Ephesians 5:22-33 “Wives,
submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of
the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of
the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let
the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your
wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for
her...so husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he
who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh,
but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we
are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 'For this
reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I
speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of
you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see
that she respects her husband.”
There's been a lot said about the husband's role in the marriage.
This is only right; after all, he has an enormous responsibility placed
on his shoulders. He is called to love and lead his wife at the same
time – this balance is not always an easy thing! On the one hand, the
spiritual direction, physical security, and weighty decisions all fall
squarely on his shoulders. On the other hand, he isn't allowed to be
bitter or harsh toward his wife or treat her with misunderstanding. I
believe that this is the largest calling any man can step into during
his lifetime; it's the calling to represent Jesus' own love to his wife!
Having
said this, there has been surprisingly few writings or discussions
about the wife's side of marriage. There are far too many “real men do
this...” and “real men do that...” quotes flying around – and they're
usually written by women (or teenage girls) who are simply reiterating
what they wished men would be like. When was the last time you saw a
“real women...” quote? Have you ever seen
one? We've given all the blame for failed marriages and relationships
to the men involved, without realizing that the Bible's formula for
marriage goes beyond “husbands, love your wives.”
Wives
have a responsibility in their marriage too! To start with, let's look
at three Biblical responsibilities of every born-again wife.
#1 – Submission
Ephesians 5:22-24 “Wives,
submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of
the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of
the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let
the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
This
is probably one of the most ridiculed passages in the Bible. Today's
society belittles this passage as chauvinistic, anti-woman, abusive and
backwards. But, as believers we know this passage was written by the
foremost Expert on marriage. God was the one who designed marriage, and
let's just pretend that He knows what's best for us!
Remember how the husband has the responsibility of modeling Jesus' love for His church?
In
the same way, the wife has the responsibility of modeling the church's
submission to Jesus! We should be submissive to Jesus in everything,
right? What if we don't agree with what He thinks is best for us? Should
we still submit to what He wants? Of course we do! We submit to Jesus
through trust – knowing that He loves us and wants what's best for us.
This is the way a wife should submit to her husband. Whether she agrees
or not – she should submit to him, trusting in his love for her.
#2 – Respect
Ephesians 5:33 “Nevertheless
let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and
let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
This verse is the ultimate summary of what every Christian marriage should look like.
Now,
we all agree on what is being said to the husband. Inevitably, every
failed marriage is blamed on the man's lack of love. While that may be
the case sometimes, let's not forget that the woman is called to respect
her husband in the same way that he is called to love her. In other words, a wife's respect for her husband should be unconditional, just like his love for her is to be unconditional.
Wife,
do you want to have your husband's love only when you deserve it? Would
you rather feel safe, knowing that he loves you no matter what – or
would you want to constantly wonder about how he feels about you?
Remember
this, your husband feels the same way about your respect toward him as
you feel about his love toward you! Your marriage wouldn't last long
without his love toward you, would it? Do you realize that there are
marriages in danger because of the lack of respect towards the husband –
probably as much as the lack of love towards the wife?
Women crave love – this is why the Bible tells husbands to love their wives.
Men crave respect – this is why the Bible tells wives to respect their husbands.
Men and women have been made differently. So is it really surprising that we look for different things from our marriages?
#3 – Phileo
Titus 2:4 “...that they admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children,...”
If
women were created to give and seek after love, then why would God have
to remind them to love their husbands and children? The answer is found
in the Greek word that is used in this verse. This isn't the kind of
love that most would think of. It isn't the Greek word eros – or the romantic type of love. It isn't the word agapeo – or unconditional, God-kind of love. This word in Titus 2:4 is phileo – it simply means “friendly.”
In
this passage, God is reminding wives to be friendly towards their
husbands and children. Why would God have to remind them of this?
Because the pressures of life, the overwhelming emotions that they feel,
and the cares and concerns that weigh on the mind will sometimes
pressure them into being “unfriendly.” It isn't intentional – it isn't
due to the lack of love – it is simply because they're feeling
overwhelmed!
God
was – and still is – calling women to rise above what they feel, and
live in the proper relationships that He made them for! This is as much
of a challenge for them as the call to love is to a man – both of them
take work and neither comes naturally. But, for those couples who choose
to live God's way, the rewards are well worth the effort!
