"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
Ephesians 5:19-21
Part 3
Yesterday we spoke of “giving thanks” to the Lord.
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
Today let’s learn the painful lesson of “submission.” Being “filled with the Spirit” is impossible without this!
SPEAKING, GIVING THANKS, and SUBMITTING.
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Submission to others is a problem that began in heaven with Lucifer, which he spread to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and they passed on to all of their children, both men, and women. And sadly, submitting to others is still an issue today with many believers.
To be filled with the Spirit also involves being in submission to others. Submitting is so difficult for us because it cuts against our grain. Our Genesis 3 natures do not want to be told what to do. We want to do whatever we want to do, and we don’t really care who thinks otherwise. Submission is bowing my will before the will of someone else. And this is where the rub is; will I let someone else tell me what to do? And then, who am I willing to obey? Eve rejected what Adam told her not to do, but then she listened to and obeyed the Serpent. Biblical submission has to do with listening to and following the right voices. It is yielding our will to the Lord.
Our verses today show us that we believers are to submit to one another. We are willing to take the second seat and give our brother the first seat.
“Submitting – one to another – Let no man be so tenacious of his own will or his opinion in matters indifferent, as to disturb the peace of the Church; in all such matters give way to each other, and let love rule.”1 (Clarke)
The scriptures teach us that Love, “…vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up…” and she “seeketh not her own…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love is looking out for others.
Why do we submit to our Biblical authorities?
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time,” (1 Peter 5:5-6).
It’s all about obeying God’s Word. It’s not a decision of obeying my brother, it’s a decision to obey my Lord through His Word. He will give me the grace to submit to others.
In working through these verses (Ephesians 5:18-21), we have seen that to be “filled with the Spirit” these things must be true in our lives.
We are speaking—“singing” truth to each other, praising our God.
We are giving thanks for all that our Lord brings into our lives.
We are learning to submit our wills to the Lord by submitting to other believers.
He will give us the grace to be obedient to His Word.
Let’s live like believers!
1. Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.