“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Ephesians
Ephesians 5:21
Verse 21 is a continuation of the same sentence that began in verse 18, and follows after the filling of the Spirit, making melody in our hearts, and giving thanks always. This verse is going to lead us into a discussion of relationships between husband and wife beginning in verse 22.
Verse 21 says, “submitting to one another in reverence for Christ.” The Greek word for reverence is phobos from which we get our word “phobia,” fear.
A spirit-filled life results in a reverential fear of Christ the Messiah. We respect and love Christ because He is God, and because He gave Himself for us on the cross in order to redeem us.
So, in this passage, what does that fear of Christ produce in our lives? It causes us to submit to one another.
Submitting is not an easy thing for us. Human pride and our me-first attitude drive much of what we do and say. We want to do what we want. We want others to do what we want them to do, and we don’t like to take orders from anyone, especially someone who we perceive as not really having any authority over us.
As Christians, we are to esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). This is extremely difficult, and then, when you bring it into the family, and especially husband-wife relationships, it can be a tough thing. However, this is exactly the kind of godly characteristic that the Spirit of God is desiring to work into our lives as we yield to Him and are controlled by Him in our daily walk.
Next time we’ll tackle verse 22 which begins to explain how submission should work in more particular ways.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:53 AM September 24, 2021.