Submission

We humans are not born knowing how to get along with one another. We seem to know how to take care of ourselves, number one, naturally, but we don't naturally know how to relate to others. I want to give us a vital key today, a vital ingredient in our relationships with one another that I've come to understand more fully in recent years and strive to apply in my own life. And the key word that this is going to focus on today is submission. Now, right away, when we hear the word submission, there can be a negative connotation that comes to mind. Oh, that means somebody is over-lording it over me and maybe taking advantage of me.

But though this word is a very positive word when we understand it in its scriptural context, and that's where we plan to put it. It's a very important doctrine in the Bible, and our relationships with one another, how well we do in our relationships, depends upon understanding this concept and this principle. This is true in our families, in our marriages, in our communities, and also right here in the church. The Greek word for submission is hupotasso, as spelled H-U-P-O-T-A-S-S-O. The first is actually taken from two Greek roots. The first root is hupo, which means beneath, underneath, and tasso, which means to arrange.

Hupo tasso means to arrange underneath. It means then to subordinate. It means to assign beneath. It means to submit. It's often translated submit in the Bible. Let's notice that the Bible has a lot to say about submission. Of course, first of all, we know that we do submit to God. Let's turn to a verse on that. We won't read very many verses on that one because that's a given.

We do arrange ourselves beneath God's government. We do submit to Him as supreme. In James 4, verses 6 and 7, He gives more grace, therefore He says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Verse 7, therefore submit to God, resist the devil, He will flee from you. So we do, first of all, first and foremost of all, we do submit to God. I want us to turn to the next book here, 1 Peter, chapter 2, and notice that there's a lot of submission at the human level. Beginning, of course, we'll begin with human government, like our civil government, our federal government, our state and local government, that we are to submit to our federal, state and local government over us. In 1 Peter, chapter 2, and in verse 11, Beloved, I beg you, as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation.

That is, in the future, when their minds are open to the truth. Notice in verse 13, how are we to conduct ourselves with our civil government? Now we're under. Verse 13, Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, in our case we have a president, or to governors, we have our state governor, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, who could come on down to the local level, also in our counties and in our cities, in our local communities where we live.

We are then to submit to civil government. Now we will not turn to it right now, but you could read the first, about, say, eight or ten verses in the book of Romans, chapter 13, and it says to be subject to the governing authorities, because no one is in a position of government except that God allows it. So we are to certainly be submissive to civil government. We're coming on down in this same chapter, 1 Peter 2, to verse 18. Let's expand who we are to be submissive to even further. Verse 18, servants. Today we would say employees.

Servants, be submissive to your masters. We call them bosses. So employees, be submissive to your bosses with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. And just this morning, up in Rome, someone mentioned that he had a little bit of problems getting along with his boss, and that this sermon was a help to him.

Yes, you know, the boss may not always be right, but he's always boss. You know, we've heard that saying. And so therefore, as long as we are working for a company, or working for an individual, and we have a boss over us, we are to be submissive to that boss. If it ever gets where you can't be submissive, you should simply do the honorable thing and resign and go find another job. But employees then should be submissive to their bosses with all fear, even if the boss makes it a bit difficult to get along with him.

But let's expand it even more. What about the family? We're going to look at the submission in the family. Look at chapter 3 and verse 1. Likewise, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands. We're all well aware of this, that God has set up one to be the head of the family. And according to the Scriptures, the husband is to be that head, but he's got to be the right kind of head.

We'll get to that in just a moment. But on the wife's side or part, she is to be submissive to her husband. And if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of the wives. And it goes on down to mention the chaste conduct of the wife, which is to be her inner beauty, that beautiful inner hidden person of the heart. Verse 4, and that's how holy women of old, including Sarah, verse 6, conduct to themselves.

But what about the husband? He doesn't have any submitting, does he? Brethren, in many ways, the husband is to be the greatest submitter in the human family. The head of the family is to be the greatest server, the greatest giver, and the one that submits the most. Even though he's the head, he's always looking out for his wife and his children, his family. And that's what verse 7 gets into. Likewise, notice that word likewise. This submission thing then comes on down to the husband also, because he is submitting himself to provide leadership for the family, a godly leadership.

Likewise, you husbands dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the wicker vessel and being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. You know, husband realizes his responsibility is toward his wife and toward his children. It's not toward himself. He doesn't look out for number one.

