We
come to a part of Ephesians that can be and has been misinterpreted by
many. As we read Chapter 5:21-6:9 Paul is giving us an outline on how we are to
live our lives. Paul tells us that we
are to submit ourselves to one another.
What does that mean? Do we just go around doing what others tell us to
do? No that is not what Paul is saying here at all, he is telling us that we are
respect one another, we are not to be demanding but be of a humble spirit. The commentator tells us this about 5:21; “Submission to our fellow Christians,
modesty of demeanor, humility, unwillingness to dispute, forbearance,
gentleness—these are the unmistakable proofs of the Spirit’s power. . . .Such
mutual submission to their fellow Christians should be rendered “in the fear of
Christ,” that is, in reverence to him who is recognized as the Lord and Master
of all.”[1] Paul goes to talk about how the family is
work, the word Paul is using in these verses for Submission means to voluntary
put ones-self under the control of another.
“Christian wives will be ordering their lives in proper subjection to
their own husbands as required in this relation in the Lord, for subjection to
the Lord includes loyal living in the home. Submission is not slavish fear,
neither is it forced upon her by a demanding domestic despot, but it is
voluntary. There is no hint of inferiority, but a matter of authority and
responsibility in the home. Husbands and wives are parts of a unit. The
question arises, what if the husband is not a born-again believer? The Word of
God gives definite instructions covering such a case (I Pet 3:1–7).”[2]
When
it comes to husbands, Paul tells them this “you husbands must love your wives
with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for
her.”(5:25) What Paul is saying here is
make sure you are doing all you can do to provide for your wife, do not go make
decisions based on only what you want.
Your job is to Show Christ to your family by how you love them. As we go through the rest of what Paul is
telling us on how we are to live we
begin to realize that in all parts of our lives we are to be showing the love
of Christ on how we treat one another.
We must look to how Christ lived His life for others not for
Himself. We must respect those who are
in authority and show Christ to the world not by words but by actions. Let us take a look at how Christ showed the
disciples how they were to live their lives. “Before the Passover celebration,
Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father.
He now showed the disciples the full extent of his love.
It was time for
supper, and the Devil had already enticed Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to
carry out his plan to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him
authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to
God. So he got up from the
table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water
into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with
the towel he had around him.”[3](John
3:1-5)
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