Mystery of Fellowship - Submission - Ch.3-Pt.3

The Truth about. . .
Humility and Submission

(3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;

but in lowliness of mind

let each esteem other better than themselves.

(4) Look not every man on his own things,

but every man also on the things of others.

-Philippians 2:3-4

The Mystery of God's Will spills over into the Mystery of Fellowship as we realize that our relationship with God and others is not about us. It is about God's will and our call to become great in the eyes of God (like David or Job) by serving as He specifically prescribes. "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12)

(5) Let this mind be in you,

which was also in Christ Jesus:

(6) Who, being in the form of God,

thought it not robbery

to be equal with God:

(7) But made himself of no reputation,

and took upon him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men:

(8) And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself,

and became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.

-Philippians 2:5-9

Yes, this is a fellowship of service based on the specific will of God.

How did Christ humble Himself?

Did He dress in rags, put on a sad face, and go everywhere saying, "I am nothing, I am nothing?"

Did He become every man's slave?

        
No, He never stopped bolding proclaiming that He was the Creator of the Universe and very Son of the living God. He was not bragging, but stating a fact. He neither hid nor apologized for His calling or His gifts.

        
His humility was not about making Himself acceptable to the people so they would like Him and what He had to say, decide to "get saved," buy His Book, and join His Church. It was a genuine response of obedience to the specific will of God and His willingness to give His life for those the Father had already called before the foundation of the earth. (Ephesians 1:3-5)--as God specified in and through His Word.

        
His humility was not a passive superficial act, but a result of genuinely yielding his will to the specifics of the Father's (not anyone else's) will. When Peter rebuked Jesus in Matthew 16, telling Him that He shouldn't talk about dying, Jesus said to him, "Get behind me Satan." Jesus knew the specific will of God. It was written in His Holy Word.

        
In the garden the night before He died, it was from His humanity that He prayed that the cup would pass from Him. He was really asking the Father if death on the cross was the only way mankind could be redeemed. Wasn't there any other option, any other solution God could come up with?

        
He already knew the answer to this question. But as He prayed alone that night, He was engaged in the process of preparing the human side of His nature for the excruciating physical, mental, and emotional pain associated with the unimaginable burden He was about to endure on the cross as He assumed upon Himself the wretched filth and sin of those the Father was calling out of the world.

        
No, there was not any other way to pay the penalty for our sin. The specifics of God's will were prescribed and prophesied from the beginning. Only the blood of the sinless Son of God had the power to wash away the sins of those the Father was drawing to Himself.

        
So Jesus yielded His will to the Father's will, humbling Himself and becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

        
How does God want us to humble ourselves then?

        
While we are told by the Scriptures to "submit ourselves one to the other," we are also told to only "humble ourselves before God."

        
The word, "humble" also is used in the Scriptures to describe the physical condition of the poor and afflicted. But in the spiritual application, we are to humble ourselves only before God.

        
On the other hand, when the word, "humble," is used in the context of being humbled by someone other than God, it is always referring to a person sinning against us by demanding something that they are not entitled to. For example, rape or any other means of demanding or forcing someone to yield to someone else's control, is a biblical example of sinful humbling. Love does not demand one person to humble himself before another person. This is idolatry.

(8) But be not ye called Rabbi:

for one is your Master, even Christ;

and all ye are brethren.

(9) And call no man your father upon the earth:

for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

(10) Neither be ye called masters:

for one is your Master, even Christ.

(11) But he that is greatest among you

shall be your servant.

(12) And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased;

and he that shall humble himself

[before God only]

shall be exalted.

-Matthew 23:8-12

Therefore, we are to humble ourselves before God only and do His will as opposed to humbling ourselves before others so as not to offend them by going against their will. God warns us to be careful not to come under peer pressure, elevate anyone else to the position of spiritual authority, or humble ourselves before them desiring to do their will, instead of being careful to only obey God's will.

        
Serving others does not involve blindly becoming their slave and fulfilling their every wish. The specifics regarding how we are to serve others does not come from a church, a denomination, a governmental dictatorship, our husband, or any other hierarchy. It must come from God alone.

        
In marriage a husband is to lead--that means that he is to be the first to take the responsibility regarding discovering God's will for the family and attending to the needs of the family, not demanding and dragging his wife into something she does not believe is God's will. They must work together as fellow believers, seeking God's will from the Scriptures until they find unity in their decisions. Real love yields to God's will first and allows others to do the same.
        