He looks out for his family, for his children, and their welfare, and makes sure that they are cared for. And he actually puts himself number two and his family number one. So there's a lot of submission that we are reading about already. Let's go to Colossians 3, and we see just a little bit more about submission in the family.

There are several verses here that relate to this thing of submitting to others and putting ourselves second. You know, when we arrange ourselves beneath others, we are actually putting ourselves second. We are born to put ourselves number one. The Scriptures teach that we have to submit and put ourselves number two. That's not a natural thing to do. In Colossians 3, verse 18, wives submit to your own husbands as is fitting in the Lord. So we've read about that already in 1 Peter 3. Then it gets to the husbands again, verse 19, husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter toward them. Husbands should never be that way toward his wife. But then it gets into the children. Verse 20, children obey your parents in all things. This is pleasing to the Lord. So the children learn to be submissive to their parents, their fathers and their mothers. Then in verse 21, fathers, here's instruction toward the parents. And I think this would certainly extend out to the mother as well. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. So parents ought to nourish their children, encourage their children, and certainly not be too hard on the children. Parents should be looking out for the welfare and the benefit of the children. I tell you, that means a lot of submission on the part of the parents. All the parents are in charge. They're in control of the children. But they're always looking out for the benefit of the children. I tell you, there's a lot of submitting from the time a child is born until that child goes on through college and becomes fully self-sufficient. Maybe around, say, somewhere around age, early 20s, 22, we might say, or so, years of age, this child becomes more able to take care of himself. There's a lot of watching after children. Any parent can attest to that. There's going to be a lot of submitting to the needs of the child. So that's what this is talking about, that parents would do that. There's a lot of submitting then, even though the parents are fully in charge, as far as the overall leadership of the child. But then it gets into the thing of employees again. Verse 22, servants, that is, employees, obey in all things your master's, your boss, according to the flesh, not with eye service, not when the boss is looking, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. It's a good, faithful, loyal service to your boss and to your company. And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men, just like if Jesus Christ were your boss. That's how you should work for your human boss.

Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ. But he that does wrong will be repaid for the wrong which he has done, and there is no partiality. So if we don't do it that way, there's going to be a price we have to pay. But we say, well, I guess the boss doesn't have to do any submitting, does he? Oh, yes, he does. Look at chapter 4 in verse 1. Masters, oh, we get to the boss. We get maybe to the owner of the company.

Masters, give your servants what is just and fair. You know, a boss has to treat his employees right. His employees are helping him to make a profit. His employees are helping him to make his own living. So he has to treat his employees right. He has to look out for their welfare. In that sense, he is submitting to them. They're sort of like a husband watching after his family, so a boss looks after his servants, his employees. And realizing also, as it goes on to say, that you also have a master in heaven. So, you know, you want your master in heaven to treat you right and take care of you, then you do the same thing toward your employees, your servants.

So we are seeing then that there's a lot of submitting. Just a lot of submitting. We submit on the job. We submit in the family. We submit to civil government. They're not done yet. What about the church? Is there submission in the church? Yes. Let's read a couple of verses on that. 1 Corinthians 16. We'll find there is submission in the church of God. Also, there's government in the church.

You know, I'm a man that is under authority. There are those over me. There are those I answer to at the human level. And so my responsibility is to submit myself, to arrange myself beneath the structure that God has established in the church. 1 Corinthians 16. Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.

That's a loaded verse, isn't it? Verse 14. Let all, everything that you do be done with love. I urge you, brethren, you know the household of Stephanos, that is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they devoted themselves, it means they were addicted to the ministry of the saints, and that you also submit, here's that word, submission again, that you submit to such and to everyone who works and labors with us. So there's submission in the church. Turn over to Hebrews 13, and we read this very clearly stated.

Hebrews 13 and verse 17. Of course, verse 7 says, to remember those that have the rule over you, that have spoken the word of God. And then verse 17 goes even further to say, obey those who rule over you. We should have an obedient attitude and spirit and heart to those that God has placed in positions of responsibility in the church.

Our president, our council of elders, the chairman of the council of elders, we also have regional area coordinators and pastors, we have someone that is over the ministry of the church. So there's a structure of leadership that God has established in the church, and we should be obedient. Obey those that have the rule over you, and be submissive. For they watch out for your souls, they're looking out for our best interest, as those who must give account, let them do it with joy and not with grief, because that'd be unprofitable for us.

