Colossians Chapter 3 Verses 18 – 19

•This is certainly one of the more interesting and difficult topics to discuss in the church today. But not according to God. To God, this is not uncomfortable! Think about that! We have made it uncomfortable and difficult! Why? Because fundamentally, we don’t understand submission and love and how they are eternally linked! Is love a bad word? Of course not! But can you have love without submission? Of course not! Not real love! If nothing is being sacrificed then there is no love! Think about it! Without sacrifice and selflessness, all you’re in…is lust!

•Let’s talk Biblical submission. Because we cannot discuss marital holiness in terms of a wife submitting to her husband without understanding that submission is a character trait of Christ. Did you know that? The night Jesus was betrayed, He went to meet with the Father and His conversation with the Father is recorded for us in Matthew 26. Jesus prayed in anguish that night and yet here are the words of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Matthew 26:39, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will!”

•Christian submission, biblical submission is defined by the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. Submission, hypotasso in the Greek, used 40 times in the Bible, the number of perfect completion. Submission cannot be properly understood apart from this. To say that Jesus Christ, God the Son is anything less than God the Father is heresy. It would be heresy to say that Jesus is of lesser value than the Father, right? And yet what do we see so plainly here? He submits to the Father.

•His submission had nothing to do with His value. Here is where the enemy lies to us on this subject. Nothing at all to do with His worth and everything to do with His love for the Father! It had everything to do with God-ordained structure which without it would not have facilitated the salvation of mankind. Do you see that? Do you understand that? If Jesus had not chosen to submit to the Father, all mankind would be lost…

•Where in the bible do you find God telling Jesus to submit? Nowhere. Why? Because Christian submission, Godly submission is never requested. It is never exacted. It is never demanded! It is always freely given. It is always a choice. It cannot be pressed upon you wives…and husbands if you’re doing that or have done that then hang on, I’ll get to you in a moment. Submission is a choice. It’s designed that way. And in that design we see it’s root.

•The fact is, under all of this, the root of submission to any authority is love. Love first for the Lord and love second for others. It’s so simple. Why do you think that all of the commandments of God are wrapped in one thing…that you should love the Lord? Because truly without loving God, you cannot be saved! Without love for God, you are not born again. True faith, true submission, true repentance, true religion is founded upon love.

•No one on this earth is saved because God loves them. All those that are saved are so because they have decided to love Him back! Because they made the choice to reject self and sacrifice their flesh upon the cross of Jesus Christ for the sake of knowing God Almighty and honoring what He has done in creating us and then buying us with the thing most precious to Him…the blood of His only Son…

•Jesus readily even yearned to submit to the Father, why? Because He was less? No. Because He was love. Should we focus on having to submit or wanting her to submit or dreading submission and therefore working on submission? I don’t think so. What we ought to focus on is love. Because truly… submission and softness, and kindness, and encouragement and complimentary lifestyle (study them…make it easy…default to them…and respect them)…those things are all effects. Effects of love. (The point of submission is the point of compliment. And love…always compliments.)

•Paul continues and commands the men to love their wives and I simply dig how simple the instructions for marriage are in the Bible. If we submit to the Word of God, follow the instructions of the Designer, then I promise you, you will be quite joyful, quite happy. The years will tick by and the grass will not be greener elsewhere! Because you are well taking care of your own lawn! HA!

•If not, if we won’t follow these simple instructions, then we court strife…Husbands are to love, women are to respect. And these two are tied together and cannot be separated. God knows that the greatest need that the woman has is to know that she is loved, that she is loved supremely, that she is secure in that love and feels that security and then anything her man does, it’s all right. She’ll follow him to the ends of the earth!

•And God knows that the greatest need of a man is to be valuable, to be macho (good job)…and for him to know that folks trust in him and that he is able, not incapable. And so as he feels that respect coming from her he gladly submits to her need and loves her crazy unconditionally and as she feels that love coming from him so she gladly submits to his need and allows him the lead and offers respect…and yet the thing you must remember ladies is that you have no clue what respect is…and the thing you must remember fellas is that you have no clue what love is.

•Women are the experts in love…wired that way. They know how to love…men are the experts in respect. Wired that way. We know how to respect. Wives you can love your man all day and drive him crazy…what he desires is respect. And men you can respect your lady all day and drive her crazy…what she desires is love. I’m not saying don’t love him and I’m not saying don’t respect her…not at all…I’m just trying to help you out. That you have to accept that you need help here or you’ll just keep going on as you are today…when God has given you a husband to learn him and God has given you a wife to learn her…

•Men, love listens. Takes time and attention. Love is soft and kind and not easily provoked. Love is selfless. It protects and compliments. Love is investment and attitude. Women, respect listens. Is slow to anger. Respect assumes the best and defaults to the other. Respect is investment and attitude. Respect always protects and compliments.

•I love the first Thor movie. Have you seen it? The whole movie is about love, respect and selflessness. But do you know where the moment of submission is? It is with the compliment. “You will make a wise king,” Thor’s father says. And his response, “There will never be one as wise as you.” Submission occured at that moment. Wives if you are not vocal in complimenting your husbands, you are not submissive and you have no respect for him, and he knows it. You may be up in arms right now in your heart saying, “Yes I do respect him!” I would argue that you love him…but respect…respect compliments…And over time, men you’ll wrestle with the next thought in verse 19…

•Paul gives us an order men. We must heed this one. Do not be bitter towards them. Why would he say that? Simple. Someone in your life doesn’t respect you. Doesn’t compliment you. Betrays you at times even…publically. What do you do? Cut ‘em out! Right? It’s so black and white for us right? We do not keep company with them…they gone! But guess what. We live with our wives don’t we? They don’t quite see the black and white that we see do they? EVERYTHING is gray! And so bitterness is a real danger…the cure? Love. Go to the cross if you have any strength to uphold the vow you swore in front of God! You say you love her? Die for her and become the foot stool upon which she reaches her greatest heights!

Colossians Chapter 3 Verse 20

•Notice, “In all things for this is pleasing to the Lord.” If your parents are telling you to sin is that pleasing to the Lord? No. But other than that, to disobey or to live in a non-complimentary disobedient attitude towards your parents…very displeasing to the Lord. And look kids, not only that, it ain’t helping you out at ALL! Dummies. HA!

Colossians Chapter 3 Verse 21

•So the order of the home is complete. First and foremost…wives, you get top spot. Submit to your own husbands…not to men in general…to your own husbands. Husbands, hand in hand, love your wives. Then the children. This is the correct order and Paul says Dad’s, let them be little and remember, after your wife, they are your highest priority in life.

Colossians Chapter 3 Verse 22

•The modern day word for bondservant is employee. If you have a boss at work…obey them in all things and in sincerity. This is super simple man…and God will lead you and hook you up with favor if you will trust Him…I don’t care how unfair they are to you…are you a Christian or not? Serve the authority in your life in sincerity of heart or serve them in sin…there is NO middle ground.

Colossians Chapter 3 Verses 23 – 25

•Jesus has removed the penalty of all sin. He stood one step behind the Father in the throne room of heaven and cast His lion-like stare upon the earth and said to the Father, “I will go.” He stepped down into creation yet retaining perfection and as a man, set right what man had made wrong. He fulfilled the law and only through the cross of Christ, sin is removed. And yet Paul says something here that may be confusing…

•Jeremiah 2:19 is the key…, “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you.” Every sin has repercussion…there is no partiality…there is no exception…and so Paul pleads…seek the Lord. Set self aside. Sanctify the home unto the Lord. Sanctify the workplace unto the Lord…sanctify your heart…not because you have to…but because you get to…and truly through Jesus, you can.