Jesus was never "politically correct". He didn't let cultural standards sway His decisions. In our definition of "politically correct" nowadays, He may more closely fit the bill. He loved and accepted everyone and was here for the sick and needy not the rich and proud. Isn't that what political correctness is all about? Equality? Acceptance? But back in His time, this was not politically correct. He was not taking political correctness and cultural standards into account. He sat with the Samaritan adulteress by the well in broad daylight, He healed people on the Sabbath, He dined with tax collectors, He forgave people of their sins! And for these reasons He was cast out by most of His society, especially by those who had any sort of "knowledge" or "education". In this world we currently live in, those who are not "politically correct" are deemed "intolerant", "hateful", "un-educated", "sheep", and even "racist" or "chauvinistic". If we don't hold the standard of "universal acceptance" we are not accepted. If we don't fall into the cultural standards, we are the ones doing something wrong, hateful, and close-minded. Everywhere you turn, people are shouting "TOLERANCE! TOLERANCE!" but typically it's those who are yelling the loudest that end up being the least tolerant of others. We have free speech but only if it is "politically correct" speech. Everything you say ends up offending someone, somewhere. So how do we, as Christians, hold to our beliefs even when they may not be the most "politically correct"?
God is our Creator. He created time, He created humans, He created free will, He created limits, and He created guidelines. God never took humans' ideas into play during creation. He never needed any help with construction or planning. He spoke and it was. And it was good. It was perfect. It was exactly as it should have been. This means, He didn't make a mistake by putting the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden, He didn't make a mistake giving Eve to Adam, He didn't make a mistake giving His law to Moses with the outline of how to live a holy and God-pleasing life, and He didn't make a mistake outlining the structure and order of marriage throughout the entire Bible. So why is it that us humans like to question so much about what the Bible has clearly spoken on? I'm not going to touch the subject of marriage only being between a man and a woman today, but what I do want to touch on is the design God has for marriage and how clear He has made it in the Bible. My women's Bible Study at church is going through Colossians right now and this week we went over Colossians 3:17-4:1. These are (some of) the verses in the Bible that focus on the topic of submission and marriage. Specifically in this section of the Word, it sums it up for the wives in one verse: "Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." Colossians 3:18. So there it is! That's all right? Well, Ephesians 5:22 helps us understand it a bit more: "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord." Alright, now lets define "submission": the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person. So it appears that God wants us to yield to the will and authority of our husbands. But now the hard part: HOW?? Before I get into that, I want to touch on the other verses that follow both of these verses on submission. "Husbands, love your wives and don't be harsh with them." (Colossians 3:19) and "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." Ephesians 5:25-28. If husbands were loving their wives as they do themselves and as Christ loves the church and being kind and gracious to them, how hard would it really be for wives to submit to their husbands? I would dare to say that it probably wouldn't be that hard! We must remember that God designed marriage to be orderly and balanced and perfect in His sight. He gives us the beautiful example of Christ's love for His bride, the church, that He loved even till death. Here's a helpful way to break down God's design: Christ can only be Christ and the church can only be the church. The church is Christ's bride. Christ is the church's groom. Christ is surely above (head of) the church (Ephesians 1:21-22). So by default the church is below Christ. God compares the husband to the role of Christ and wives to the role of the church (Ephesians 5:25). It doesn't get much clearer to me than that. That is God's design. That is His plan. We have our roles. Just as Christ does. 1 Corinthians 11:3 says, "The head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." Does this mean women aren't equal with men? Does this mean God loves men more? Well, is Christ not also God but in a different part? Does not Christ have the same entity as God but in a different form? So do women have the sameness with men yet take a different role. We are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28)! Also, I'd like to add here that man alone is not the image of God, man and woman are the image of Christ. "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27. If women were all men and all acting as men, could the fullness of God and His plan be fulfilled? I would argue no. What if Jesus had refused to become incarnate and said He only wanted to fulfill His role as God's role? God's will would not have been done. It's the scary word "submission" that makes women cringe. It sounds weak, it sounds unfair, it sounds pitiful and it sounds offensive. Would we describe Christ like that? He was a sheep, gentle and meek. Jesus was perfectly submissive. Remember the definition of submission we read earlier? "Yielding to the will or authority of another person." Here's what Christ had to say about His will: "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 6:39. Christ became the role that God gave Him humbly and with joy. So HOW do we even begin to learn how to submit to our husbands? Well, for starters, we have a perfect example in Christ. I'm going to try and wrap this up this up quickly here as I know this is getting long. If we go down the chain of command in our hearts each day, it becomes a lot simpler. For example: I yield to God, each day, asking Him to let His will be done and not mine, I am reminded that His will is for me to submit to my husband, I am shown that Jesus was the perfect example of trust and submission, I am filled with the Holy Spirit which enables me with everything I need for a life of godliness, I am able to submit to my husband, fully trusting that the Lord will take care of what I cannot control (my husband's response to Col 3:19 and Eph 5:25-28) and will bless me for my obedience. That is how wives are able to submit to their husbands. Not by any of our personal strength, but only by Christ's strength in us and by joyfully following God's perfect layout of marriage. Is it going to be easy? Probably not! Do we understand why it is the way it is? Not exactly! Do we have to know why? Nope! We just have to trust that God knows what He's doing and He doesn't have to follow any cultural standards or political correctness because He is I AM. He doesn't have to report to anyone or fit any mold. We just have to trust Him because He is a loving, wise, just, and PERFECT Father! "And whatever you do,whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 Do it for God first, then the joy will come for you to do it unto your husband! God bless!
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About Me:Hello! I'm Roxy. Enjoy reading my thoughts as I strive to understand God's character and truth and admonish it faithfully to His church. Please email at [email protected] with inquiries. Archives
September 2018
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