So yes, there is submission within the church as well. So just think about that. We submit to God's rule. We put ourselves second to God. He's over us. We submit to human government. Long as there's not a conflict with God's laws, we submit on the job to our boss. And if we are a boss, we submit to our employees, making sure that their needs are taken care of. There's submission there. If we are a boss or owner of a company, we submit in the family, in our marriages, with the parent-child relationships, and we also submit in the church.

But notice even further, it gets into an age category, the younger and the older, submitting to one another. 1 Peter 5. 1 Peter 5. And in verse 5, you can read the first four verses for how the ministry is to conduct itself, how they are to be serving willingly and eagerly. And there is overseeing, yes, there's oversight, that is to be done willingly and eagerly, and not being a Lord over the flock, verse 3, but being an example to the flock. So the ministry is instructed on how it is to lead in the church of God.

And verse 5 says, Likewise, you younger people, these would be teenagers, those maybe in their twenties, young adults, maybe in their thirties even, submit yourselves to your elders, to people that are older. The Old Testament says to be respectful toward the hoary head, to be respectful then toward those who have been around for many years, older people, we call them senior citizens today.

Well, that gray hair, and there may be a few wrinkles, there is a lot of experience that is there, and we should be respectful toward it, and even submissive. All of you, submit yourselves to your elders, but then notice the last part of verse 5.

Yes, and Peter then makes it all inclusive. All of you, be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, because God does resist the prowl that gives grace to the humble. And for us to be submissive to one another in a godly way takes a humility. A humility that comes from God's Spirit guiding and directing us. But you know, in every one of our human relationships then, including the relationship with God, there is submission.

If our relationships are to work with each other, that's true of husbands and wives. The husband has to submit to his wife and her needs and desires, and the wife has to submit to the husband in his position and responsibility, his needs and desires, and the parents submit to the children, the children to the parents on the job, the employees submit to the boss, but the boss submits to the employees, or the boss or owner of the business.

In the church there is submission. In the older, you know, I'm sure that we could say the opposite is true. It says here, younger people submit to the elders. But generally, the elders also submit to the young people, and that they are always ready to help and serve younger people.

If there's any question, any way that they can help the younger people, there's a submission across the board. In every human relationship, if it is to work properly, there's going to be this element, this ingredient of submission. I want you to... let's also read one other verse about that in Ephesians 5, verse 21. And this again is a verse that shows, yes, there's submission across the board in every relationship that we have. And it's based upon love, it's based upon humility, it's based upon looking out for the welfare and benefit of others, not just looking out for number one.

Ephesians 5, verse 21, submitting to one another in the fear of God. There you have it. So we do, across the board, submit to one another in all of our relationships. You know, just to take it to the extreme, at the human level, go to Matthew 5.

What about if somebody becomes your enemy, though? He's really out to do you in. He might even be out to do away with you, to kill you. Well, there's a submission even there. There is instruction in the Bible how we are to relate to our enemies. Let's read that in Matthew 5, verse 43. You've heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But Jesus here brings out, Sermon on the Mount, I say to you, love your enemies. Brethren, this is not a platitude. Jesus didn't mean this in some sentimental way.

He meant this is the way we are to do it. This is the way we are to live. This is our mindset. I say to you, love your enemies. That's how we submit even to our enemies. We love them. Bless those who curse you. This is certainly opposite what human beings do. Somebody curses us. We want to curse them back or get back at them. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. This is how we are to relate to an enemy. You know, one verse in Romans 12 brings out that when we have the soft answer, when we do good to those that hate us, it's like heaping coals of fire.

Many times it helps to lessen the hatred of the person. He begins to say, well, I guess he's not quite as bad as I thought he was. The soft answer does tend to turn away wrath. And to do good to those who hate us and do wrong to us does heap coals of fire upon them. It might cause them to back away and not want to be quite as hard on us. So it's just the right way of doing business anyway. And God would have us to pray for them and to love them and try to find ways to improve the relationship.

In doing so, we are submitting even to our enemies. That's the way we submit to them. So I don't think there's any human relationship that we don't have some submission involved, this ingredient that we're talking about. Submitting to another human being and wishing well for him and trying to handle ourselves in the right way. Because even an enemy, one day, an enemy will have a different opportunity to think differently and to repent. And one day there will be the possibility of a brotherly relationship. And that person will remember back and remember how we did good to them even when they were trying to do evil to us.

And you know, just think of this, look at verse 45. That you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes... If we want to be a Son of God, we do have to master how to love our enemies and how to do good to them.

