word means to give a hug. It means to express and exhibit love. It means to put an arm around your spouse, taking your little daughter out on a date, or taking your son out and play catch. The second part of the verse says, “…in honor giving preference to one another.” That means to give respect. So this is what it tells me: In my home, I want God to make my wife what God wants her to be. So I’m responsible for bringing my wife before God. Now I’m not going to tell her what to do...she probably wouldn’t listen to begin with. So I’m going to ask God to speak to her heart. “God, You minister to her.” She will then open up to me and share with me and that’s when it works. The vice versa must happen. When she comes to me and shares what she wants, I will listen. When God touches my heart and she gives me a suggestion, it’s easier to receive. So I need to honor her.
And then finally in Ephesians 4:32, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” What does the word, kind mean? It means that when someone comes home, husband or wife, we help each other. It means when the kids come home, we ask how they are doing. So what has God done in my own heart after all these operations? I have fallen in love with the Lord. So what is the benefit? I feel that God has helped me and I believe God has made me thankful. And because I’m thankful, I want to serve. So recently, God sent me into the kitchen. I used to hate washing dishes, but now I love doing dishes. I love doing dishes because with our busy schedules, my wife is sometimes home and I’m somewhere else, and when she’s somewhere else, I’m home. One of the only time that we get to see each other is when we are doing dishes. We get to eat our meals together maybe twice a week—if we’re lucky. So why should I just eat by myself, when I can eat with her and help her with the dishes. Then we can talk, we can share, we can tell jokes, and we can put everything away together. In other words, I’m serving, and I’m loving it. Why? I’m loving it because I’m tenderhearted and I’m forgiving. We need to be tenderhearted and forgiving. When our children make a mistake, when we make a mistake, when our spouse makes a mistake, we need to understand. When a wife knows that her husband has had a tough day, she needs to give him a cup of coffee and be kind to him. If she doesn’t want to be kind, then she doesn’t want to be filled with the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God makes us kind to anybody—a stranger, in our homes, and with everybody else. Our home is a battlefield. It’s a battlefield because we’re not sensitive to the Holy Spirit and we refuse to submit. Well if we’re submitting to God and God has given us a heart to submit, there are three things that people are going to see. First, they’re going to see a song in our hearts. Second, we’re going to be thankful for what God has given to us. And thirdly, we’re going to serve.
And then lastly, is there submission in our church? In 1 Peter 5:5, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Now we want God’s grace, but we don’t want God’s wrath. So Lord, give me grace. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) First we have submission in our own Christian walk. Then we have submission in our homes.
Now we need to look at submission in the church. Why do we have divisions? Why are churches falling apart? Why do we see the church as constantly falling apart? The answer is simply because the Spirit of God is not working in that church. Let’s see how this can be proven. 1 Corinthians 12:25 says, “ that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” In chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians and chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians are all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Right in-between is chapter 13, which talks about love—the greatest gift. So what the apostle Paul is saying is that all the gifts are given by the love of God and all the gifts need to be operated through the love of God.
So God knew that if I had gifts, but had no love, then I’m just nothing. Right in the middle of all the gifts, there should be no schisms. This is why I believe that when we have divisions and when we have problems, it’s because people are not understanding what God wants them to do. If we understand the gifts that God has given to us, we wouldn’t have time to do anything else but to exercise those gifts. For instance, I know that God’s given me a gift of teaching, but the teaching is not for myself. I do not go home and look in the mirror and teach. My gift is to teach and to profit and to encourage and to uplift my listeners and readers. So I want to do that. I love doing that. I can speak to thousands over the pulpit, and it doesn’t bother me. But when I am by myself, one-on-one, I’m not as sure. Some have the gift of worship; others are given the gift of administration or the gift of helps or the gift of leadership or the gift of giving. When we find our gifts and we begin to operate in our gifts, we don’t have time to tear things apart, be critical, or be judgmental. So it’s very important that we understand what God is doing in our lives. When God is using us, then we’re not selfish. Every division, every single thing that goes crazy in the church is because someone is not moving in the realm of the Holy Spirit. They are moving in the flesh; they’re speaking in the flesh; and they’re speaking with carnality. But if that person understood that God gave them a calling, they would never have a problem. I believe with all my heart why there are so many splits and divisions in our churches and in our lives—it’s simply because we’re not yielding to the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit, Who I can grieve and I can quench, is everything in my life.
Some people do not like submission. Some do not like working on their marriage. Some do not like fighting the business. There are some that do not like going to church and encountering all the people. But submission is what God wants. We know it, and we have to like it. If we don’t, we’re going to hurt a lot of people. Our children are going to be affected by our attitudes. Our friends are going to see Christ in our lives. So, we have to submit. But, how do we submit? We submit when God gets a hold of us and fills us, then there will never be a problem. He’ll fill us and put a song in our hearts and He’ll make us thankful and we will begin to realize that God has given us a gift to help other people. You might have a nagging wife…help her. You might have a child going crazy…help that child. You might have a church member that drives you crazy…help him. Only one thing can kill us from helping others—selfishness. Somehow, we have a tendency to justify that it is okay to be selfish, but it’s not. If we fight it, we’re never going to get the job we want. If we fight it, we’re never going to have the marriage we want. If we fight it, we’re going to lose our kids. If we fight it, we’re going to be all the things we never wanted to be. If we surrender, God will never hurt us.
