Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.
9 sermons cite this verse
… what the bible calls submitting to each other giving up my rights giving up my the thing that i really want in order to meet another person's need listen to what the bible says in ephesians 5 21 One, honor Christ by submitting to each other. Now, I know how some guys think about this, because I've talked to you. I mean, some guys think, well, wait a minute, this thing. I mean, isn't the husband supposed to be the spiritual leader of the home? And yes, you're right about that. The Bible says husbands are supposed to be the spiritual leader of the home. And so you think, hey, isn't the wife supposed to like follow her husband? And yes, that's also true. But that doesn't mean that she does all the adjusting. If you're the leader, what does that mean? It means you're out in front, right? It means you're doing it first. That's what you do to lead. So to lead and adjusting means you make the first decision. …
… he writes to Christians living in Ephesus. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. This is one of the most powerful relational principles in the world, mutual submission. And the idea is that not that you place yourself under someone's authority so that you do whatever they say, that's not what he's talking about. That's how this verse gets pitched and the verse that follows it, it gets twisted that way. That's not what he's saying. We know that because of the second part of the verse. He's saying this, not that you're to obey other people, you're not placing yourself under someone else's authority. You're just deciding, you're just deciding to place yourself in a position where you put the other person first. And I'm telling you, the second part of this, when he says, wives, submit to your husbands, nobody raised an eyebrow in the first century when he wrote that, that was like, well, duh, right? …
… yet nonetheless, they know what Paul says in Ephesians 5.21, that submitting one to another in love submit to one another in love. They understand that deferential believers are the ones who can make a church because they're not competing for preeminence. They understand the bigger mission. They understand what we're all here to do. Those are the sorts of believers who build a church, who make a church strong enough to weather any sort of personal conflict. and it's worth reflecting, are we like diatrophies? Are we searching for preeminence? Are we looking for influence that we don't have? Convinced that if we could just control everything, it would be so much better, or are we just faithfully serving with the influence that God has given us? Are we searching for more? Are we content with the circle of influence that God has given us and we're making the best of that. Choice number four and finally, we need to choose between connection and exclusion. Connection and exclusion. John closes this letter by offering Gaius a choice. Look at verse 11 once more. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. …
… this is what Paul said, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. There's that submit word again. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body of which he is the savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Now that sounds terrible until you connect it with this. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body just as Christ does the church. …
… with your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father, and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought to also love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. …
… heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father, and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. What we have in this command is really the key to all Christian living, the key to all Christian living. It's only in keeping this command that we can keep any other commands. Apart from the truth in this command, which is the heart of Paul's message here, Ephesians would be legalistic. Apart from the reality of this command, the work of the Holy Spirit, we would be endeavoring to live the Christian life in the flesh, in the strength of our own will, our own power. And we have been called to a very high standard. Back in chapter 4 and verse 1, remember, we have been called to walk worthy, to walk worthy of the calling to which we are called. It is a high calling. It is a heavenly calling. It is a holy calling. …
… Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. so the first thing he's saying is be careful how you're living you know how a lot of times you wake up and you just start living right you just wake up and you do the same thing right you get up you know i i try to when i remember like the first words out of my mouth i try to just say holy holy holy is the lord god almighty who was and is and is to come because i think about how those angels have been doing that all night while i was sleeping and i just want to join with them because it helps remind me that this is not about me. …
… Look in verse 21. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Now, the word head here speaks of leader. The husband is the head of the wife, that is, he is the leader. Now, he's not the dictator. The husband is not some sort of a top sergeant beating his wife over the head with a Bible club. We hear a lot about the chain of commands. You might hear about the chain of command in the army. But this doesn't speak primarily of a chain of command. This is a line of responsibility. That's a much better term. You see, to have headship is to have responsibility. That means if a wife is to submit to her husband, she is to submit to her husband for a loving leadership. …
… in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church. …