Submission
Series: Spiritual Practices
Brad Bailey – Dec. 12, 2021
Intro
Now less than two weeks from Christmas... I want to welcome us into the wonder of how God came to us.
It begins with the will of heaven... the good will being declared to earth... a world of defiant independence... like a child who has denounced and gone their own way.
The will of God is spoken to the life of a young woman...named Mary. God will come to humanity... as Emmanuel....God with us... through a child born to this young woman. As she asks how it is possible...we read...
.
Luke 1:35 ?The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1: 38 ?"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
May it be... with these words... the will of God is received.
May it be... these are words of submission. May submits her will to the will of God.
She affirms that she is the Lord’s servant... and will submit herself to a will and good greater than her own.
With Mary’s example to lead us... we are continuing or exploration of spiritual practices...and today ...the practice of submission.
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” - Ephesians 5:21
No spiritual practice... brings as much confusion and contention that that of submission.
The idea of submission has been misused to oppress women and slaves and groups of people.
Most of us have been exposed to such a mutilated form of biblical submission that either we have embraced the deformity or we have rejected the nature of submission altogether.
• If we embrace the deformity we can embrace a form of inferiority...and even self-contempt.
• If we simply reject the virtuous intent of submission...we can embrace a sense of superiority and self-glorification.
The submission which we are to practice is a voluntary choice to bring our wills into a loving relationship with others... in a way that honors Christ.
Jesus is the model of what true and good submission is about.
Jesus ...in his earthly life... recognized the ultimate will of the Father... of heaven.
In John 4:34, Jesus said His purpose was “to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” and in John 5:30,
John 5:30 ?I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. ?
John 6:38 ?I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ?
Submission is how Jesus teaches us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer:
Matthew 6:10?Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus’ entire life was one of submission to the Father,
“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8)
culminating with His great prayer of submission just before His death,
Luke 22:42?"Father, if you are willing, take this cup (of suffering) from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
Jesus is the model of what true and good submission is about. [1] This is why the call to submit ourselves to one another speaks of doing so “out of reverence for Christ.” It is about honoring his way.
So let’s sharpen what the nature of submission is all about.
Virtuous submission in not a recognition of any other person being superior, but of recognizing the ultimate will of God which seeks the common good.
When we think about where positions of authority can presume superiority... and become infused with power and control... we might think of
• Governing Authority
• Marriage Partnership
• Working Relationship (Master and Slave)
The scriptures speak into these… and in every case... call for submission...BUT with a radical new meaning and mutuality.
There is no longer a submission between superior and inferior... but only of that which may serve the common good.
Governing authority – Jesus announces a kingdom that transcends all earthly rule and rulers. In bringing the will of God above all human will... the claims of emperors and empires becomes subject to God.
Government has a God-given purpose to serve... and they bear a responsibility for justice to God and to those they govern...and those they govern ...also to submit to such governance.
Jesus was not focused on human government... he called people to another kingdom altogether... but he also knew that human governments are needed and ordained by God to serve justice...and those who serve God’s kingdom...should honor the good of governing authorities... and submit to them.
Jesus was a threat to the rulers of Rome...not by his lack of submission...but because he did not presume they were superior. He respected their authority but only as relative. They simply have a part to play in God’s will...and it may be a necessity...but it does not reflect a superiority.
Marriage Partnership (Husbands and Wives)
No reference to submission has been more abused...by missing the very point that emerges. The phrase “wives should submit themselves to their husbands” is lifted and used as a weight...when in fact... what the Apostle Paul speaks of...is a more dynamic mutual submission of wills.
Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and laid down his life... arguably a form of sacrifice and submission of his will... and wives are to like honor and respect in their own submission. [3]
And finally... the New Testament addresses what we could refer to as...
Working Relationship (Master and Slave)
Ephesians 6:5-9? Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
At first it may be hard to hear the call of slaves to obey their earthly masters. But there is actually something quite revolutionary here.
It’s not speaking of the forced slavery that we think of. It is speaking of those to one has become indebted... and has entered into a time of paying off their debt by becoming a bond-servant... which is sometimes referred to as a servant or slave.
And he tells not to simply see their work in relationship to the claims of the one who deems themselves over them...but to see their work before the eyes of God...who will judge everyone as equals.
> And he warns the master to recognize the same.
Here we see a revolutionary change.
If you read through the writings of the New Testament, what you discover is how the call to submit to one another runs throughout ... and it brings a radical and revolutionary new social ethic. When the Apostle Paul writes the letter or Book of Ephesians... as well as Colossians... ... first there is a call to submission to those who, by virtue of the given culture, are in the positions that have been deemed subordinate.... Wives, children, slaves (cf. Col. 3:18-22 and parallels).
