Submission

Submission honors the Lord, but many do not understand it in a biblical sense. Some react to the very mention of submission as if it were a dirty word. They do not and will not submit, no matter what! For others, the notion of submission loses its appeal because they have been taken advantage of or abused by the one to whom they have submitted. Submission is repulsive for some simply because they do not like being told what to do. They will not obey anybody. Not their parents! Not their teachers! Not the Police! Our prisons are full of people like this. But don’t be too fast in being high-minded about yourself in comparison. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Without a changed heart, we are all in rebellion against God, who rightfully demands obedience. We want to be autonomous and have no one, including God, rule over us. But the Bible tells us to submit to God (James 4:7). God has decreed certain realms of authority and submission. Ephesians 5:21 says we are to submit “to one another out of reverence to Christ.” We are to submit to others according to the authority and order respectively established by God. To the extent that we don’t submit to the authorities God has placed over us, we refuse to submit to God!

Christ is the head of the church, and the church submits to him (Eph. 5:23–24). Members of the church are to obey and respect the leaders that God has ordained to shepherd them (1 Thess. 5:12–13, Heb. 13:7). Citizens are to submit to the authorities that God has placed over them (Rom. 13:1–7, 1 Pet. 2:13–17, Tit. 3:1). Workers are to render submissive service to their boss (Eph. 6:5–9; Col. 3:22–24).

Husbands are to submit to Christ (1 Cor. 11:3). Wives are to submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22–24; Col. 3:18; Tit. 2:5). Children are to honor and respect their parents (Eph. 6:1–3; Col. 3:20). You can imagine the anarchy and chaos that would result if God’s prescribed order for human relationships was removed from society. We would quickly go back to the days when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25). Disorderliness, as well as the violation of the principle of submission by women, contributed to a chaotic church in Corinth (1 Cor. 14). Thus the apostle Paul admonished the church that “all things should be done decently and in order” (14:40). Proper church decorum entails that “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (14:33).

1 Peter 2:13–20 and 3:1–7 give us instructions and tell us why we should be submissive in the areas God has prescribed. I trust you will read the entire passage. I will point out some selected verses. 1 Peter 2:13 — “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution” Why? 1 Peter 2:15 — “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” We would not want to disgrace our Lord’s name and give our opponent any reason to disregard our witness to the gospel. 1 Peter 2:18 — “Servants, be subject to your masters.” We should be respectful to those we work for. We should not do any wrong to our employer because we are mindful of God (2:19), and we should do good even if we suffer for it (2:20).

1 Peter 3:1 — “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands.” Why? So that they may be won to the Lord “when they see your respectful and pure conduct” (3:2). Holy women of old adorned themselves “by submitting to their own husbands” (3:5). 1 Peter 3:7 — “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way.” Husbands submit to the Lord by loving their wives ( Eph. 5:25). Similarly, we see this pattern in Titus 2:1–10. This passage runs the gamut of behavior expected from older men to younger women. Respectful and reverent behavior is described for us to follow for an express reason. For example, older women are to teach young women to love and be submissive to their husbands so that the word of God may not be reviled (2:3–5). Young men should have integrity and be respectful so that an opponent would have nothing evil to say about us (2:6–8). Workers are to be submissive to those they work for so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior (2:9–10).

We have an example of submission when Jesus, as the Son of Man, submitted to the Father when he agonized in Gethsemane. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). We are told, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5 KJV). Jesus came in the flesh to atone for our sins, and even “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6–8). Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Jesus set an example when he submitted to the Father’s will and selflessly died for our sins. We are the Lord’s best witness when we are most like him! May we submit to whatever authority God has placed over us so that we bring honor and glory to his name.