Submission is God’s plan.  It requires us to trust Him

Can you think of a time or situation in which you struggled to submit to authority?  Maybe it was a teacher in school, a parent, a boss or coach?

My (our) natural human tendency is to:

• desire to be the authority, not submit to it
• crave the autonomy
• desire the control and do what is comfortable and right for myself.

Submission is a theme, a command, which appears often throughout Scripture.

• Christians are told to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).
• Wives are instructed to submit to their own husbands (Ephesians 5:22 & 1 Peter 3:1).
• Church members are directed to submit to their pastors (Hebrews 13:17).
• Essentially we are all to submit to God in every way (James 4:7) because all authority ultimately flows down from him (Romans 13:2).

In reality our submission to people is indistinguishable from our submission to God.

God uses external structures in ways we don’t understand…He uses these external structures to expose the internal sins/issues that reside within us! 

1 Peter 3:1-7 Submission within marriage is essentially submission to God

• WIVES: submission to God is POWERFUL (1 Peter 3:1-2)
• WIVES: submission to God is BEAUTIFUL (1 Peter 3:3-4)
• WIVES: submission to God is HOPEFUL (1 Peter 3:5a)
• WIVES: submission to God is HISTORICAL (1 Peter 3:5b-6)

Wives (and women) -- Submit because of who God is – be fully satisfied in Him…not because of who your husband is, what your circumstances are, or in your external beauty

• HUSBANDS: submission to God is CONSIDERATE (1 Peter 3:7)
• HUSBANDS: submission to God is RESPECTFUL (1 Peter 3:7)
• HUSBANDS: submission to God is ETERNALLY FOCUSED (1 Peter 3:7)

Husbands, and men - Your wife is a co-heir with Christ and is also a receiver of the gracious gift of life….Treat her accordingly! 

Romans 12:10 – “Outdo one another in Honor” 

1 Peter 5:5-6

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Submission is God’s plan – Trust Him as you submit to those around you!

Discussion Questions:

• “Submitting isn’t easy. “ What makes it so hard for us as humans to submit to others? Explain using a personal example.
• 1 Peter 3:1-6 speaks directly to women, specifically wives, while 1 Peter 3:7 is a great challenge to husbands or leaders.  Take a few moments to summarize these two charges in your own words.
• Is there an area or aspect of your life in which you are not submitting either to God or to those in authority? What truth do you need to re-think or re-consider obeying in light of this sermon?
• Spend a few minutes in prayer (Confessing a sin, Thanking God for ______, or Requesting help in some way)