Submission – A Command with a Promise
Genesis 16
8 And He said, "Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."
9 The Angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand."
10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude."
11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her: "Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has heard your affliction.
I will state right up front that I don’t expect this to be a popular message. Submission is in direct conflict with the human pride that we all struggle with. As Ben Franklin once said, “Humility is such a hard virtue to attain that if I should attain it, I would be proud of myself”. The Biblical principle of submission, as with every other New Testament principle, finds its origin in Genesis. The book of Genesis is the foundation that the entire Bible is built upon. Not surprisingly, this principle taught by the Angel of the Lord is identical to what the New Testament teaches in 1 Peter 2:18-20
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
Lets look at the biblical principles of submission.
Submit to God
James 4:
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The first principle of submission is to submit to God. Without first submitting to God, we cannot submit to others. Humanly speaking, we are not submissive by nature. Most people can submit when everything is going in their favor, but it takes a spiritual focus to submit at all times. There must first be a transition from the flesh to the spirit. My flesh only looks at my own will and self-interest. “Is this going to fulfill what I want?” My flesh looks at the person in authority and asks, “Does this person measure up to my expectations?” When I become spiritually focused, I am not looking at the person that I am submitting to, but to God. I submit to God through those He has put over me. If I am looking at the worthiness of those in authority, I will always find fault.
An example of this can be found in the military. When a soldier approaches an officer, he salutes the officer. There is no question about worthiness, only about rank. As a soldier, I did not have to judge the officer, only his rank or position. An officer stands on the authority that was determined by the military. In the same way, everyone in authority does not stand on their own claims or by their own strength, but by appointment of God. Whether people realize it or not, God is the One who determines leadership. Even wicked leadership can only stand by God’s power. In the Bible we see the wicked in authority to punish those who abandon God or to be used by God for a specific purpose. Sometimes that purpose is just to show God’s people that God can overcome the impossible. Pharaoh’s power served to reveal God’s power to His people so they could have the confidence to follow Him. The Bible commands us to submit to those in authority regardless of whether they are righteous or not. Look at Romans 13
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
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5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
I realize that this is not a popular concept, but we are clearly told that all authority and law stands by God’s own appointment. Satan may be the god of this age and world system, but God stands in authority over and above any other god or ruler. Unless God has a purpose in it, satan cannot exalt anyone. Anyone who resists God’s appointed authority “resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves”. Throughout scripture the message is driven home over and over again, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. It is pride that stands against authority.
Submission is not an act of homage to the person, but we are looking beyond the person to our God. We submit and honor God by submitting to His appointed leaders. That goes for family, churches, employment, government and any other authority that God places before us. Humility begins by submitting to God. Each time I obey, I should not be paying lip service, but my focus must directly on God or I am standing in disobedience. Colossians 3 tells us to act in word or deed with thanksgiving to God and by that thanksgiving we submit to others.
Submit or Resist?
We have already seen that God has told us to submit to all authority and to the laws that govern us. However, we have also seen the same apostles who wrote these commands resisting authority when it conflicted with God’s call. Paul and Peter taught in unmistakable terms that it is the responsibility of the Christian and our commandment from God to obey as unto the Lord. In doing so, we will be a witness that will glorify God. Yet we see both Paul and Peter disobeying the laws and preaching Jesus. When ordered to cease, they replied, “We ought to obey God rather than man”. It is important to understand resistance so that submission is not lost. People misinterpret their boldness and intentionally make themselves false martyrs.
We resist only when man’s law would force us to stand in opposition against God or His calling for our lives. We are in disobedience when our resistance is for personal comfort, benefit or even displeasure. A common thing we see is becoming an objector to taxation. Yet here in scripture, we are actually commanded to pay taxes. Paul wrote this to people who were under Roman rule. The Roman government was very anti-Christian during Paul’s day. Paying taxes funded many wicked practices that the Caesars did. It funded the same government that built coliseums used to kill Christians for entertainment. It funded the same government that declared Caesar as the highest god. Taxes to Caesar funded many things that were antithetical to the Christian faith. However, the Bible commands that we submit – even to ungodly rulers and government systems. We are not responsible for the beliefs of our leaders. Change comes through working with individuals and to change our government by reaching people. Don’t misinterpret this to mean that Christians are not to be involved with government. I believe it is our responsibility to good stewards of our freedom. We are to provide godly leadership and support those who provide godly leadership. What God doesn’t give us as an option is to reject the government He has put in place in any other way than through obedience to Him.
Historically, we always see a pattern of disobedience that creates corrupted governments. It is when God’s people withdraw that evil fills the void. We are never called to abandon ship. We are never called to hide behind the walls of a church. But we are also not called to put politics over the gospel. Politics can’t save us. The answer to a country’s problems is not determined by who gets into office, but whether we are living in such a way that God can bless. Separating ourselves from touching our world takes us outside of God’s will. Putting our trust in people also takes us outside of God’s will. There must be a balance. We seek God and pursue His will and the vision He gives the church and in doing so, God will raise up godly leaders that we can support. We cannot institute a godly government without God and God will not institute a godly government over a godless culture. If the church abandons God, the government will follow. If the people submit to God, He can raise up a godly nation even against the stiffest opposition.
