Thursday, August 6, 2020

Letters to My Grandchildren: Submission

My Dear Grandchildren,

Today, we’re going to take a look at a word that so many people these days just hate. And the word is submission. People hate that word because they have been taught to be independent individuals. Such people submit to no one. But the fact of the matter is that God made all of creation with submission, and therefore authority, in mind.

Consider how God established our world. When He created Adam and Eve, one of the first things that He did was to give them authority over it.
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule[!] the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
So, right off the bat, there is authority. And this authority that God gave to Adam and Eve wasn’t to be exercised in a vacuum. Adam and Eve were to rule as those who are in submission to God. 
 
This authority/submission structure is built into creation. You can see it in how God established civil government, the family and the church. There are some who are in authority in each of these. At the same time, there are some who are to submit in each of these. And someone in authority in one of these areas likely has to submit to someone in authority in another of these areas. Submitting to authority is how life is to work.

However, as in everything else, sin has messed up this area also. As a result, life isn’t working for people. This points to another aspect of the Gospel. Jesus has come so that life would work. That means that Jesus has come to restore God’s authority/submission structure.

Now, why did God set things up in this way? What’s the point of these authority/submission structures? The answer to this question is not very complicated. The goal of those who are in authority is to lead those that they have authority over to the goal that God has established for them. And the goal of those who are to submit is to follow the lead of those in authority, again, so that they would achieve the goal God established for them. It’s about working together as a team, some leading and others following.

But so many are committed to an independent attitude instead of being submissive. Because they think in this way, they refuse to be a part of the team. So, the goal gave them isn’t achieved.

But sin doesn’t only affect those who are called to submit. It also affects those who are given authority to lead. They can lead poorly. Sometimes they don’t exercise any authority. In this way they are actually encouraging people to think in independent ways. Here, think of how some parents allow their children to do whatever they want. In effect, these children are being taught to think only of what they want and not of the team, the family. Then, there are those who lead poorly by being way too harsh in how they exercise authority. Here, think of those parents who act in this way and crush their children. Paul speaks to both of these problems.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
Just as people need to learn to submit, they also need to learn how to lead, to be in authority.

Each of you has some authority right now. There is some aspect of life that you are responsible for. (For just one example, think bunny rabbits!) So, you need to exercise your authority wisely. And as you work at that, you will find that it is more difficult to do that than what you might have expected. This is important because it will help you to appreciate those who have authority over you and are trying to wield that authority wisely.

At the same time, you are all also under some authority to which you are to submit. You are under the authority of your parents. That’s also the case when it comes to the elders of the church and government officials.

Bear in mind why God set up life in this way. Good leadership (the wise use of authority) and willing submission (instead of an independent attitude) will get the team to the goal.

There are, however, limits to what God requires of you in terms of submitting to human authority. Your submission to what someone in authority is telling you to do cannot include sinning. And the reason for that is obvious. Submitting to God’s authority trumps every other authority. You can’t disobey Him in order to obey them. Again, you can see the damage that sin has done. If there were no sin, I could skip this whole paragraph. All those in authority would use it wisely and never ask anyone to do anything against the authority of God. But that’s not our situation.

I’ve given you a very basic outline of submission. There are other issues that are involved here. If you have some specific question that goes beyond what I’ve written let me know.

You will find that this is going to become a very important issue to think through. And that is because what little influence the Gospel has had in our culture is fading away. So, you’ll need to do some thinking and praying about what it is that God expects of you when it comes to authority and submission.

With my love,
Grandpa B

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