The revolutionary thing about this teaching is that Paul made decision-makers of people who were forbidden to make decisions. It is astonishing that Paul called them to subordination since they were already subordinate by virtue of their place in first century culture. The only meaningful reason for such a command was the fact that by virtue of the gospel message they had come to see themselves a free from a subordinate status in society. The gospel has challenged all second-class citizenships, and they knew it.
Paul urged voluntary subordination not because it was their station in life, but because it was “fitting in the Lord” (Col. 3:18).
Next, the Epistles turned to the culturally dominant partner in the relationship and also called him to the cross-life of Jesus. The imperative to subordination is reciprocal.
For a first century king,,, or husband... or master to obey Paul’s injunction would make a dramatic difference in his behavior. [4]
The claim to have superiority over others is gone.
Galatians 3:28 (NCV)
In Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Greek, slave and free person, male and female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.
What we find is that Jesus has come into a world that is a war of wills... a war for superiority... and battle for having power over others.
And he doesn’t redistribute power...he redefines power.
Jesus doesn’t dismiss our roles...and declare chaos and anarchy... he redefines our roles and relationship… by redefining them around the one true will that reigns… around a center in which we serve the will that defines the greater good.
In the Kingdom of heaven... the leaders is the servant of all.
In the Kingdom of heaven...the king of the universe will wash feet.
In the Kingdom of heaven... power is discovered in submission.
This redefined social roles as it9s influence spread.
The kings and emperors of the past... claimed a right to rule over others as mere subjects. As these ideas of responsibility rather than inherent superiority spread.... governing authorities began to identify themselves as “public servants.” That may not always be how they act...but it declares a truth that no king would have ever said in the past.
Virtuous submission in not a recognition of any other person being superior, but of recognizing the ultimate will of God which seeks the common good.
A few briefer points that clarify the nature of submission....
Virtuous submission is a submission of our will, not our conscience.
Submission does not mean that we violate our conscience by participating in immoral behaviors.
Jesus submitted his will to the Father... to the redemptive work of the Father.
He never affirmed the injustice of human evil... nor should we.
What Jesus knew...was that God was at work amidst spiritual powers and human injustice. In this case... God had spoken of Messiah suffering....and was not removing this cup of suffering.
It was not the Father’s ultimate will...but it was what the Father was sovereignly allowing.
Similarly, we may face injustice...even tragic losses. Our submission is not a matter of accepting them as good in themselves... they don’t reflect God’s ultimate will... but rather his sovereign will that allows opposition to his ultimate ... until he restores all things.
Virtuous submission is an act of freedom... freedom from presuming we are the center... that we must get our way to have our worth.
Every spiritual practice... or disciple... is ultimately liberating. They bring a corresponding freedom.
When we practice submission...we are freeing ourselves from the false role of being at the center of what rules over life... of what controls life. When we choose to submit to the wills of others... we are decentralizing of ourselves.
As Richard Foster says, “Submission is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. [5]
Such submission does not deny one’s worth.
When Jesus submitted his will to the Fathers... he was ultimately lifted up.
He didn’t lose his identity... he gained it.
Virtuous submission is not simply passivity, but a choice.
We all have some degree of passive acceptance… accepting things we just don’t presume we should be able to change.
Most of us are not still brooding at the time the sun came up. We know we don’t get to control everything.
The practice of submission is not simply become entirely passive to life...and to others.
It’s not just dismissing participation in life and the responsibilities involved.
Virtuous submission is about embracing responsibility... it’s about knowing that we do have a part to play...but knowing that our part does not have to dominate.
It’s a choice.
The very nature of being called to submit to one another recognizes that we are free agents.[6]
That’s Jesus was anything but a doormat...who allowed others to rule his life.
He was the greatest servant of all... but a servant with a purpose... who chose to submit to serve God’s purposes.
Jesus reveals that virtuous submission flows out of strength, not weakness. [7]
___________________?
As we consider practicing submission... it is important to see it as learning to join Jesus in life with God. [8]
Like all spiritual practices... it is not the end in itself....it is not the point but rather the practice that points us into life with God...in which we develop life in which God is the center.
The call of Jesus today is to join the will of God... to allow our wills to become able to work with God’s will.
As the Scriptures describe...God is the potter...and we are the clay. [9]
"You Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." — Isaiah 64:8
As clay in the potter’s hands, we are to submit ourselves to the potter’s molding:
When I look back at my life... recall the moment of facing a season of running away in vain independence from God... facing the fact that if God was real...I didn’t have the right to run my own life. It led to a moment that was defining...a moment of submission. But I’ve come to realize that the clay can get dry... that I need to practice yielding... submission.
