Submission Defined
We’ve talked a lot about submission and obedience over the last many weeks, in particular who we’re called to submit to, why we’re required to submit to these people, and the importance of our submission to the message of the Gospel. There is one more relationship that Paul is led by the Lord to address: slaves and slave-owners. Through Paul’s teaching, God gives us the character and nature of true submission. It is instruction we desperately need in our day and age. From Ephesians 6:5-9.
Slaves
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
It is shocking and distressful to many that the Scriptures speak to manage the slave/master relationship rather than overthrow it. How can a God of love condone the ownership and absolute control of one man over another?
To be sure, this is the only situation to which Paul says, “if you can gain your freedom, do so” (1 Corinthians 7:21, NIV). The Law of Moses also instructed God’s people not to return an escaped slave, but allow him to live among them (Deuteronomy 23:15-16). But no where does God’s Word outright condemn slavery.
God established the nation of Israel and their laws when He brought them out of Egypt. They themselves had been slaves and suffered mistreatment for four hundred years. God could have set up in their law that slavery would not ever be permitted in their country. But He didn’t. Some say that’s evidence that the Bible was written by men to codify their desires, not God, so we need to sift through the Bible to identify what is really and truly from God and what is from sinful men. I say such people have a very small view of God and an oversized view of man! In effect, such thinking makes man the arbiter of truth, rather than God, so now we’re subject to the tyranny of our fellow man, rather than a good and holy God. The very thing they claim to be against, they establish!
We have considerable cultural baggage that makes it difficult for us to understand the significance of slavery as instruction for the Christian. It is perhaps the single best illustration for the Christian life, one that further cements and clarifies all we’ve talked about so far about submission. Jesus and His Apostles all understood slavery first-hand—and they applied the term to themselves as slaves of God. Especially as independence- and individualistically-minded American Christians, we need to understand what God is saying to us here and receive correction.
Did you hear the authority a husband has over a wife? Did you accept what I taught or did you find it completely distasteful? Did you hear the kind of authority parents have over their children? Did you find that repulsive and reject it?
Have you ever considered the concept of adoption? You are, in effect, buying another human being, to bring them into your household and raise them according to your ideals. They become identified with your family, even being grafted into your family tree, with all the rights and privileges of naturally-born children. How far off, really, is that from slavery?
Is there any appreciable difference between the submission required of slaves to masters and the submission required of children to parents or wives to husbands? Remember that all of these relationship act as illustrations of our relationship with God. So, is there any appreciable difference between the submission required of slaves to masters and the submission required of Christians to Christ? No. It’s all one and the same submission!
If you say, “Well, yeah! God is a kind and gentle and loving ‘Master!’ He’s a Father, not a master!” If you think something like that, you reveal an underlying assumption that all masters are evil and any kind of master position and authority is also evil. If you stop and think about that, you realize that idea infects your relationship with anyone in a position of authority in your life. It’s wrong for parents to have absolute authority over their children. It’s wrong for a husband to have complete authority over his wife. It’s wrong for any government to have unchecked control over their citizens. It’s wrong for anyone to require the complete and total submission to any other human being, because “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
We always want an out. We always want a loophole. And if we can’t find it, we live like it’s still fine for us to only obey when we think it’s right. We’ll obey when it suits us and go our own way when it doesn’t.
If “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” then what do you think about God? The saying only applies to sinful men, right? But when you retain a bit of authority over yourself, are you not also being a little corrupted by that retained authority? Isn’t rebellion something committed by those who should be submitted to an authority? If no one can be trusted, then no one should be in authority. Do you realize how easy it is to justify anarchy, even when you don’t realize you’re advocating for it? “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25, NASB). That’s the conclusion of the book of Judges, and it’s not an honorable one.
And just like those Israelites, we also treat God the same way. Even when we say God is perfect and only does what is good and right for all those under His authority, we hit passages like these—which give incredible authority to men—and we think, “No way!” Didn’t you just admit God is good and right? Then why would you balk at these commands? If you do resist these instructions, whether about slaves and masters, children and fathers or wives and husbands, then you are, in fact, telling the world that God is not good and holy and righteous. Our actions speak louder than our words.
