Tag: submit
Authorities are God’s
Scripture reading for February 25th: Romans 13
Key Scriptures: Romans 13:1-5 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who caries out God’s wrath on the wrong-doer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.”
This excellent teaching on our relationship with governing authorities is one that has need of emphasis in our time and day. God is over all authority, secular or religious, from the home to the government to the church. Believers are to submit or be subject to authority because God is over them. Rules are to be obeyed, unless they violate God’s Word. Those who disobey will be subject to punishment by the authorities and those who obey will have no need to worry or fear. It is God we are obeying and serving and we are to honor and submit to Him and His established authorities.
Romans 13:8, 10 “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” . . . “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to understand and apply these truths on authority in my life as one under authority and one in authority. May Your law of love be fulfilled in and through me.
Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Open door for effective work!
Scripture reading for July 28th: 1st Corinthians 16
“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (1st Corinthians 16:2) As Paul concluded his letter to this church he loved, he directed them in their manner of giving to help him in his ministry. Paul asked them to set aside some money each Sunday and save it up for when he came. This was to be in proportion to their income. God did not want all they had, only what they could cheerfully give. That way, no pressure would be felt from Paul for an offering when he was there. We should give purposefully, not out of emotion or pressure.
Paul planned on visiting this church and wanted to stay for a while when he could come. But for the present time, he felt the Lord’s direction to stay in Ephesus. “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (1st Corinthians 16:8-9) God opens doors for his ministers. But this does not mean that there is no opposition! In fact, opposition may be greatest where there are open doors!
Paul also stated that it was a door for ‘effective’ work. Acts 18 describes how Paul was opposed by the Jews after testifying that Jesus was the Christ in the synagogue. He shook his clothes out and went to the house of Justice where the ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, came and believed resulting in salvation to his entire household! The opposition did not keep Paul from effective ministry as the Holy Spirit worked through the Gospel to draw families to Christ!
The Church: Bride of Christ!
Scripture reading for December 2nd: Ephesians 1-6
Ephesians is one of the most encouraging epistles of Paul. Written from prison, Paul shares the mystery of the church as the bride of Christ with all who read this letter. The letter is written , “To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 1:1) All who believe in Jesus Christ are considered “saints”, those set apart for the master’s use. Each saint was chosen by Jesus and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms through relationship with Him. (Ephesians 1:3-14) Believers have been lavished with God’s grace through forgiveness of sins and adoption as sons. They have had the mystery of His will revealed to them. They have a down payment of future blessedness, the promised Holy Spirit!
Paul prays two beautiful prayers for the saints recorded in Ephesians 1:15-19 and 3:14-21. These prayers are models for our praying for spiritual insight into who we are in Christ and what He has given us. Christ’s love for those He has chosen is so high and long and wide and deep that only by personal revelation can it be fathomed! Paul bowed his knees before the Father in prayer and worship, praying from the depth of his heart. What encouragement for us to know that we have been prayed for in this manner! To consider that God can do “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to the power at work in us,” (Ephesians 3:20) is exciting and opens up a new world for us.
Paul deals with practical matters of human relationships, including husbands and wives. Mutual submission to each other out of respect for Christ is a great foundation for marriage. (Ephesians 5:21) Wives should submit to their husbands as to Christ. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and laid His life down for her. Paul states that these thoughts are a profound mystery! (Ephesians 5:32) Christ is the husband of His bride, the church and loves her as His own body! He is one with the church as a husband is one with his wife. Christ must be submitted to and reverenced by the church as the wife is to submit to and reverence her husband.
May we ponder this mystery today and apply the truths to our daily lives. Marriages are to be visual aides to understand Christ and the Church.