Showing posts with label submission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label submission. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Barnyard Basics 5 - Under-shepherds
John 10:14-16 “ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
Jesus is the Shepherd of the church. When we follow Him and submit to His voice, then Psalm 23 applies to us. If we want our life to be centered in His will (with all the benefits that come with His will), we must learn to hear and follow His voice.
Here’s where so many miss out: Jesus, according to 1 Peter 5:4, is the Chief Shepherd. There are other shepherds under His supervision. He has delegated the care and the direction of the flock to “under-shepherds.” These are men that are called to lead the flock as they follow Jesus. Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be a follower of me as I am a follower of Christ.”
There are many believers in the church who claim to follow the Chief Shepherd but have no relationship with the shepherds that He delegates. How can you follow Him and refuse to follow the one He put in front of you? How we submit to the under-shepherd who God set in front of us displays how we submit to the Chief Shepherd. Do you realize this? Do you understand that God has made another person accountable for you?
Hebrews 13:7 says exactly that: “ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.” Evidently, while we follow the Good Shepherd - He’s going to give us an under-shepherd to follow.
In Peter’s first letter, he wrote to the people who were called to this position. His instruction can be found in 1 Peter 5:2-3, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” God gave some people the responsibility to oversee His flock. Their responsibility is to set an example for the sheep to follow. Going back to Hebrews 13:7, we recognize that their example should be in faith.
Now we have a complication. These leaders are given the responsibility and accountability of leading the flock - but they are never told to dominate their sheep. In other words, they’re called to set the example and preach right and wrong, but it’s up to the sheep to submit themselves to their leadership. That’s why, after writing to the shepherds, Peter immediately says “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.” The responsibility to lead rests on the shepherds - the responsibility to follow rests on the sheep. God will hold both of them accountable for what He’s called them to do.
That’s why Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” This isn’t about someone forcing their way on your life, it’s about submitting yourself to their doctrine and their example. In fact, the Greek word for “obey” (peitho) literally means to be convinced and to trust. So God’s command is for His sheep to actually trust their shepherds!
We can also see the reward of following an under-shepherd in Hebrews 13:17. It will be profitable on the day of accounting. I absolutely believe that God will bring to account how we treat the men and women He set in authority. The flipside is that it won’t be profitable for you to wander off or rebel. Can you see the encouragement together with the warning in this verse?
This isn’t a light matter. The people that are called to shepherd God’s flock have an enormous responsibility on their shoulder. Listen to this admonishment to them out of Acts 20:28-30: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”
These are sheep that Jesus died for! He loves every one of those precious people. And it’s important to realise that He’s entrusted them to the care of these under-shepherds...so can you see how important their job is? Do you see that it’s the shepherd’s responsibility to drive away wolfish people? Can you imagine that these under-shepherds would ever have problems with goats and pigs mingling with and upsetting the sheep? These people have an incredibly tough assignment and have to rely completely on the grace of God...why would any sheep want to make their job harder?
Jesus is the Shepherd of the church. When we follow Him and submit to His voice, then Psalm 23 applies to us. If we want our life to be centered in His will (with all the benefits that come with His will), we must learn to hear and follow His voice.
Here’s where so many miss out: Jesus, according to 1 Peter 5:4, is the Chief Shepherd. There are other shepherds under His supervision. He has delegated the care and the direction of the flock to “under-shepherds.” These are men that are called to lead the flock as they follow Jesus. Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be a follower of me as I am a follower of Christ.”
There are many believers in the church who claim to follow the Chief Shepherd but have no relationship with the shepherds that He delegates. How can you follow Him and refuse to follow the one He put in front of you? How we submit to the under-shepherd who God set in front of us displays how we submit to the Chief Shepherd. Do you realize this? Do you understand that God has made another person accountable for you?
Hebrews 13:7 says exactly that: “ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.” Evidently, while we follow the Good Shepherd - He’s going to give us an under-shepherd to follow.
In Peter’s first letter, he wrote to the people who were called to this position. His instruction can be found in 1 Peter 5:2-3, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” God gave some people the responsibility to oversee His flock. Their responsibility is to set an example for the sheep to follow. Going back to Hebrews 13:7, we recognize that their example should be in faith.
Now we have a complication. These leaders are given the responsibility and accountability of leading the flock - but they are never told to dominate their sheep. In other words, they’re called to set the example and preach right and wrong, but it’s up to the sheep to submit themselves to their leadership. That’s why, after writing to the shepherds, Peter immediately says “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.” The responsibility to lead rests on the shepherds - the responsibility to follow rests on the sheep. God will hold both of them accountable for what He’s called them to do.