Whether we acknowledge God or not, we are His creations. We belong to Him. He has absolute and all authority over us. We are not our own; we belong entirely to Him. We need to get that through our American heads. If we choose to retain authority over ourselves and how we live our lives, we will live in rebellion and rejection of the God we claim to love and trust. We are all slaves of Christ, and He has all authority to direct us in how we must live. So these words, though written to people within the human institution of slavery, are just as valid and instructive to us who desire to live in obedience to our God.
We all live in relationship to one authority or another. We all have earthly masters of one kind or another: governors, police, school teachers, lifeguards, employers, parents, husbands, on and on. God has appointed all kinds of people to be in authority over others, over us. Submission to God does not remove the need to submit to human authorities. If anything, it increases it. As God’s people we honor and respect all authority and all who are in authority! Wives must submit to their own husbands, husbands must submit directly to Christ, children must obey parents and slaves must obey their earthly masters. We can and must all learn from these instructions to slaves what our own submission and obedience should look like.
Fear and Trembling
The first thing we learn about godly obedience is that it is characterized by respect and fear toward the one in authority. The Greek there is literally, “fear and trembling.” “Fear” as in running away in terror. From it, we get the word “phobia,” which we use to describe every possible fear that people may have. “Trembling” as in trembling or quaking with fear. Can Paul be any clearer?
Who of us lives in fear of anyone in authority? The idea is absurd to far too many of us! “We have rights! We have demands!” In some places, we can even commit all kinds of crimes and get away with it!
What is the Christian response even to those authorities who don’t enforce or punish those who do wrong? We should still have a real sense of fear toward them. Children should fear their parents, but if they always do what their parents direct, they should never have reason to be afraid of them.
That’s actually the path to “friendship,” a friendship that doesn’t eliminate the position of the one in authority or our responsibility to submit to them. Jesus didn’t lose His position of authority over the Apostles when He called them “friend,” but it was because they learned all He wanted and did all He commanded (John 15:14-15). They didn’t suddenly become His equals; they were His friends because they learned to do His will and love Him in so doing. They still understood who He and they really were, and how great the gulf between them!
Did you notice the Apostle John’s response to the revelation of Jesus toward the end of John’s life? After walking closely with Jesus for decades, John is granted an incredible vision of Jesus and the end times. In Revelation 1:17, John writes, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.’” John fell at Jesus’ feet, terrified!
We dishonor Jesus because we don’t fear Him. We treat Him lightly because we think He’s just all loving and kind that He would never hurt a fly. We forget that this is the God who judged the world and killed millions of people and countless animals with a flood in Noah’s day. We forget that this is the God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in a day. We forget that this is the God who judged Egypt, devastating the nation and finally killing all the firstborn in a single night. This is the God who killed 185,000 soldiers of the Assyrian army overnight in Hezekiah’s day. This is the God who will judge the last generation of rebellious men with all kinds of plagues and torment for how they rejected His Son and mistreated His people!
If you do not think of God and tremble with fear, you do not know or understand your God! You and I should fear God to the very core of our being. We should be terrified to dishonor Him by any degree of disobedience. If He does not gently rebuke and discipline you or me in our disobedience, then be afraid, because that may very well be evidence that we do not belong to Him—not evidence that He is overlooking our sin in love (Hebrews 12:7-8).
But you may say, “Wait, the Bible teaches that ‘perfect love casts out all fear’” (1 John 4:18). How can true believers ever be afraid of God? That’s why I mentioned with the Apostle John a moment ago. He described himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” in his own Gospel (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20). He’s the one who penned those words you’re now thinking of. He wrote, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18, NIV). He’s speaking in particular about the Final Judgment, in which we can have confidence—“because in this world we are like him” (1 John 4:17, NIV). We have confidence to enter that judgment without fear because we live in this world as Jesus lived in this world. We shouldn’t have that confidence if we’re not living as Jesus lived!
Yet some time after John wrote those words, he encountered Jesus on the island of Patmos, and he fell in fear at Jesus’ feet. There is no conflict between these two truths. All through the Scriptures, every time a faithful follower of God saw God or an angel of God—even when their full glory was concealed—the believers all responded in the same way: falling on their faces in terror. It is when God spoke a word of comfort that they received strength to stand in His presence.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that when the Lord appeared in fire on Mount Horeb, “The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear” (Hebrews 12:21, NIV).
