Perspective:-
MUTUAL SUBMISSION
M ore than any other period of time, today man is more concerned about their freedom and self-expression, and they even go to the extent of abusing these rights. The general attitude is that nobody is behind anybody; hence, submissiveness is a mark of weakness.
We know that man is basically selfish and rebellious because of their Fall (Tit. 1:6, 10). Moreover, education, wealth, status, position, etc., instead of reforming them, seem only to boost their inherent sinful nature. In such a society, the word of God exhorts the followers of Christ to be characterized by mutual submissiveness and humility.
Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5: 21: “…submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
Peter also wrote: “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility.” (1Peter 5:5b)
The Meaning:
There are many who reject the concept of mutual submission. For, they think that submission is always to a person with authority; therefore, it cannot be reciprocal.It is true that the scripture demands submissiveness particularly in certain spheres of life such as the following:
a. At home; wife to the husband and children to the parents, Eph. 5:22
b. In the Church; young believers to the elders, 1Pet 5:5; Heb. 13:17
c. At the workplace; servants to masters, Eph. 6: 5,6
d. In the society; public to the officers/governors, etc. 1Peter 2:13,14
Definitely, God has not put an end to any of these hierarchical orders in society. The absence of any such authority will lead to chaos among people.However, a careful study of each of the above passages show that those with ‘authority’ are also instructed not to abuse their position, but to be considerate and gracious in their dealings with one another.
Consider the following examples:
a. A husband should lovingly give himself to his wife just as Christ gave Himself to the Church, Eph. 5:25, 26
b. Parents should not provoke their children nor discourage them, Eph. 6: 4; Colo. 3:21
c. Masters should not threaten the workers or deal unjustly with them, Eph. 6:6; Colo. 4:1
d. Elders should not lord over the assembly members, 1Peter 5:3
Thus, all those who are in authority are clearly told to remember the One who has supreme authority over them and be careful in their relationships with people entrusted to their care. Any authority must...... >>>More
Outline:-
ISRAEL – PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE
The Israel-Gaza conflict began on 7 October, 2023, when militants invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip. The attack was met with an Israeli counter offensive, and Israel formally declared war on Hamas a day later. The war is part of the decades-long Palestinian–Israeli conflict.
Since then, print media, electronic and social media have all been breaking news every day. However, for believers this all is not a surprise. Israel is a geographical centre as well as a centre for prophetic events.
Zechariah 12: 2, 3 – “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”
In the past, Haman, the Herods, Hitler, Hussain of Iraq, Hassan of Iran have all tried to wipe out Israel from history;
now in our times, Hamas of Palestine, Hezbollah of Lebanon, Houthis of Yemen are all trying to do the same. In near future, little Horn also would join the list. But they will not prevail against this nation.
God has a purpose for this nation, and it will not fail, but will be fulfilled. Israel is the only nation in the history that has a Past, Present, and Future.
To understand the program of Israel, we will look into some features:...... >>>More
Bro. David Manchala, Hyderabad
Anecdote: -
SUBMISSION – A REASONABLE COMMAND
Driving down a country road, I came to a very narrow bridge. In front of the bridge, a sign was posted: "YIELD." Seeing no oncoming cars, I continued across the bridge and to my destination. On my way back, I came to the same one-lane bridge, now from the other direction. To my surprise, I saw another YIELD sign posted.
Curious, I thought, "I'm sure there was one posted on the other side." When I reached the other side of the bridge I looked back. Sure enough, yield signs had been placed at both ends of the bridge. Drivers from both directions were requested to give right of way.
It was a reasonable and gracious way of preventing a head-on collision. When the Bible commands Christians to "be subject to one another" (Ephesians 5:21) it is simply a reasonable and gracious command to let the other have the right of way and avoid interpersonal head-on collisions.
— Source: Stephen P. Beck
Exhortation: -
SUBMISSIVENESS IN THE FAMILY
By Dr. Joel Albert, Aurangabad
Submission is a word disliked by many in today’s post-modern times. It is a word that generates a lot of controversy. In times like these, words like freedom and liberty are misconstrued to a point where a person thinks, “I can and I will do what I want”. In a predominantly ‘free world’, this is a word that is often overlooked in several spheres of our lives such as our family, workplace, society, and even assembly.
As we look into the topic of submissiveness in the family, it is important for us to revisit the Greek word for submission- ‘hupotasso’ - which means, “To put under or arrange under.” Of course, there is a military connotation when we look into its meaning, but through a general perspective, there is the idea of acknowledging authority and being in order under the same authority, so as to fulfill God’s will in our lives and glorify His name.
In the family, it is clearly evident that ideally and scripturally there is submission at the following levels:
A. Submissiveness within the family:
1. The children submit to their parents (Eph. 6:1-3)
2. The wife submits to her husband (Eph. 5:22-24; 32-33)
3. The husband submits to Christ (Eph. 5:25-33)
B. Submissiveness with the family
1. Mutual submission (Eph. 5:21)
2. Submission to Authority (Eph 6:5-9)
3. Submission->->->-> More
Meditation: -
Submission in the Assembly
By Bro. Tom Jacob, Mumbai
Submission – the word in itself sounds so intimidating to the flesh (the sinful nature) in a saint. Our instincts cry out aloud that we are born to be free and not to live under anyone’s control.
Importance
Before our salvation, we hated to yield when anyone tried to influence us to change our decisions. We were so hard-hearted and stubborn even to bend our heads to the Holy and Almighty God!
Nevertheless, God who is rich in mercy, by the great love with which He loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! (Ephesians 2:4, 5).
When we were struggling under sin’s bondage, He reached out to us with His general call, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Further, to those who positively responded to this general call, His specific call is, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Therefore, submission is required in not just the first step of our spiritual life (salvation) rather it is also a crucial component of our subsequent spiritual growth. The Lord is inviting every child of God to bend their necks to His yoke. When we do so He transforms us each day more into His likeness, thereby fulfilling His ultimate purpose in saving us (refer to Romans 8:29).
All this shows us the importance of submission. And if it is so critical in a believer’s life, how much more would submission be crucial for the proper functioning of an assembly, which is actually a body of such believing ones?
Illustrated
The Lord Jesus uses the analogy of the relationship between a flock of sheep and their shepherd in John chapter 10 to explain the relationship between->->->-> More
Gospel: -
The Harmony of Wills
By Bro. Aby Kuruvilla, Mumbai
At the seat of all the decisions we make, is our will. While our circumstances might influence our decisions, we are ultimately responsible for the exercise of our will. We are not puppets without a will of our own. We are morally capable of having a will of our own and will be held accountable for our decisions since we are created in God’s own image.
When parents ask their children to obey them, they are actually asking the child to align his or her will with theirs. When the child does this willingly, we may well call that submission. Submission is not so much one’s bending of knees as one’s bending of will.
Our Example
We see a perfect example of submission in the Lord Jesus Christ. He, though being God Himself, submitted to the will of His Father. He said, “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30). He also said in another place, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and finish his work” (John 4:34). He always sought and did the will of the Father.
In the hours before he was arrested and crucified, we see Him in exceeding sorrow, praying to His Father saying, “Thy will be done” (Matt. 26:42). He fully knew aforehand the horrendous way in which He would suffer. Yet, His will was in complete harmony with the Father’s->->->-> More
Worthy Quotes:-
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