Submitting to People
Most people resist because they are only looking at their own self-interest. Look at 1 Peter 2:18-20
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
This seems like a harsh command. The scriptures teach that we are to endure and submit even when we are being treated wrongly. When we submit, we are taking the resistance out of our hands and putting it into the hands of God and in doing so, we are declaring that we trust God over our own strength. The promise is that He will judge righteously and reward those who endure and are faithful. This may be a controversial position to take, but this is the stance the scripture commands us to take. When we resist, we forfeit our reward and appoint ourselves in God’s rightful place. Look back at Hagar’s flight. She was legally bound to be Sarai’s bondservant. When she fled, God sent His angel to send her back. Hagar was given a command and a promise. The command was to return and submit; the promise was that her son would be multiplied.
This ordeal began by Hagar’s attitude against Sarai. Sarai gave Hagar to Abram in hopes that he would father a son to inherit God’s promise. This wasn’t God’s doing so it did not work out as expected. Once Hagar conceived, jealousy took over and she despised Sarai. Sarai began to deal harshly to Hagar and she was not willing to take it, so she left. Sarai later released her of her commitment and God fulfilled His promise. However, God was the One who judged the timing, not Hagar. God set Hagar free, she did not disown her responsibility. God required submission before fulfilling the promise. To become a bondservant, a servant has agreed to become a permanent servant to his or her master. When a servant loves his or her master, they can choose to wave freedom and commit to lifelong service. They pierce their ear with an awl and are given a ring that signifies their loyalty to their master. It is a binding commitment that can’t be broken by the servant. When Hagar fled, she was violating her sworn oath, but when she was sent away, Sarai set her free.
Using this as a symbol of his commitment, Paul declared himself to be a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He was declaring that he willingly submitted to Christ as his master and was making a lifelong commitment to server Christ regardless of what it might cost. He was looking beyond this life into eternity. Any cost was worth it. He gladly submitted in this life for the promise of his eternal inheritance.
In the book of Philemon, Paul led a runaway slave named Onesimus to faith in Christ. As a part of his submission to God, Paul sent Onesimus back to his master with a note in his own defense. To understand why this submission was critical we have to understand the historic setting. When an Israelite became a slave it was because of a debt. Slavery was not a permanent status, but a commitment to fulfill an obligation. It was not like the de-humanizing slavery of the 1800s. The worth of the man was not diminished, it was a debt agreement. Onesimus was running away from his rightful debt and the commitment of His word. Once he surrendered to Christ, his life became his testimony. Paul sent him back with the declaration, “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart...For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,
no longer as a slave but more than a slave -- a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”
His master was already a believer and now Onesimus was too. He left a slave in rebellion and he returned as a believer ready to serve God through serving his master in the flesh. Because there was now a spiritual bond, Paul says there is a possibility of permanent service. Perhaps he will become a bondservant once the relationship grows. The point is that submission is a central part of the Christian life. Our submission is our testimony to the world that God is our master. We are commanded to do all things without complaining or disputing, but instead to do everything with thanksgiving as to the Lord. God is not honored through a complainer. God is not honored by a declaration of war against the world. God is honored when we make it clear that we are submitting to God and those over us are blessed by that submission. It becomes a testimony of God’s love and grace.
In conclusion
We may not have masters in our modern culture, but that doesn’t change submission. On our job, our work should be to God. We are commanded not to make our leaders job a grievous one. We honor God on the job by working as a service to God. Not grudgingly doing what we have to do, but eagerly doing all things out of a desire to please God. We are no longer victims of poor job assignments but thankful to God for all things. Because of our freedom in this country, we have the right to find another job if we are feeling mistreated, but as long as we are under someone, we are commanded to submit. In our churches, we are commanded to submit to leadership and one another. Even if I have to stand against something or someone that is in error, I can still do it with an attitude of submission. We can submit to our brothers and sisters because we have confidence that God is the One who lifts up leaders. So many times I have seen people jockeying for status and control. How much we could accomplish if we didn’t care who got the credit.
When I submit to God, I am free from worrying about my status or whether I get the acknowledgement of others. It is God who sees and He promises to reward me openly. If I fight for my position, I am working by the flesh alone. I have taken God out of the picture and I stand by my own merits. God will not exalt those who exalt themselves. God promises just the opposite. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up” – James 4:10. God resists the proud. Those who demand their rights and demand honor only have the temporary honor that they can achieve. God promises to humble the person who exalts himself and the exalt those who humble themselves through submitting to God. When we humble ourselves, we are taking control out of our own hands and placing our trust in God. God will always honor those who walk by faith.
By faith in our God we are able to submit to our spouse; each other; our church leaders; our government, and the laws of our land. When circumstances are against us and it seems impossible to benefit, we will see if we truly believe God’s word. God calls us to submit even when we will miss out. We can only do this if we truly believe God’s promise that He will exalt us in His time. 1 Peter 5:5b-7:
5b 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."
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
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This sermon can be downloaded as a Word document by following the link at http://www.exchangedlife.com/Sermons/gen/submission.htm
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