Gabriel came to Daniel multiple times to explain future events, and each time he came, Daniel responded the same way: “As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate” (Daniel 10:17, NIV).
We really don’t recognize how great and glorious and mighty and awesome our God and even His angelic messengers are! If we did, we’d tremble as we look into this Book He has given us (Isaiah 66:2). We would recognize that these are words inscribed by God through the pen of man. And we would be terrified to violate even one word. Terrified because of His incredible holiness. Terrified because we recognize how unworthy we are to receive the grace and mercy He has given us. Terrified because we love Him so much for His immeasurable kindness toward us that we would be loathe to cause Him even the least twinge of grief by our treatment of Him and His Word.
Without fear we will not exercise godly obedience. We should fear God the most so that we always know who to obey if there’s ever a conflict in commands. We should also have a proper degree of fear and trembling toward anyone in authority over us, so that we treat them with proper respect and obey them as quickly, diligently and completely as possible.
Sincerity of Heart
6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
The second thing godly obedience requires is “sincerity of heart,” which Paul points out is how we normally obey Jesus. Ideally. He goes on to explain what “sincerity of heart” means in the next two verses.
The idea behind the word “sincerity” is simple, complete, focused, genuine and liberal or generous overflowing of the thing described. In this case, it speaks of whole-hearted and unlimited devotion to obeying Christ and all the authorities He appoints over us.
There are those who express respect and obedience when the authority is present and watching, but really they have no real love or desire to do what they’re commanded (Ezekiel 33:30-33). That’s not the kind of obedience Jesus recognizes or requires of His people.
If you say true obedience flows from a heart filled with love for the one obeyed, neither Jesus nor Paul would argue with that. But you would also be telling them that the quality of your obedience reveals the degree of your love for the one in authority. Do you obey Jesus with your whole heart? Do you gladly do whatever He asks, no matter how hard or unpleasant? Are you driven to know all you can about Jesus and all He desires of you, so that you can do everything He could possibly want of you? Then you have the kind of obedience Jesus is describing here.
But if you and I are “disinclined to acquiesce to [Jesus’] request” (Captain Barbossa, The Pirates of the Caribbean), then we have a limit to our obedience that reveals a lesser love for Jesus than He is seeking.
There is a motive of seeking favor with the one in authority over us. We should want them to delight in us by our flexibility and teachableness and eagerness to do what we’re asked. But if we obey in the fullness and honesty and completeness of our heart, then we don’t merely obey when we’re under scrutiny, we obey whether anyone sees it or not.
In truth, God sees everything. There is nothing He misses, which is why He cannot be deceived. That’s why our obedience to Him is the standard upon which our obedience to any other authority is defined. As genuine Christians, we are expected to obey any and every other authority in our life just as we should be obeying Christ. At all times. Quickly. Thoroughly. So that they can trust us. So that they can rely on us. So that they can take great delight in us. So that they are inclined to honor and bless and reward us.
When we look at any authority in our life, we should see Jesus. We should treat them at least as well as we treat Jesus. And we should treat Jesus better than we do today.
Good, Not Status, Rewarded
8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
Because Jesus wants to reward us. Jesus wants to bless us. Just as any good leader, manager, authority would want to bless those who serve them well. There is favor to be gained by our obedience. You may think of grace and remember that it is “unmerited favor,” and think that you deserve good things just because of God’s grace.
Remember that God’s grace doesn’t sweep away your sins. It transfers them to Jesus and makes Him suffer in your place. It is God’s grace that opens your eyes to the forgiveness being offered to you—and at the same times calls you to walk in Christ’s likeness (Titus 2:11-13). It is also God’s grace that promises us a reward for all the good we do, all the obedience we walk in.
We insult the grace of God if we refuse to receive God’s gift of forgiveness. We also insult His grace if we refuse to change our ways, to learn His ways and put them into practice. And we also insult His grace if we refuse to seek the reward He offers (Isaiah 7:10-13).