That’s why Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” This isn’t about someone forcing their way on your life, it’s about submitting yourself to their doctrine and their example. In fact, the Greek word for “obey” (peitho) literally means to be convinced and to trust. So God’s command is for His sheep to actually trust their shepherds!
We can also see the reward of following an under-shepherd in Hebrews 13:17. It will be profitable on the day of accounting. I absolutely believe that God will bring to account how we treat the men and women He set in authority. The flipside is that it won’t be profitable for you to wander off or rebel. Can you see the encouragement together with the warning in this verse?
This isn’t a light matter. The people that are called to shepherd God’s flock have an enormous responsibility on their shoulder. Listen to this admonishment to them out of Acts 20:28-30: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”
These are sheep that Jesus died for! He loves every one of those precious people. And it’s important to realise that He’s entrusted them to the care of these under-shepherds...so can you see how important their job is? Do you see that it’s the shepherd’s responsibility to drive away wolfish people? Can you imagine that these under-shepherds would ever have problems with goats and pigs mingling with and upsetting the sheep? These people have an incredibly tough assignment and have to rely completely on the grace of God...why would any sheep want to make their job harder?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Barnyard Basics 1 - Sheep And Goats
John 10:11-16 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
We all know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We recite Psalm 23 over and over again - “the LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want...” Everyone claims that He is their Shepherd - but the Bible is very clear that not everyone is a sheep. In fact, Jesus teaches about some people who are sheep, some who are goats, some who are pigs, some who are dogs, and some who are wolves. These are five spiritual types of people - and they each have defining characteristics.
First of all, if you want to be one of His sheep, you have to line up with Leviticus 11:3. That is you have to have a split hoof and you have to chew the cud.
Remember, everything in the Old Testament is a picture of the New. And the Bible will interpret itself! So what does split hooves have to do with us? Every time the Bible talks about a person’s foot, it’s referencing their walk, their way of life and their destination. If you want to be one of Jesus’ sheep, you have to have a split hoof - that is, a separated walk. We call this salvation.
When you were saved, you were taken out of the world. Your life is now separated from this world’s system - divided, if you will. Now you have a different walk, a different way of life, and a different destination! If you were born again, congratulations! You are halfway to becoming one of Jesus’ sheep!
The other half is chewing the cud - this has to do with your diet. Every believer should have a diet of God’s Word. That is our only source of spiritual food! If you’re not feeding on God’s Word, you’re starving yourself!
You see, sheep have a very unique way of eating. I’ll spare you the details, but give you enough to illustrate the point! Sheep are constantly chewing their food. Whenever they have a moment of rest, they bring it back up to chew it over again! Disgusting? Sure! But there’s a valuable lesson here. Chewing the cud isn’t just reading God’s Word, it’s meditating on it! It’s thinking about it continually. Whenever you get a chance, your mind goes right to the Word of God! That’s what makes a person one of Jesus’ sheep!
But wait a minute! There’s another animal that Jesus talks about that has both of these characteristics! Goats have split hooves and chew the cud too! In fact, goats and sheep are nearly identical. They’re so similar to each other that casual observers often have problems sorting them out. But according to Matthew 25:31-33, you don’t want to be a goat. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (a place of dishonor and rejection)
What’s the difference? What separated the sheep and the goats? Using the same symbolism, we can see that the goats are believers, as well as the sheep. They both have separated lives (split hooves), they both meditate in God’s Word (chew the cud) - what makes them different? In a word - behavior.
The dividing factor in Matthew 25 is their obedience. The sheep’s love for Jesus caused them to care for each other. The goats thought they were serving Jesus, but neglected their brothers and sisters. It was all about obedience. Every believer knows that we’re commanded to love each other. Rebellion is the sole reason that the goats in this story ignored their brothers and sisters.
I believe that Jesus was referring to goats again in Matthew 7. He said in verse 21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Can you see it? These are believers that call Jesus “Lord” but don’t do what He says!
That is the defining attribute of sheep and goats. John 10:27 repeats this concept; “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” When a shepherd took his sheep out for pasture, he would walk in front of them and talk and sing. The sheep would recognize the shepherd’s voice and follow along. That is the sheep’s nature, to follow!