False doctrine and wrong interpretations of the picture of marriage God gives us regarding Christ and His Bride, have brought confusion into many churches today.
        
Therefore, we need to go back to the Bible and examine Christ's attitude and behavior toward His Church--His Bride. Is this what we are getting from the pulpit? Is this what we are really seeing in Christian marriages today?

        
Those who abuse their position, ultimately lose their position.

        
Serving in one particular manner at one specific time, may not be necessary at another time. The details and timing concerning our service must always come from God. Often serving will take the form of sharing the Word of God. If we humble ourselves before God, we are going to respectfully, while sometimes even boldly, stand on the truth of the Word of  God when challenged by false doctrine. Standing boldly for what is right takes humility before God.

        
Do not let the devil's agents accuse you of lacking humility because you boldly stand on the truth of God's Word. It is their desire that you humble yourself before them so they can ensnare you and control you themselves. They are the ones who really lack humility before God and are not serving anyone but themselves and the devil.

        
On the other hand, "submitting" refers to "obeying." When children are told to submit to parents, or spouses and believers are told to "submit one to the other," they are being told also to obey one another--but always "in the Lord." This means that neither children, spouses, nor believers are to submit to nor obey commands that are not "in the Lord," or are not in agreement with God and His Word.

Mystery of the Kingdom of God - Entering In: War of the Worlds - Ch.4-Pt.5

Entering In: War of the Worlds

That ye would walk worthy of God,

who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

-1 Thessalonians 2:12

The first step to entering the spiritual Kingdom of God is to hear the call of God, which beckons us to come unto Him.  If we are among those who will respond to the call, the Spirit of God will motivate us to turn from sin and going our own way and we will submit to the Word and will of God.  

When we are able to see the value of the Word of God and the blood sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, He and His Word will become preeminent to us.

Through the Word of God we will receive the faith to believe that we have actually been called by the Father to stand among the "chosen" and He will give us the capacity to understand that, by responding to the call of God, we will be brought into His Kingdom to partake of His glory.

At this point, the Spirit of God that resides in His Word will provide the faith to be faithful and the power to walk worthy of God.  

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"  (John 1:12)

Even if our relationship with Christ begins with simply believing who He is (i.e. "believe on His name"), God, Himself, stands ready to act on our response by imparting the power we need to maintain our relationship with His Son so we can be saved and endure to the end.

(Further details regarding this process can be found in the article entitled, "Called, and Chosen, and Faithful.")

(4) So that we ourselves glory in you

in the churches of God

for your patience and faith in all your persecutions

and tribulations that ye endure:

(5) Which is a manifest token of

the righteous judgment of God,

that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God

for which ye also suffer:

(6) Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to

recompense tribulation

[#G473 = for Him to carry out vengeance]

to them that trouble you;

-2 Thessalonians 1:4-6

It is through all of the persecutions and tribulations we suffer as a result of our relationship with Christ that identify us as one who is worthy to enter the Kingdom of God.  "Patience and faith" and "persecutions and tribulations" are not an option. 

Regardless of our global address, if we possess a genuine relationship with Christ, we will suffer, in some way, as a result of it.

When we have entered into the Kingdom of God, we will likely  experience some form of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional pain...yet we have this promise from 2 Thessalonians that God will, Himself, ultimately carry out His personal vengeance upon those who trouble and attack His people.  

The persecutions and tribulations we suffer are "the manifest token (or our testimony) of the righteous judgment of God."  This is the manafest/obvious token/testimony that He has given to us, or enabled us to possess, which makes us worthy of the Kingdom and testifies to the world that we genuinely belong to Him.

While we are not saved by our sufferings, but by the suffering of Christ at the cross, our suffering serves as evidence of our relationship with Him and His suffering.

He alone is the One who enables us to endure.  He alone gives us the faith to be faithful.

(23) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, verily I say unto you,

That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

(24) And again I say unto you,

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,

than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

(25) When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying,

Who then can be saved?

(26) But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

-Matthew 19:23-26

Therefore, the Kingdom of God described in this passage pertains to our relationship with Christ--our spiritual position with God through His Son.  The words Jesus spoke here came after His encounter with the rich young ruler who did many impressive good works, but refused to give up everything.