Some might think that serving God for a reward cheapens our obedience. Well, it was God’s idea to offer reward! Surely you don’t mean to suggest you’re wiser than God, that you know better how things should work than He does! The truth is, we serve better if we know there is a reward to gain! To reject the idea of reward is really to demand honor for doing nothing. It’s like going to work, sitting around doing nothing for the boss and only what you want to do, and still expecting a paycheck at the end of the week! Folks, that’s communism, not Christianity.
When I first went to China back in the 90’s, there was little if any private enterprise. Even groceries stores were run by Communist principles: Everyone was given a job and they were paid the same regardless of how much or little they worked. You’d go into a store where everything was in glass cases. You needed someone to help you, but if no one wanted to help, no one helped. You were stuck. They’d get paid whether the store sold something or not! They’d get paid whether they helped you or not! So what do we people do in such situations? As little as we possibly can.
Jesus knows that, and so do you! Consider how differently we respond when we’re rewarded for our efforts. If you think you can get into heaven while ignoring most or all of what Jesus calls us to be and do, then you’re in big trouble! But if you recognize that Jesus rewards faith, and faith works itself out in love (Galatians 5:6), and love is explained by all these commands and instructions given in God’s Word (Romans 13:8-10), then you know that there’s more to the Christian life than just saying you believe some facts about Jesus! If you do believe the truth about Jesus, that should kick your godly obedience into high gear!
Perhaps even bigger than the offer of reward given in this verse is the idea that it doesn’t matter if you’re a slave or a freeman, a master or a servant, husband or wife, a young child or adult, male or female, Jew or Gentile, under authority or in authority. You may have instructions that apply more or exclusively to you because of who or what you are, but if you obey those instructions as given by God, you will be rewarded.
Those in authority don’t get bonus points because of their position. Those under authority don’t start at a deficit. If you do what God requires of you—you in your unique circumstances—you will be rewarded. If you think “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, NIV) means you don’t have to obey your master or your husband because we’re all equal in Jesus now, then you are tragically mistaken. The same God wrote both truths.
We all stand before Christ equal, but we were each created differently and placed in different life conditions. God gives one group one set of instructions and another group a different set of instructions—and on top of all that, there’s a whole set of instructions that He requires of everyone across the board. If you use Galatians 3:28 or Colossians 3:11 to nullify specific instructions for you that apply only to you because of who or what you are, then you will be judged without prejudice.
On the other hand, if you and I obey all the instructions that apply to everyone and all the instructions that apply only to us in our particular circumstances—we will be rewarded without prejudice. And Jesus wants us jealous for reward.
Indeed, if nothing else, the offer of reward sorts each one of us according to our determination to honor and obey Jesus. The more ambitious to glorify Christ, the more effort we’ll put in to knowing and doing His will, and the more reward will await us in His presence. The less we love Jesus, the more we love other things and the less diligence we’ll apply to knowing and doing the will of God. That person may make it into the kingdom of Christ by the skin of their teeth, or as Paul puts it, “only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15b, NIV). But it’s also possible that Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23b, NIV)
Same Treatment
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
We saw back in Ephesians 5:21 that we were all called to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (NIV). Then Paul launched into these different instructions for different groups of people, that sets some in authority over others. So how does “submission” apply to those in authority?
The first thing God requires of masters—and anyone else in authority over another—is to treat those under authority in the same way as He just commanded slaves! Wait! So masters have to obey slaves “with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart”? No. There is not mutual obedience. Then there would be no order but only chaos!
Rather, they are to treat their slaves in the same way that slaves are to obey their masters: “with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart.”
Masters—and all other authorities—should deal with those under their authority with the same fear and trembling that characterizes godly obedience. Godly exercise of authority is characterized by the same genuine, single-minded, overflowing devotion to the good of those entrusted to them. Remember, “good” is defined by God, not us; it’s based on His standards of righteousness, not ours.
Masters do have authority over every aspect of their slaves’ lives. But the individual is more important than the task, yet the task needs to be accomplished. So the question becomes how you direct those under you to complete the task. Of course, if you have servants who are characterized by godly obedience, all they need is direction, perhaps some training, and they’re good to go! But if they’re not characterized by godly obedience, they’ll likely need help learning to do what is required of them.
