06282020 Ephesians 5:21 How Are You Fitting In?
Ephesians - Practical Christian Living • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 38:27
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and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐν φόβῳ Χριστοῦ, *
How Are You Fitting In?
How Are You Fitting In?
Marching Band - getting in formation - playing in tune - listening and watching
We have spent the past few weeks considering very carefully the verses here in Ephesians 5. Paul begins vs. 1 with the Word – therefore – calling us to look back and to pay careful attention to the previous verses and to think about how the instruction of the next verses follow.
Vs. 3 “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ . . . “
v. 4 “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
v. 5 “He predestined us to adoption as sons”
v. 9 “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins.”
v. 13 “having heard and responded to the gospel of your salvation, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise – a pledge of our inheritance.
We were dead and have been made alive in Christ
We were darkness and dwelt in darkness , but now we are “light in the Lord” and are to walk as children of Light.
The theological basis for the practical application is laid out in chapter 1 – 3 and given to us in chapter 4 – 5.
Ch. 4 begins . . . “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
The remainder of this epistle gives instruction so we might do just that . . . “Be imitators of God as beloved children.”
Our salvation is a work of God from beginning to end - first to last. We recognize the first steps in our salvation - regeneration, faith & repentance.
We accept the this. But we too often get lost someplace in the middle where we have to begin working out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Here Paul tells us (5:18) that even our doing is by God’s grace . . . when he says “be filled with the Spirit” he is reminding us that this work of God’s grace in us is ongoing - actively, presently, passively & purposely
The four commands in verse 19 - speaking > singing > making melody> always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God flow out of God’s grace working in us through the Holy Spirit’s work sanctifying us.
This final verse (21) here tell introduces the idea of subjection “being subject – submitting yourselves to one another in the fear Christ” which is the basis for the rest of this letter - the foundation upon which all of our relationships are built.
The Phillips translation puts it this way . . . “Fit in with” each other, because of your common reverence for Christ.” – is grammatically a part of the previous verses, but is a hinge - a door that opens the next section of verses and chapter 6.
If we don’t understand the basis upon which vs. 21 is made, then the next verses become hollow and meaningless commands that lead to hard handed oppressive behavior resulting in misunderstanding and abuse in the context of our families – our relationship within the church – and how we fit into the body of Christ.
Being subject to one another is not unique to Paul’s writing although he seems to present it more fully in this letter to the church in Ephesus...
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
At the heart of all our relationships is Being Subject to one another
If we don’t grasp what v. 21 means theologically and practically, we are not going to be able to apply what it means for any of our relationships - wives to submit to their husbands . . . for husbands to love their wives . . . for children to obey their parents . . . for slaves to be obedient to their masters . . . for masters to give service as to the Lord and not to men.
This concept of submitting is something that is misunderstood
Submission
Submission
Submission according to the world . . . surrendering power to someone or something else. It means giving in - yielding. It is generally considered a weakness - a character fault.
In the first century submission (ὑποτασσόμενοι) was a military term that meant “falling” into rank - submitting to orders - obeying
This word as Paul used it came from a Greek military term meaning to arrange (as in troop division) in rank and file under the command of a leader.
In non-military terms it means “to voluntarily carry a burden. It expressed an attitude of giving in - cooperating and assuming responsibility.”
Literally it means “to place oneself under” – “to get in line with someone else.”
marching band - staying in rank & file - marching in place
In theory this sounds reasonable but in practice we find this so hard to do.
This concept of submission starts with each of us . . . it cannot be something that is forced on us from the outside, but is rather something that we ‘fall in line with’ on the inside - willingly
ILLUSTRATION: parent > child “sitting down on the outside, but standing up on the inside.”
For Christians this idea of submission must come from the inside as the Holy Spirit works in us instead of being forced on us from the outside.
It must come from a heart that denounces its own sinfulness and prideful demands - that understands that we are nothing without the saving work of Jesus Christ.
The submission Paul speaks of here is a voluntary choice – not a legal obligation. It is an act of the will that is ongoing and repeated - not just a one time event.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
Transition
Dilemma of this Command...
Dilemma of this Command...
Notice Paul doesn’t say here:
submit to God as James instructs in Jame 4:7.
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
He doesn’t say obey your leaders and submit to them” as the writer of Hebrews says.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
Notice - what does he say?
“SUBMIT to ONE ANOTHER.”
To do this to those who are sinners just like you and me is contrary to my our fallen natures. I’m self-centered. I’m me filled . . . I’m concerned about my own happiness about putting my own desires first.
Failure to submit biblically is why so many churches have fights and splits – why so many marriages end up in divorce – why so many family members end up spending years sometimes even lifetimes without talking to one another.
John Donne and English poet and dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Long (1621-1631) observed:
“No man is an island, entire of itself.” - expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and need to be a part of a community in order to thrive.
This is especially true of those who have professed faith in Christ.
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
We are “members of Christ’s body”
No one part of our bodies is more important than another. Every individual part of Christ’s body has importance and value so we read . . .
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
“Place yourselves in submission to one another.”
We should be asking how am I fitting into Christ’s body rather than what can I get his body to do for me?
What does this mean practically?
It means the young put the old first.
It means the old put the young first.
It means rather than talking we listen.
It means as we listen we are not thinking how can I turn this around so it’s about me - but what am I hearing about you.
It means considering others more important than ourselves.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
The only way we can do this is by understanding the basis (foundation) of the command.
The Basis of this command...
The Basis of this command...
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
The motivation for mutual subjection and humble submission is fear - reverence for Christ . . . desiring to submit to Christ’s will and to bring Him glory and honor through our own submissive obedience and subjection to one another.
Notice: We’re not told to submit because the other person is perfect . . . or because the other person is worthy of submission or the other person has earned it or even deserves it.
We are told to submit out of “reverence – fear for Christ” – the messiah – the one who has been appointed to represent us as sinners before God’s judgment throne.
He died for me. He rose for me.
And It is through him that I am represented before God. None of us have any standing before God outside of Christ.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
I submit because Christ has submitted himself through death on my behalf.
Jesus, the Christ, submitted himself to the will of God the Father. Jesus, the Christ, submitted himself to a servant’s nature and washed the feet of his disciples. Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. The creator and sustainer of all things became the servant of all in humble reliance upon the perfect will of the Father.
Submission is evidence of the Holy Spirit filling us and enabling us to be conformed to His image.
16 There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
We live in a world that snickers at the suggestion of submission. We should be of all people stumbling over one another to serve and submit to one another in the fear of Christ.
If Christ our great commander were to call us to fall into rank, too many of us would find ourselves be out of line - looking in other directions - focusing on ourselves - resisting the call to be subject to one another
The question we must ask ourselves today is this:
If SUBMISSION is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s filling and enabling me to live as a member of Christ’s Body, then HOW ARE YOU FITTING IN?