Submission


Just wanted to share some thoughts and verses out of I Peter 3 concerning submission to authority and to all men. Some of this relates to a message I heard on the radio.

Before we distinguish ourselves with labels like, I am an employee, a boss, a pastor, a deacon, an elder, a husband, a wife, a parent, an uncle, aunt, mother, dad, grandparent etc...,or even son or daughter, we are first God's child and servant. We were bought with a price and adopted into His family by the blood of Jesus. He's the Creator and we are the creation. Does a creation have rights? Only the rights given to you by the Creator. Creations are to be used by the Creator as he sees fit to use us. He's the one that we are ultimately accountable to.

The message I heard related to dealing with difficult people, how they treat you unfairly and how to deal with it. As witnesses for God and Christ, we have the responsibility to be good examples to the world and to our families. How we react to stress, pressure, difficult people and things that don't go our way is important and will reflect the kind of witness we are. Now lets look at First Peter .

Submission to the Law of the Land
I Peter 2:13-17
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
First, as citizens we have a responsibility to our government, community, family and family of faith in how we act and the character that we portray as representatives of God and citizens of His kingdom.


Submission to Bosses or Employers
I Peter 2:18-25 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “ Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Peter is telling us that when we submit to our bosses whether they're fair or not, this pleases God. Of course unless they are asking us to do something illegal or immoral. If you did something wrong at work and got scolded for it and took it patiently, should you be commended for taking it patiently? Of course not. You deserved it. But if you were accused wrongly and took it patiently, that's commendable to God. That pleases Him when we have that kind of attitude towards people and leave the responsibility to God to deal with our boss. Because that's the attitude that Christ had. That's going to make a good impression to your boss towards you and toward your faith. That's a Witness!
Submission to Husbands
1 Peter 3:1-6 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
So here Peter is saying to wives, that in the same way you deal with difficult bosses, you apply that same principle to your husbands when you feel like your being treated unfairly or been offended by them. Not in a fearful way but in a respectful way before God. In fulfillment to Genesis 3:16,...Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” John MacAurthur puts it this way in his commentary: Just as the woman and her seed will engage in a war with the serpent, i.e., Satan and his seed (v15), because of sin and the curse, the man and the woman will face struggles in their own relationship. Sin has turned the harmonious system of God-ordained roles into distasteful struggles of self-will. Lifelong companions, husbands and wives, will need God's help in getting along as a result. The woman's desire will be to lord it over her husband, but the husband will rule by divine design (Eph. 5:22-25). This interpretation of the curse is based upon the identical Heb. words and grammar being used in Gen 4:7 to show the conflict man will have with sin as it seeks to rule him. So I am questioning, do wives have a tendency to want control in the home and over their husbands? In addition to looking good outwardly, because I think that is important, ultimately God wants you to look good for Him. Remember your relationship with your husband should reflect the relationship that Christ has with the Church; wives representing the Church and husbands representing Christ. See Ephesians 5.
A Word to Husbands
1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
Peter is saying, that the husbands have a responsibility also to honor their wives, treat them with respect and not ridicule them. Say nice things to them and avoid criticism at all costs. Wives are our sisters in the Lord and we should honor them as any other friend or brother in the Lord. Because wives are in this position of submission in the husband/wife relationship, husbands are not to take advantage of that with chauvinistic attitudes and attitudes of superiority etc... In fact, Ephesians 5:21 admonishes husbands to be submissive also. Husbands and wives are a team. They are equal in importance and called to the same purpose before God, but with different roles that will reflect to the world the relationship of Christ's love to the True Church.

Called to Blessing
1 Peter 3:8-12 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For “ He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” See Psalms 34:12-16
Suffering for Right and Wrong
1 Peter 3:13-17 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

In summary: God wants you to love like Christ loved. He wants you to have a good conscience before Him as you live out this life for Him. He wants you to be an effective Witness for Him so that others will come to Him and be saved. If we rebel against this calling, I think we will have blasphemed His good and holy name. I love this passage in Philippians 2:5-11 that sums it up for me: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We may not hit the target all the time in our walk, but God will forgive and cleanse us as we move toward the high calling of God. 1John 1:9 Compiled by Ed Soto