I need to beware of a rebellious and autonomous spirit.
So ...
How to Practice Submission as a Discipline [10]
• In the morning submit each aspect of your day to God. Try a prayer of submission like, “Father, into your hands I commit ______” or “Lord, your will, your way, your time.”
• Wait on God in prayer before making a decision
• Ask God, “Who do you want me to submit to today?”
• “Who do you want me to voluntarily ‘give in’ to today?”
• “Who do you want me to come under today?”
• “Who do you want me to put ahead of myself today?”
Ask God where he wants you to submit today. I believe that he will answer you in ways that are un-expected, and I believe that he will give you someone every day.
PRAY
Resources: The Spiritual Discipline Of Submission by Mike Wilkins; Jesus’ Way of Submission By Bill Gaultiere here; According to the Bible, to whom are we to be submissive, and why? here
Notes:
1. In the New Testament, submission is practiced and taught by Jesus. We see the radical call to submit to Jesus’ discipleship in John 12:24-26:
"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."
"Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."—Mark 9:35
"In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything cannot be my disciple".-Luke 14:33
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."—Luke 9:23
It is notable that the entire testing of Jesus by the devil in the wilderness is one in which the devil tempts Jesus to act upon his own natural human will...and Jesus recognizes that the offers do not reflect the will of the Father.
Matthew 4:3-4
And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:8-10
Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
Matthew 26:39
And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus understood how the Scriptures captures the will of God...and submitted himself to the truest understanding of that will. It’s been said that “Jesus is the Word who spoke the Scriptures into existence and yet he lived in submission to those very Scriptures!” Again and again we read in the gospels that Jesus said and did certain things “so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” He discovered his identity, lived out his life story, and made his every decision according to the Scriptures.
There is even a sense of mystery of submission within the Trinity... within the nature of God.
It is beyond the scope here to resolve the mysteries of the Trinity...and how the Persons can be defined in terms of authority and supremacy. What most recognize is that there is unity and equality of nature. (If you have seen the nature of Christ... one has seen the nature of the Father.) Yet there appears a distinction in leadership/ initiative... that is very clear in Christ’s incarnate life.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him (1 John 4:9).
You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I (John 14:28).
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8).
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God (John 20:17).
Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Corinthians 11:3).
Jesus speaks of The Father will send the Spirit...and also that he, Jesus, will send the Spirit. And thee Spirit will not bring a different will.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” - John 16:13 (ESV)
2. Paul followed the same general pattern in teaching about the role of governing authority.
Romans 13:1-3 ?Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
The apostle Paul wrote this command in Romans 13:1 to Christians living in the city of Rome in the first century. Their governing authorities included a Roman emperor and various other Roman rulers who were not followers of Christ, neither in their personal lives (so far as we know) nor in how they ruled, and they were often very hostile to Christians. If these Christians were commanded to obey their governing authorities, then the same command surely applies to Christians today.
1 Peter 2:13-14 (NLT) ?For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
3. In regards to husbands and wives ,,,and gender based roles in the church, there are two general views: “complementarianism” and “egalitarianism.” These terms are not found in the Bible, but are rather general “views” which many often give different interpretations or applications to. A mid-length discussion that maintains a broadly complementarianism view can be found What Is Mutual Submission and How Does It Apply to Marriage? By Le Ann Trees here
4. This is drawn from notes from Richard Fosters. Celebration of Discipline. He is noting what unfolds in Colossians 3:18-4:1.
5. Celebration of Discipline, p. 97-98. Similarly, Thomas A. Kempis (1400-1471) was a German Augustinian monk who was exemplary in living out a vow of obedience (to Abbot, community rule, and one another) as unto Christ. In his classic devotional, The Imitation of Christ, he shares Christ’s words to him and to us on practicing the discipline of submission:
I became of all men the most humble and most abject (Luke 2:7, John 13:14), that you might overcome your pride with My humility. O dust, learn to be obedient! Learn to humble yourself, you of earth and clay, and to bow yourself down under the feet of all men. Learn to break your own wishes, and to yield yourself to all subjection (p. 122).
6. The verb “describes a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility and carrying a burden (highlighting mine) (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. IV, 643-644). The standard Greek-English lexicon renders hypotasso in Ephesians 5:21 as “voluntary yielding in love.”
7. Jesus is our example in this. John 13:3-5
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
8. Philippians 2:5-8?Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.?
9. Also...
"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" – Romans 9:21
"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." – Mark 8:35
10. Adapted from The Spiritual Discipline Of Submission by Mike Wilkins
