More of what Spirit filled looks like
If you want to walk in the light not in the darkness, you need to go on being filled with the Spirit. Instead of getting drunk, which leads to debauched behaviour, keep getting filled with the Holy Spirit, who empowers walking in the light.
That leads us to sing to each other – whether is be psalms, hymns or songs in the Spirit, our hearts sing and our mouths follow; it leads us to be thankful – thankful all the time and for everything and it leads us to live submitted lives.
Paul outlines three areas of submission – wives to husbands, children to parents and slaves to their masters.
Sorry folks, the clear meaning of the text is that wives are commanded to submit to their own husbands – not all men, just their own husbands. That doesn’t mean being lorded over by lazy arrogance, but being loved selflessly! Marriage is a picture of Jesus and the church. Marriages that are loving and submissive show others the relationship of Jesus and the church.
It is not easy for wives to submit to their husbands; it is arguably harder for husbands to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”. Guys you are called to love your wife selflessly and by dying to self. Wives, submitting to your husband isn’t about him sitting on the sofa after a hard day’s work and you meekly fetching his slippers and dinner. Husbands you are to love your wife selflessly and die to yourself. That’ll mean serving her and putting her first, even when you are tired! Jesus died for the church to present her holy and blameless, men you are to die to self, to love your family, to be an illustration of Christ’s love for the church.
Paul has such a high view of the church – it’s not that 90 minutes on a Sunday – it’s Jesus’ beautiful, pure and spotless bride that He gave himself for. Jesus died for the church – the loving Spirit filled community of believers who are shaking and changing the world, who are running the race in the power of the Spirit, to be presented pure and blameless as a beautiful bride when Christ returns.
Spirit filled life means guys have a selfless love of our wives; for the ladies, it’s submitting to that selfless love. If you have a husband and he keeps insisting you submit, he’s most likely missed the point!
Andy Moyle
