Submission Series

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...

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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.