Goats, on the other hand, have to be driven. You won’t see a goat herder walking in front of the goats. They have to go behind and drive them. Goats are rebellious and independent. They’re often running away and getting into trouble. The nature of goats is to do their own thing! Sound like anyone you know?
A lot of people claim to be one of Jesus’ sheep, but not everyone qualifies. First of all, they must be born again - that rules out those in the world. Then they have to meditate on God’s Word - that rules out worldly Christians! Most importantly, they have to submit and follow the Good Shepherd - that rules out rebellious believers!
Thankfully, if you’re not already, you can still become one of His sheep. Just follow Him! Just stay in His Word and do what He says. Then, and only then, does this passage apply to you:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23 only applies to His sheep!
We all know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We recite Psalm 23 over and over again - “the LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want...” Everyone claims that He is their Shepherd - but the Bible is very clear that not everyone is a sheep. In fact, Jesus teaches about some people who are sheep, some who are goats, some who are pigs, some who are dogs, and some who are wolves. These are five spiritual types of people - and they each have defining characteristics.
First of all, if you want to be one of His sheep, you have to line up with Leviticus 11:3. That is you have to have a split hoof and you have to chew the cud.
Remember, everything in the Old Testament is a picture of the New. And the Bible will interpret itself! So what does split hooves have to do with us? Every time the Bible talks about a person’s foot, it’s referencing their walk, their way of life and their destination. If you want to be one of Jesus’ sheep, you have to have a split hoof - that is, a separated walk. We call this salvation.
When you were saved, you were taken out of the world. Your life is now separated from this world’s system - divided, if you will. Now you have a different walk, a different way of life, and a different destination! If you were born again, congratulations! You are halfway to becoming one of Jesus’ sheep!
The other half is chewing the cud - this has to do with your diet. Every believer should have a diet of God’s Word. That is our only source of spiritual food! If you’re not feeding on God’s Word, you’re starving yourself!
You see, sheep have a very unique way of eating. I’ll spare you the details, but give you enough to illustrate the point! Sheep are constantly chewing their food. Whenever they have a moment of rest, they bring it back up to chew it over again! Disgusting? Sure! But there’s a valuable lesson here. Chewing the cud isn’t just reading God’s Word, it’s meditating on it! It’s thinking about it continually. Whenever you get a chance, your mind goes right to the Word of God! That’s what makes a person one of Jesus’ sheep!
But wait a minute! There’s another animal that Jesus talks about that has both of these characteristics! Goats have split hooves and chew the cud too! In fact, goats and sheep are nearly identical. They’re so similar to each other that casual observers often have problems sorting them out. But according to Matthew 25:31-33, you don’t want to be a goat. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (a place of dishonor and rejection)
What’s the difference? What separated the sheep and the goats? Using the same symbolism, we can see that the goats are believers, as well as the sheep. They both have separated lives (split hooves), they both meditate in God’s Word (chew the cud) - what makes them different? In a word - behavior.
The dividing factor in Matthew 25 is their obedience. The sheep’s love for Jesus caused them to care for each other. The goats thought they were serving Jesus, but neglected their brothers and sisters. It was all about obedience. Every believer knows that we’re commanded to love each other. Rebellion is the sole reason that the goats in this story ignored their brothers and sisters.
I believe that Jesus was referring to goats again in Matthew 7. He said in verse 21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Can you see it? These are believers that call Jesus “Lord” but don’t do what He says!
That is the defining attribute of sheep and goats. John 10:27 repeats this concept; “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” When a shepherd took his sheep out for pasture, he would walk in front of them and talk and sing. The sheep would recognize the shepherd’s voice and follow along. That is the sheep’s nature, to follow!
Goats, on the other hand, have to be driven. You won’t see a goat herder walking in front of the goats. They have to go behind and drive them. Goats are rebellious and independent. They’re often running away and getting into trouble. The nature of goats is to do their own thing! Sound like anyone you know?
A lot of people claim to be one of Jesus’ sheep, but not everyone qualifies. First of all, they must be born again - that rules out those in the world. Then they have to meditate on God’s Word - that rules out worldly Christians! Most importantly, they have to submit and follow the Good Shepherd - that rules out rebellious believers!
Thankfully, if you’re not already, you can still become one of His sheep. Just follow Him! Just stay in His Word and do what He says. Then, and only then, does this passage apply to you:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23 only applies to His sheep!
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