WHAT ENABLES ME TO SUBMIT?

Ephesians 5:21 "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ"

The first thing the Bible says that humbles me and helps me learn to submit to my brothers and sisters in Christ is, apart from Christ we are all equally lost. As Paul has said so eloquently right here in Ephesians, we were all dead in our transgressions and sins. When we come into the body of Christ we have all come from exactly the same place. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). If we recognize that we have come to Christ solely by grace then we have nothing to boast about. We all started at the same place and none of us is worthy of taking a higher position than another. Once we come to this understanding we will find it much easier to submit to one another and put others before ourselves.

This same truth shows us that we have no grounds to set ourselves up as judges of others. I am no better than anyone else. I have no right to make myself a judge or to give myself authority over others. I need to realize that I could very well be wrong and you are right. I have no righteousness of my own so I cannot choose a higher position and start telling you what to do. The Holy Spirit works in me to show me what I really am and that serves to open up my understanding and shut my mouth!

There is another truth that will help me learn to submit to others. I am part of the body of Christ along with all other Christians. It is not all about me. I cannot act like a completely free and independent agent. The things I do have an effect on my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am literally connected to other Christians so there is nothing I can do to elevate myself or to try to make myself more important. At the same time, if I try to elevate them and make them more important then I will be lifted up along with them. If I concern myself with their rights and with their welfare then I will have my rights and welfare taken care of as well!

Finally, we have the example and commands of Jesus to help us. On the night he was betrayed he met in an upper room with his disciples to celebrate the Passover. After all were seated Jesus rose from the table and took his clothing off. He wrapped a towel around himself and proceeded to wash the feet of his disciples. He took the position of the lowest servant in the household. He subordinated himself! He submitted himself to the disciples by making them more important than himself and by working for their welfare. When he was finished he said to them, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). Just a little later that same evening Jesus said to them, “A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34, 35). If Jesus was willing to give us such an example of submission and if he commanded us to love one another, then surely we can submit to each other and love each other.