Submission in the Spirit
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:21
Originally preached Jan. 10, 1960
Scripture
21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Sermon Description
The life of the Christian is Spirit-filled and Spirit-guided. In this sermon on Ephesians 5:21 titled “Submission in the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones exhorts the believer not to live like the world because the inward transformation gives new desires and new dispositions. This means that all Christians are to relate to one another as a new people who have been transformed and brought together in the gospel to make a new community of like-minded individuals. No Christian is to seek their own good first as one who is self-centered and worldly, but all are to seek the good of their brothers and sisters in Christ above their own. When Christians see themselves in this new kind of community, they begin to see relationships differently. For Christians, this is the new way of understanding how they are to interact with one another and how relationships are to be viewed. Christians relate to believers in a spiritual way as fellow heirs of the gospel and salvation. They are to love one another as God loved them in Christ, and they are to submit to one another in love and respect.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon text is Ephesians 5:21 which states "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
- The sermon begins by explaining the context and connection of verse 21 to the surrounding verses and chapter. Verse 21 is linked to verse 18 which states "be filled with the Spirit."
- Submitting to one another means voluntarily behaving like soldiers in a regiment under an officer. It means giving up some individual rights and following orders.
- Negatively, submitting does not mean being thoughtless, selfish, self-centered, individualistic, opinionated, dictatorial, or self-seeking.
- Positively, submitting means having the "eyes of your understanding enlightened" to the truth which leads to realizing our own sinfulness and need for grace. It means seeing ourselves as members of the body of Christ and considering the good of the whole body.
- Submitting means being willing to forego our rights, listen to others, learn from others, and suffer injustice for the sake of truth and the body of Christ.
- The only people who can truly submit to one another are those filled with the Spirit, showing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
- Examples are given of prophets in 1 Corinthians 14:29-33 and the disagreement between Paul and Peter in Galatians 2 to show that submitting does not mean compromising truth or refusing to correct false doctrine. We must stand for truth, but do so with humility, patience, and love.
- The sermon concludes by again emphasizing the importance of understanding verse 21 in its context. We must stand for fundamental Christian truths, but submit to one another in "the realm of your possession of knowledge and the use you make of it and the way you react to it yourself and your attitude to others."
Sermon Q&A
How Does Martyn Lloyd-Jones Interpret "Submitting Yourselves One to Another"?
What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ" mean according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the phrase "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ" in Ephesians 5:21 means Christians should voluntarily behave toward one another like soldiers in a regiment under authority. This submission involves putting aside individualism, selfishness, and self-assertion for the good of the whole body of Christ. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes this is not a separate command but a continuation of being "filled with the Spirit" from verse 18, as only Spirit-filled people can truly practice this mutual submission.
How does Lloyd-Jones connect Ephesians 5:21 to the previous verses?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Ephesians 5:21 is a linking verse that continues what Paul has been saying while introducing what follows. It is directly connected to verse 18's command to "be filled with the Spirit." The mutual submission Paul calls for is impossible for anyone not filled with the Spirit. Lloyd-Jones sees this verse as extending Paul's contrast between being drunk with wine (which leads to self-assertion) and being filled with the Spirit (which enables mutual submission).
What negative behaviors does Lloyd-Jones say are contrary to biblical submission?
According to Lloyd-Jones, behaviors contrary to biblical submission include: - Being thoughtless and impulsive - Being selfish and self-centered - Being individualistic - Being self-assertive - Being opinionated (versus having opinions) - Being dictatorial and "lording it over others" - Being unconcerned with others' needs and positions - Resenting criticism and being impatient with other viewpoints - Being hypersensitive - Always threatening resignation when things don't go your way
How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish between having opinions and being opinionated?
Lloyd-Jones makes a critical distinction between having opinions and being opinionated. He states: "A Christian has opinions, but he must never be opinionated." The difference is that an opinionated person is "much more interested in the fact that he believes a thing than in what he believes." The opinionated person "parades his beliefs" and is proud of his knowledge rather than humble about truth. Lloyd-Jones summarizes: "If you haven't got opinions, you're not a Christian, but if you're opinionated, you're a bad Christian."
What does Lloyd-Jones warn about misinterpreting this verse in relation to ecumenism?
Lloyd-Jones strongly warns against misinterpreting this verse to support indiscriminate ecumenism or compromising on essential doctrine. He points out that Paul wrote this to people who already agreed on fundamental Christian doctrines. This verse doesn't mean "peace at any price" or that Christians should "ride lightly and loosely to the truth." Lloyd-Jones argues that using this verse to support merging with groups that hold different fundamental beliefs contradicts other Scriptural commands to "contend for the faith" and avoid those who bring false doctrine (2 John 1:10-11).
How does knowing the truth about ourselves help us practice submission according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that knowing the truth about ourselves is essential to practicing submission. When we truly understand that we are all sinners in need of God's grace, that everything we have is a gift from God, and that even with our gifts we are still fallible and ignorant, we stop boasting and looking down on others. This self-knowledge humbles us and helps us see ourselves as "but babes" who are "still at the beginning," making it easier for us to submit to one another rather than asserting ourselves.
What positive characteristics mark those who practice biblical submission?
According to Lloyd-Jones, those who practice biblical submission: - Consider the body of Christ and its good rather than personal interests - Are ready to forego personal rights for the sake of the whole - Are ready to listen and learn from others - Are patient and understanding - Are ready to suffer and even endure injustice for the sake of truth - Display the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" - Know how to conduct themselves in disagreements with self-control - Hold truth firmly but discuss it with humility and charity
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.