Ep 587 – Ephesians 5:21-6:9

Submission. To many modern Christians, that might as well be a four-letter word. It carries the same impact and is viewed with the same degree of negativity. And yet, the Bible is replete with calls to submission. In fact, in Ephesians 5:21-6:9, Paul addresses this volatile topic in conjunction with his discussion of Spirit-filled living. He is out to change the way the believers in Ephesus thought about righteousness and its practical applications to all of life, including their relationships with others. Godly living was about far more than keeping a set of rules or maintaining a list of dos and don’ts. It was about life change. And for Paul, it was about a life of submission, first and foremost to God, but also to all those around you. Paul didn’t see submission as a dirty word or some kind of call to subservience and subjugation. It was an expression of love for God and others. Submission involves humility and requires selflessness. It operates under the mindset that all we do is to be done as to the Lord. Is it natural? Far from it. It goes against every part of our fallen human nature. But it is anything but a dirty word. It is God’s call upon His children and is only possible through His Spirit.