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!
...That is NOT God’s way. We are to be God’s ‘willing’ bondservants serving thru MUTUAL SUBMISSION(on a horizontal level), in full recognition of God’s perfect design for imperfect people!
“Therefore/But”—alla—Conjunction—1) But—1a) Nevertheless, notwithstanding, 1b) An objection, 1c) An exception, 1d) A restriction, 1e) Nay, rather, yea, moreover, 1f) Forms a transition to the cardinal matter. Strong—neuter plural of allov[else, i.e. different]; properly--Other things, i.e. adverbially--Contrariwise(in many relations). RWP—Perhaps, "nevertheless," in spite of the difference just noted.
“Subject”(See :22)—upotassw—
“Everything”—pav—Adj.—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types. Strong—apparently a primary word; All, any, every, the whole.
**!!:33 unused in this sermon! see ‘A HUSBAND’s Submission’ following!!**
:33—“Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, & let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
“& let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
Is Literally=‘...And the wife that she may fear the husband.’(cf. :21—“in the fear[fobov(noun)] of God)
The wife’s response of fear/reverence is directly tied to her husband’s love for her.
*Fear of dishonoring her husband, NOT fear of retaliation from her husband!
Regardless of the incomprehensible aspect/nature of this relationship, each saint is to individually “love his own wife” in the same manner that he loves “himself.”
In response to her husband’s God-directed love, the wife is thus enabled to “respect her husband.” She is exhorted/encouraged to respond appropriately to Christ’s love thru her husband.
Again...If you are technically ‘dating,’ consider ‘courting’ instead. Know the one whom you have designs on possibly marrying. Spend a great deal of time together—outside of a sexual relationship(until marriage)—Share & discuss your closest deepest dreams, what you want out of life, what you want to do with your life. Can that mesh with your boyfriend’s dreams, desires, & plans.
This means that a wife is entirely capable of failing to respond properly, even if the husband is acting in entire faithfulness thru Christ.
“Respects/Reverence/Fear”—fobew—Present Middle/Passive Deponent Subjunctive 3rd Sing.—1) To put to flight by terrifying(to scare away)—1a) To put to flight, to flee, 1b) To fear, be afraid—1b1) To be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm—1b1a) Of those startled by strange sights or occurrences, 1b1b) Of those struck with amazement, 1b2) To fear, be afraid of one, 1b3) To fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm), 1c) To reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience. Fobew denotes “to fear”, the general term; often used of a protracted state. Strong—To frighten, i.e. passively--To be alarmed; by analogy--To be in awe of, i.e. Revere.
English =‘Phobia.’
Argumentation:
Col. 3:16-18—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching & admonishing one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”
1Tim. 2:8-15—“I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath & doubting;in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety & moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence['keep your seat'] with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence['keep your seat']. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, & holiness, with self-control.”
1Pet. 2:18--3:6—“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good & gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good & suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls. Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle & quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good & are not afraid with any terror.”
Was Sarah the perfect wife...No. Was Abraham the perfect husband, No. But they are nonetheless commended for their faithfulness to God’s design.
Illustration:
A couple was celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.
A local newspaper reporter inquired of the husband as to the secret of their long & happy marriage.
Well, it dates back to our honeymoon," he explained.
We visited the Grand Canyon & took a trip down the bottom of the canyon by pack mule.
We hadn't gone too far when my new bride's mule stumbled. My wife quietly said, "That's once." We proceeded a little farther when the mule stumbled again. One more my wife quietly said, "That's twice." We hadn't gone a half mile when the mule stumbled a third time. My wife promptly removed a revolver from her belongings & shot him.
In shock, I vehemently protested her treatment of the mule, when she looked at me, pointing, & quietly said, "That's once."
Application:
?Is Foundational family integrity found in Your Submission as a WIFE?
?Does your Submission encourage Christ-honoring family integrity?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
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)
Pt. 1(part b), minus :33 Presented 02/21/2016am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-4 Presented 06/17/07Father’s Day to:
Lyerly Evangelical Church
1320 Crescent Rd.
Salisbury, NC 28146
