[Ephesians 5:21 – 6:9]
21 – Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- To submit oneself
- To be subject
- To be obedient
21 – submitting – to one another
22 – submit – wives to husband
24 – is subject unto – Church to Christ
Must have the Spirit (see verse 18) – can’t do it alone
God puts people in position of authority
“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” (Romans 13:1)
Different ways of submission
- Submission to God (James 4:7)
- Submission to government leaders (Romans 13:1-7)
- Submission to church leaders (1 Peter 5:5)
- Submission of wives to husbands
- Submission of children to their parents
- Submission of slaves to masters
Reason We Submit
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. This is a fear that acknowledges that Christ is Lord of all, and everything is under His rule.
- To Accomplish His Purposes
- To Develop Godly Character & Grow in Wisdom
Even God submits
God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All are equal. But they submit to each other to fulfill the Divine Plan. The Son submits to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:28). The Spirit submits to the Father (John 14:26) and the Son (John 16:13-14).
Submit Joyfully
- Know & trust God’s great plan
- Submission to human authority is submitting to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-24)
Bible Study Questions:
What comes to mind when you hear the word “Submission”?
How does the world define submission? How is this definition different from God’s definition?
Romans 13:1 says that we are to submit to our government leaders. What makes this difficult? Why must we do this? When should we object if ever? How?
We read that within the Trinity there is submission. What does this mean?
What are the benefits of submission? How does submitting benefit the Church? What have you personally learned from submission?
Read Philippians 2:1-11. How does this passage tell us to submit? How did Jesus demonstrate this best?
Tania Gutekunst 
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