That you may be the sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His Son rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. And doesn't God do that? He sends rain upon the evil. They still get their gardens, they grow their crops. God blesses the evil, the wicked, they still eat food from His earth, they still breathe air, they still enjoy life.

And God doesn't wipe them out. One day in a day of understanding, they will look back and say, God, you were so good to me when I was disobedient. They'll see the love of God and how God did not cut them off. And you know, our enemies one day too will look back and remember that we did not do them harm. We did not try to do them in.

In fact, we did good to them when they were trying to do evil to us. So that's just God's way again and does fit into having this submission toward others. We have a couple of good examples. Let's read them very quickly. Abraham, Genesis 13, a good example of submission to Lot in this case.

Genesis 13, and verse 2, Abraham was very rich in livestock, in silver, in gold. And guess what? Lot, verse 5, also was rich. He had flocks and herds. And verse 6 says the land was not able to support them because they had so many possessions. They could not dwell together. In verse 7, we read there was strife between the herdsmen of Abraham's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock.

So what did you do? There could have been a falling out between Abraham and Lot. But look at the maturity of Abraham, verse 8. Abraham said to Lot, Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brethren. Hey, let's talk this over. Notice who was taking the lead. Abraham. Now, who was Abraham? He was the uncle. Who was Lot?

He was the nephew. The uncles got a higher rank. Abraham was older. Abraham, though, submitted. He arranged himself beneath Lot. And he said, in verse 9, Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me, and if you take the left, I will go to the right. And if you go to the right, I will go to the left.

So Lot looked at the plains of Jordan. It was well watered, like the Garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt when you go toward Zohar. And he chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and journeyed east, and they separated from each other. And so they didn't have any falling out. They must have had contact with each other along the way, some contact. But, in fact, Abraham went with an army of people to rescue Lot just a bit later on. But by submitting himself, Abraham preserved and strengthened that relationship with his nephew.

And he heard the uncle, who was older and had more seniority, because he was the uncle, arranged himself underneath his nephew and let the nephew decide which way he would go. Let's go to Genesis chapter 50. Another good example. Joseph submitted to the needs of his brothers after the death of their father. In Genesis chapter 50 and verse 15, when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, perhaps Joseph will hate us and will actually repay us for all the evil we did to him.

So they sent messengers, and they said, before your father died, he commanded saying, apparently Jacob had done this, And so the brothers said, now please forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father. You know, when Joseph heard that, he had no evil in his heart toward them. But when he realized that they still felt remorse, they still felt guilt from what they had done, he put them at ease.

He wept as they spoke to him, and his brothers fell down before his face and said, we're your servants. And Joseph said, do not be afraid. I'm behind the place of God, so he had them to get up. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is today to save many people alive.

Now therefore, do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones. And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. So you know, Joseph submitted to his brothers, and their feeling of remorse, and he showed them, you don't need to be afraid of me. I'll take care of you. And there is that love and that submission to his brothers, and they were at ease.

And of course, they lived out their lives in a peaceful and loving relationship. We find submission in the church in the book of Acts, chapter 15. Just a good example that in the church of God, in the leadership, there needs to be submission. And we see a good example of this in Acts, chapter 15.

This, as we will remember, is the chapter, often called the circumcision chapter. A big decision was made about circumcision, and namely that it was not required of the Gentiles to be circumcised to be members of the church. Some were saying that they needed to be circumcised in order to be members of the church of God. So they came together to discuss it in verse 6, Acts 15 and verse 6. The apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter of circumcision. When there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said, much dispute, you see, the church of God, we can have much discussion on something, and we can consider one another's input, and there can be much discussion. That's true in families also. And of course, it's good when it's that way in businesses, in every relationship or group of people, to have discussion, much discussion. Peter rose up and said, men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us that by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be saved in the same manner as they. And Peter is saying they received God's Spirit uncircumcised. God did not require them to be circumcised to receive His Spirit. Well, in verse 12, they listened to Peter, then the multitude kept silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul, describing how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

Then after they had become silent, James got up and kind of put it all together. And so he said in verse 19, I judge that we should not trouble those who from among the Gentiles are turning to God, except they were to do certain things. Verse 20, abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, things strangled and from blood.