Warning. Correction. Consequences for disobedience or laziness. If the task is more important than the person, then unredeemed people will use all kinds of evil and excessive means to make their people do what needs to be done. But if you recognize that this person is just the same as you but under authority rather than in authority, you’ll consider carefully how you treat them.
Paul says to give up threatening them. An authority who leads and rules by fear rather than in fear is not what God has in mind. That’s certainly not how God rules. But that doesn’t mean there are no consequences for disobedience. Hell is a real place of eternal torment, where all those who refuse to believe in God’s Son will be sent. But that’s not God’s Plan A; it’s the only other option for those who refuse His lordship. It is, after all, God’s universe, not ours. If you and I don’t want to follow and serve Jesus, where else is there for us to spend eternity? Only where there is no sign or evidence or presence of God; and where that is, there is nothing good, only evil.
Having and enforcing consequences is not the same as being threatening. This Greek word speaks of using menacing violence against those it targets. Faithfully and fairly administering punishment when necessary, with consistency, is justice. God is just, and those who belong to Him must exercise justice. Justice is the responsibility of those in authority. So anyone in authority over another must say what they mean and mean what they say. They need to give clear direction and clear conditions under which judgment falls. And they need to keep their word, doing exactly as they promised, whether in regard to reward or punishment.
Why? Because ultimately, being in authority does not mean you are better than those under your authority. Being in authority does not mean you more favored with God. Neither is the one under authority cursed or less favored by God. Those in authority are just as human as those under authority. Those in authority are just as much God’s creations as those under authority. God is the maker of both and God is the judge of both. So the one in authority who disobeys God’s commands about how to treat those entrusted to him will be judged just as surely and severely by God as the one under authority who does not obey the one over him as God requires.
Master and slave, parents and children, husbands and wives will each be judged by the instructions given them. If they carry out their instructions well, they will be rewarded. If they do poorly, they will be chastised. If they ignore God completely and do things however they want, they will likewise be rejected, unless they repent.
God is Master both of the master and the slave, of the parent and the child, of the husband and the wife. He is jealous for the authority whose subjects disregard him, and will bring judgment on those subjects who reject God’s appointed leader. He is also jealous for those He has subjected to one authority or another, and the authority who does not recognize God in his treatment of those entrusted to him will suffer God’s judgment.
God does not play favorites. He does not blindly side with those under authority, as if all authority is evil. Neither does He blindly side with the one in authority, just because He appointed him. God can cast aside the wicked ruler just as easily as He appointed him (Daniel 4:17, 34-35). And He will bring punishment on any leader who does not lead according to His design. God watches and holds each one accountable for their part in the relationship.
Conclusion
- Submission ultimately is submission to God, and all are alike under God
- Submission is characterized by “fear and trembling” that leads to full-hearted, genuine obedience
- Obedience to God’s design and ways will be rewarded without regard to position or authority
- Godly leadership is characterized by “fear and trembling” that leads to full-hearted, caring direction
- All belong to God and will be judged by the requirements placed on each
Ultimately, every one of us, regardless of position or rank, is a slave to Jesus Christ. While we may rightfully hate the institution of slavery, it is the most powerful illustration of what it means to “no longer live for [ourselves] but for him who died for [us] and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15, NIV).
Every one of us is under one authority or another. So every one of us needs to submit to our authorities and our submission must be characterized by “fear and trembling” toward those in authority that leads to complete, overflowing, fully-trustable obedience to their direction.
Almost every one of us also stands in a position of authority over another. We all need to remember that we likewise are under the authority and scrutiny of God, and those entrusted to us are just as precious to Him as we are. So we must exercise our leadership with “fear and trembling” toward God over those under our direction, treating them as God desires, as we desire God to treat us.
God treats everyone equally and judges all by the same standard, regardless of rank or position or authority. Those leaders who lead faithfully according to God’s design will be rewarded as surely and to the same degree as those who obey faithfully according to God’s design. Those who fail to lead as God requires will be judged as surely and to the same degree as those who fail to obey as God requires.
Your rank or position in life does not indicate that you are more or less favored by God, more or less blessed by God. We are all being tested and trained in faith and obedience, but we do not all have the same tests. Some have more authority, some less. All must trust God and carry out His design and purposes for us in our position, if we want to obtain the reward He has prepared for us.