Learning How To Follow The Command Of Submission

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man

for the Lords sake: whether it be to the king,

as supreme; or to governors, as unto them 

that are sent by Him for the punishment of

evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

For so is the will of God, that with well doing

ye may put to silence the ignorance of

 foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty

for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the

servants of God.  Honor all men.  Love the

brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the king.

I Peter 2: 13 -- 17

     To submit means to be in subjection and this is exactly what the Greek word means in literal translation.  Submission has come to have a negative connotation and people do not want to be under submission for they would rather be autonomous and control their own lives.  This is what is being taught by television through talk shows with supposed psychiatrist and doctors, etc., and is promoted to the media whether it be television, movies, or any other way to teach that man must control their own destiny.  To a point they are correct.  There are times when we are not to submit.  We are to be inclined or to be ready to submit without resistance and to be humbly obedient.  We are to submit or be submissive and humbly obedient to Jesus Christ.  We are to have a conduct or an attitude of submission.  We are to have an agreement between other parties to abide by the decision.  We are to give over and to yield power or authority to another.  Oh!  How we hate this idea!  Yet, we are being told that we are to be in submission.  The Greek for this word to be under submission is plural and it is imperative, in other words it is a command to start doing what you are not going and it is speaking to you and me for it is imperative and an aorist, and it is plural for it is for all of us who claim to be Christian. in other words it is your responsibility to be in submission.

     Does submission mean that we are to just turn the other cheek and allow another to do what ever they so desire to us?  No!  If you will remember that when the 70 men went out as Jesus commanded they took with them swords.  They did not take those sorts just a cut their meat or to slice butter.  They took those swords to protect themselves.  To use force to protect oneself is not wrong if it is done for the right reason.  Furthermore as Christians we are to be in submissive to every ordinance of Jesus Christ.  Do you understand that we do not have a choice in this matter?  Oh, yes you can ignore this command but if you do you're going against the command of your savior Jesus Christ.  Read Romans Chapter 13 and you will find that Paul speaks about this very same thing.

     I hear often Christians complaining about the government, about abortion, about homosexuality, and now the transgender effort so that anyone can use a bathroom whether it be man or woman and whether or not they be man or woman.  It is compliant, compliant, compliant, compliant with little if any action to correct the problem.  It is as though nothing is being done but for the majority of people who go to church and call themselves Christians be will not do anything that will ruffle their feathers or cause them any kind of effort or discomfort.  In fact, as Christians we have the power in our voting, and in our choosing to whom to vote for if we choose to do so and that choosing has the power to cause those things that are simple: i.e., abortion, homosexuality in all of its forms and uses, even to choose men who will make decisions according to the will of God and not by their own suppositions. Our responsibility, for the Lord's sake is to be in subjection to the King, in our case here in the United States it is to the president and to the governors of the states in which we reside in other men and women who are governing city, states, and the country.

     As Christians taking our responsibility to ensure that the justice of God is that which is ruining our nation according to men who follow the will of God then this will bring praise to those who are doing well things.  Government was set up by God to control those who are evil doers and not to control those who are not evil doers, why control people who are not evil doers for a day are not causing a problem.  When we take charge of our responsibility to uphold the justice of God we are putting to silence the ignorance of those foolish men and women who are making decisions, laws, and bringing onto our nation if not the world as a whole sinfulness.  As three men and women we are to put this silence those people.  We must remember that we are to not use our liberty in some malicious manner for we are servants of God.

     Honor God, honor all men, love the brotherhood, honor the king. 

When a country is rebellious,

     it has many rulers, but

a man of understanding and

     knowledge maintains order.

A ruler who oppresses the poor

     is like a driving rain that

leaves no crops.  Those who forsake

     the law praise the wicked, but

those who keep the law resists them.

     Evil man do not understand justice,

but those who seek the LORD

     understand it fully.

                Proverbs 28: 2 -- 5

As a Christian be involved

Richard L. Crumb