Circumcision would not be one of those things that would be required in order to be a member of the Church. So God's Spirit was guiding in all of this, but there was a lot of discussion going on, a lot of listening to one another. We believe in our ministerial conferences, like our Council of Elders, they discuss things. Sometimes there is much disputing, but God's Spirit is guiding and directing which way the Church should go. We believe in the same way that God's Spirit was guiding right in this situation with circumcision. So anyway, they wrote a letter. They sent it to Antioch. And notice how the Church submitted to this decision, verse 30 and 31, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. And when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter, a decision about circumcision. And when they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. And so the Church accepted this decision that had been reached at Jerusalem by God's ministry. So there is just, then, in the Bible a lot of examples of submitting to one another. And here, in this case, reaching a spiritual consensus. One more example of submission. The Apostle Paul was able to submit to almost every situation, it seems, without compromising, though, with God's law. Turn to 1 Corinthians 9, just an excellent example of being able to consider others and actually as a part of his job in preaching the gospel, and able to get through to people in being able to have this type of approach, the submissive approach. In 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 19, here Paul wrote, For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all.

I submit myself to everyone. But why? That I might win the more. This was a way of preaching the gospel, and it was a way of relating to people where they are in order to bring them where he would want them to be. He says in verse 20, to the Jews, I became as a Jew. He identified with the mindset of the ordinary Jew, that I might win Jews.

To those who are under the law, by that he means even circumcision and some of the physical things of the law, as under the law, he tried to relate and identify with them where they were, that I might win those who are under the law. To those who are without law, then he became as without law, but not being without law himself, to word God, but under the law, to word Christ. He kept the law, but he would try to relate to where these people were without the law, that I might win those who are without law. Verse 22, to the week I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And you just see a lot of submitting to where people were. He didn't compromise himself with God's law, but he was able to understand the Jewish mindset, those who felt they had to be circumcised and under the law, those who were without any law, and those who were weak, he was able to relate to them. I've become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Now, this I do for the Gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. So, you know, we try also to understand where people are today, and we strive to relate to them. We strive to understand their mindset. I'll tell you what, in our age today, it's not easy with all the media we have and people being so distracted and being so busy. How do you catch people's attention and get them to really think about the Bible and study in the Bible and prove the truth? We're trying to grab their attention. We're trying to be all things to all people, so we can maybe at least have some that will respond and believe.

So, we see a lot of the need for submission, then, and how to apply this in our lives. What about God? Does God submit? Yes, He does. At the highest level, God is on His throne, and He listens to us day and night. He considers our needs.

Sometimes we might pray to Him, and He might change His mind about something. Moses, God was going to destroy Israel and then make a nation out of Moses. Moses said, No, you can't do that. People will think you weren't able to deliver these people to the land you said you would.

So, God changed His mind. He didn't destroy Israel, like He said He was going to do. So, God does submit. He does listen to us, and He does take care of us and watch out for our needs all the time. What about Jesus Christ? Well, turn to Hebrews 4. He's at the right hand of God. He's our high priest, and He's able to help us. He submits to our needs. He understands what it's like, the things that we are going through. So, in Hebrews 4 and verse 14, Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Keep right on going, then, in our calling. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. Christ understands. He does sympathize. He submits to us in that way. He intercedes for us. He explains what it's like to the Father, to be human. He does sympathize with our weaknesses. He was in all points tempted as we are, and yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

And we find that mercy because Christ is there, constantly listening and interceding and intervening and helping for us. So God, you know, lives the way of submission. He submits to our needs. He listens to us. He's still the boss. He's still God. He's in control. But He's always considering what we need. Just like loving parents are always looking out for their children. Our Father is always looking out for us. So we need to learn this way of submission in our relationships.

We must not be so strong-willed and opinionated that we cannot listen and consider the opinions and viewpoints and needs and desires of others. We must not want our own way so badly that we cannot give in to the needs and desires of others. Sometimes the greatest way that we can learn and follow the give way is to give in. And just not insist it has to be our way. Sometimes there's another way. There's more than one way to do something. It doesn't always have to be done just one way only.

And it takes a strong person to realize that and submit and try to make another way work than what he thinks the way he thinks it should be. But we need this ingredient of submission in our relationships with each other. I need it in my relationship with you, and you need it in your relationship with me, and we need it in our relationship with each other.

We need it in our families, husbands and wives, parents and children, children and parents, in our jobs and in our communities. We need this ingredient of submission. We need to learn to submit to the true needs of others. We need to learn to care for them and look out for them, and only to want the well-being and the good for others, and that we would never hurt or do harm.

