Hupotasso

Last night at church was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Flood is going through the book of Ephesians, and I knew that last night was going to be covering Ephesians 5:22-33. This passage is about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church, and wives submitting to their husbands. I went in with the mindset that "Well, I'm not married or even dating for that matter, so this isn't going to relate to me at all." Well, I was wrong. This passage used to make me cringe. The word "submit" has such a negative connotation in our society today. It gives off such a "master/slave" feeling. The slave is submissive to his master. It was always such an odd thing to think about, wives submitting to their husbands. Matt explained submission in a way that made it all make sense in my mind though. While the passage specifically was speaking on husbands and wives, it applies to everyone, regardless of marital status. Submission is supporting the mission of God in the lives of others. It is done out of respect, not inferiority. He then talked about three points of submission.

1. If you are not submitting to those closest to you, you are not submitted to God.

2. Everyone has a role of submission.

3. Worship is the fuel of a life of submission.

We are called to be in submission, or Hupotasso, to Christ out of love and respect for Him. It may seem easy to submit to God, but unless you are also submitting to those closest to you, you are missing the point. Being in submission to the people in your lives is one of the best ways to show God's love to others.

Just to touch quickly back on the whole "Husbands and Wives" thing, Mark Driscoll did an amazing sermon on Men and Marriage a while back that goes more into depth on what it means to be the kind of husband that a Godly woman of Christ deserves. He also did a sermon on Women and Marriage that also dives into scripture on the matter. I watched them both about a year ago, and though I couldn't apply it to a marriage, it helped lay the groundwork for the man that I wanted to become so that I could one day be the husband that the Bible calls me to be.

We should all be striving to live a life of Hupotasso, not just to Christ, but to everyone around us. Husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, family, roommates, bosses. Respect those closest to you. Love those closest to you. Submit to those closest to you. In doing so, you are submitting to God.

Eternally His,

Andrew