May 28 Submit Into Jesus

Ephesians 5:21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
 
FOR the next few verses, Paul is going to encourage the saints – members of Jesus’ church – in Ephesus regarding submission. I wrote on submission in the Esther teaching during February. I’ll reiterate some of those thoughts in the next four days.
    Because submission creates so much push back from all Christians, we must remember why God teaches us to submit to one another. The bottom line is: We are to submit because we worship Jesus.
    All actions of our lives are to be a worshipful response to Jesus, aren’t they? There is, however, no possibility that anything we do will honor Jesus if we do not submit first to our God and then to each other. Recently, I was teaching this concept to married couples and one man essentially said, “Submission is necessary in all things we do. There is no obedience to anyone or anything unless we submit. Submission is key to obeying God.”
    Indeed, he is so very right. But we often refuse to rejoice in the power of submission. We see it as weak and useless to our good. Our culture and human pride say, “To submit is to be dominated.” But the truth is, no one person can live in prideful arrogance against the Holy Bible, against Jesus’ church or against others, and then call himself a Christian. If you doubt this, read about God’s judgment on non-submissive leaders in 1 & 2 Kings. See in the gospels Jesus’ condemnation of those who refused him. Read again in the epistles of Paul’s, John’s and Peter’s words of judgment on those who are non-submissive to Jesus. Let us be eager to learn of and to live into godly submission.
    One aspect of submission means to “grow into”. I like that. Don’t you? With submissive hearts we grow out of our sin, and we grow into an imitation of God in our lives. Submission to our Lord is a result of truly being “born again” as Jesus said in John 3:3. Further, submission is drinking the water that “Jesus “gives to become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:15). Submission activity is being salt and light into the world for Jesus. Matthew 5:14-15 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”
    Submission says, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I am a sinner who needs a Savior. I give my life to him. I receive him into my heart.” We can believe and pray this because Jesus submitted himself to the cross that you could be born again.
    Once we understand submission in the light of Jesus’ submission to the cross, you will more deeply revere him. In that attitude of worship, you will submit to Jesus’ authority. In love and worship for your Lord, you will joyfully submit to him and to one another as the Bible decrees. 
 
Prayer: Lord, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) I submit my life to you Jesus. Amen.