Many times that means just controlling our tongue as well as our attitude. Submission is away from the self and is toward others, but that's what love is. Love is away from the self. Love is toward God and toward others. It's the golden rule that we would do to others as we would have them to do to us. Submission, godly submission, is based on a humble and meek attitude, and it considers others even better than we are ourselves.

What is the opposite of a submissive spirit? What is an unsubmissive spirit? Well, it's one that's unruly. It's one that is striving, fighting for its own way. It may be bitter and critical. It may be contentious and opinionated in strong will. It might even be devouring one another. The Scriptures mentioned that. There's a warning about ones in the church devouring one another.

So the opposite of submission would be all these things. The bottom level is selfishness. It's looking out for number one instead of looking out for others. Well, the question comes up, then, are we ever able to stand up and maybe not be submissive in a situation? Yes. There are situations we should stand up and not just accept it for the way it's coming at us. Jesus chased out the money changers. He said, You're getting out of my father's house.

They were defiling the temple. So he got this whip and he drove out the animals and the money changers. So, yeah, there's a time not to accept the situation that is coming at you. Paul, the apostle Paul, was being taken advantage of, being falsely accused. And he said, I appealed to Caesar. I'm a Roman citizen. You can't do this to me. I'm going to go to court and I appeal. He appealed to Caesar. And the king said, To Caesar, you have appealed. To Caesar, you will go. And he went.

And he won his case. So Jesus resisted the Pharisees. Sometimes he would stand up to them and they could not answer him. Other times, Jesus did not answer. So when do you answer? When do you stand up? And when do you not answer? When do you just take it? Well, that takes wisdom and experience. The Church of God has been falsely accused down through the years. And all kinds of books were written against Mr. Armstrong. He just kept right on trucking.

He kept right on preaching the gospel. He didn't have to write articles and say, Well, this is false. He just kept on preaching the truth. The truth knocks over all the false accusations anyway. But you know, the time came the state of California in 1979 tried to take over control of the church running it. Mr. Armstrong stood up. He wrote advertisements, full-page advertisements in the Wall Street Journal. And those appeared saying, A state is trying to take over a church in our country. And these were powerful advertisements, and it turned the tide.

And with God's blessing, the state of California backed off from trying to take over control of the Church of God. Many of us will remember that. So is there a time to stand up and not just submit to what is coming our way? Yes. There's a time. A wife should not let a husband just abuse her. Of course, a husband should not have to be abused by his wife. It does work sometimes that way, too. But you can say, well, to a mate in a situation like this, we need to sit down and work this out. So certainly there are times to stand up and handle things that are coming at us.

And God does not require that we be a doormat and just let people walk all over us and take advantage of us. But when we do stand up, we need to make sure that we do it in a godly way. Make sure that we have love in our heart and that we don't have a wrong attitude. We regret any time that we have to stand up to something.

We regret in our hearts that it is necessary to do that. We would much rather sit down and let's reason it out and work things out as friends, and then be able to shake hands and be friends and go on forward. We'd much rather do that.

And that will be our attitude, even if there's hostility on the other side. If we have to stand up, we will still do it in the right way. So in a real sense, there is a submissive and loving spirit even when we have to stand up. Because we regret that it's necessary that we have to do it. And we don't wish ill upon the other party.

The United Church of God, we've had to stand up to things. We regret that it's sometimes necessary. We don't wish evil upon anyone. But sometimes we appeal to Caesar, you might say, because we're being taken advantage of. There's a time to do that. But we stand up in love and submission, never in hostility or hatred. That's where it's wrong.

Stand up in the right way.

Brethren, let's think about this today, this ingredient of submission in all of our relationships. It is an important ingredient to understand and to learn how to apply it in every relationship and in every situation that we face in our lives.

It is voluntary to follow this way.

We choose it. Nobody can impose it upon us. So I'm not trying to impose it upon you. But it is God's way.

It does work.

Let's learn to defer to one another.

Let's learn to submit to the needs and desires of others, in our own families, our husband-wife relationships. There's a lot of application here in our family relationships, in our church relationships, in our communities on the job. In all of our relationships, there's a lot of application of this element of submission.

We certainly want to be collaborative in the church. The United Church of God desires to be collaborative. I desire to be collaborative. A lot of input. When that input is provided, it will be considered. It will be given a lot of thought. And, of course, we work toward consensus, spiritual consensus. So let's work at this thing of submission to one another. It helps relationships to succeed. It's God's way. Submission to God and submission to fellow man.