the lost virtue of submission
"wives, submit to your husbands..." (eph 5:22)
polarizing, if not completely foreign, concepts today. so controversial that even pastors are backing off, providing new alternative meanings. its commonplace in the church today to hear that these passages are all "circumstantial" - unique to the times in which they were taught.
i heard a self-described "progressive pastor" say recently in an online sermon, "the teachings of the bible were to a certain people at a certain time. our job as christians is not to read the bible as a manual for how to live today, but to take it's teachings and work to best evolve them into modern societies."
what a terrifying thing to teach your church!
isaiah 40:8 says "the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." and i love how peter drives it home again in 1 peter 1:22-25, so no one can play the "old covenant card."
progressive christianity is growing fast right now, and it's no wonder why. it's awesome! (to the nature of the flesh, that is.) and it loves me! it's a full-on embrace of the me-first rhythm of the world. it's "truth" is whatever i want it to be. it's version of John 1:14-17 is full of strike-throughs, because it's Jesus is the grace-only version.
it must be nice to go through the bible circling what you like and blotting out what you don't. but isn't that a reflection of culture in general?
submission
there are dozens of biblical truths that "progressive christians" say are outdated. one of them is the precious doctrine of submission. the culturally indoctrinated me-centered 21st century christian hears the word "submit" and their sensitivities can't take it. the spirit of the flesh rises up in offense. not only do we live in an age where a wife mustn't dare submit to a husband, but also one where a student doesn't need to submit to their teacher, an employee to their boss, a player to their coach, a child to their parent, or a citizen the law.
the idea of biblical submission in practically all forms, has literally become outdated. and it's too bad because biblical submission is truly a beautiful thing.
bad leadership
on the other side of submission is the responsibility that comes with authority. bad christian leaders see their authority as "power", while good christian leaders see their authority as a tremendous weight on their shoulders.
bad christian leaders love having control, while good christian leaders are humbly aware of their influence and pray earnestly to use it carefully.
bad christian leaders abuse their authority and don't think much about the consequences, while good christian leaders realize that God will hold them accountable even for the actions of those they were entrusted to lead.
it's true that leaders often abuse their authority, but that shouldn't destroy the value and beauty of submission. it does, however, help us understand why submitting is hard for some people to do.
ephesians 5
with regards to wives submitting to husbands, there are a couple reasons why its so controversial. certainly one has to do with the progressive nature of society and politics. but i believe the other reason results from the scripture not being looked at closely enough. the beauty and profoundness about God's plan for humanity gets ignored for silly and shallow talking points.
and any man who abuses, brags, or misunderstands this "authority" better read ephesians 5:22-33 a little more closely!
because it's not exactly a "desirable" role being described. to say it is, would be like saying Jesus "desired" going to the cross. paul says that this ephesians 5 husband is to love and care for his wife the way that Christ does the church. that he is to be more concerned about her needs than his own. that he is responsible for her spiritual, physical, and emotional well being. any problem that has to do with his wife, his marriage, or his home - practical or emotional - is his responsibility and he is accountable to God for it.
this husband is supposed to work so hard serving his wife that, in the end, he will be able to present her "spotless, without blemish" to the Lord. the ephesians 5 husbands protects his wife, cares for his wife, and provides for his wife. he makes sure she gets her quiet time with the Lord, that she isn't exhausted, that she is at peace, that she gets the rest she needs, that she has time with friends, and literally anything else (within reason) that she needs!
as Christ loves his bride (the church), so the husband loves his. that's a huge deal.
john piper says "men, this is not a job you want. if God had not called you to bear it, you would not want it! because when Jesus knocks at the front door when there's a problem, and your wife answers, Jesus says 'is the man of this house home? i need the man of this house so i can call him into account.'"
in the same way Christ paid the bill for the church, we men are responsible for our wives, kids, and our homes. it’s a heavy load, but what a privilege! even though we are covered by God's grace, we must not be lackadaisical in this area.
in the same way Christ paid the bill for the church, we men are responsible for our wives, kids, and our homes. it’s a heavy load, but what a privilege! even though we are covered by God's grace, we must not be lackadaisical in this area.
such is the case for all positions of authority. while hebrews 13:17 starts off "obey your leaders and submit to them", it goes on to say that "they will give an account."
biblical authority and submission work perfectly together when done for the glory of God. such beautiful truths of scripture don't expire or go out of style, no matter what the culture says.
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