The Kingdom of God is not about worldly gain, but worldly loss--not about earning a spiritual position with good works, but through submitting everything we have to the preeminence of God.  This goes against the natural inclination of humans, to make ourselves the center of our own universe.

For this reason, entering the Kingdom of God is an impossible endeavor without the intervention of God.  He is the only One who can safely bring us into His Kingdom.

It is not necessary to literally sacrifice all of our earthly possessions to follow Christ.  This would just be another form of empty "good works."  God wants us to be equipped with every good thing we need to carry out His will--whether physical or spiritual.

The point He is making is that we must be willing to submit everything we have to His will and neither desire nor cling to the things of this world in such a manner as to fail to put His will first.

God illustrated this when He told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar.  A significant process of change took place in Abraham's heart as he struggled to submit everything to the Word of God--even his only son.  When he reached the point of being completely willing to follow God's Word, God stopped him and provided a lamb as the substitute for the sacrifice of Isaac.

Would God have ever required Abraham to follow the example of his pagan neighbors, who sacrificed their children to their false gods?

Did Abraham believe that he really had to kill his son in order to please God?

The enemies of God use this historical account to try to cast doubt on the nature of God, hoping to make Him out to be a hypocrite and a murderer.  In their haste to find fault with God, they sidetrack the documented proof that God woud never have expected Abraham to actually murder his son.

The answers to these questions are found in the source of Abraham's faith.  If we go back to the Word and Law of God, as Abraham certainly must have done, we see that God would never go against His own law and demand that anyone kill his own child.

Abraham knew that this was a test of faith and that faith was connected to the Word and Law of God.  In his heart he knew that God would never go against His own law but would have to intervene in some way, yet he was compelled to obey God's instructions until God's provision actually materialized.

This was not a giant leap into the dark for Abraham.  He could fearlessly entrust the life of his son to God because Abraham knew the nature of God.  He was able to pass this test through his faith in God's Word, which proved that God would never go against His own Law.

When we follow the Word of God and are willing to sacrifice everything we have for this pearl of great price, we also are made ready to receive the Lamb God has provided.  That Lamb is God's only Son, Jesus Christ.

There are times when we must actually give up what we have and then there are other times when, as in Abraham's situation--by faith, being willing to do something, is enough to fulfill the requirements of obedience and pass the test.

In any case, we can trust that God will never ask us to do anything that is contrary to His Word and Law.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said,

Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

-Luke 6:20

Jesus looked intently at His disciples, these men who had given up everything to follow Him.  Then He specifically blessed them, as well as blessing all who would follow Him in the future, when He addressed them as "ye poor."

There are many ways to be poor, many ways to experience loss in life.  But the sting and pain of loss is buffered by our initial willingness to submit everything we have to God.  Whatever type of loss we might suffer, we can find comfort in knowing that the Kingdom of God belongs to us when we have a relationship with God through His Son.

(5) Hearken, my beloved brethren,

Hath not God chosen the poor of this world

rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom

which he hath promised to them that love him?

(6) But ye have despised the poor.

Do not rich men oppress you,

and draw you before the judgment seats?

-James 2:5-6

God has chosen the poor of this world, who genuinely love Him.  They are the ones who are actually rich--rich in the faith required to inherit the Kingdom of God and the earth.  

On the other hand, it is usually the rich men of the world who oppress and falsely accuse the poor.  James is warning those in the church.  If they are truly heirs of the Kingdom, they will understand this and not despise the poor.

(28) But what think ye?

A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said,

Son go work to day in my vineyare.

(29) He answered and said, I will not:

but afterward he repented, and went.

(30) And he came to the second, and said likewise.

And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

(31) Whether of them twain did the will of his father?

They say unto him, the first.

Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you,

That the publicans and the harlots

go into the kingdom of God before you.

(32) For John came unto you in the way of righteousness,

and ye believed him not:

but the publicans and harlots believed him:

and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward,

that ye might believe him.

-Matthew 21:28-32

In this parable the first son was sinful and did not want to obey his father, but then repented and did what he was told to do.  The second son said that he would obey, but then disobeyed and did not do what his father had told him to do.

Jesus is telling us that our relationship with God is not based on our good intentions or the promises we make.  It is based on actions that come from a genuine willingness to overlook our own desires in order to do God's will.  God Himself gives us the power and grace to be willing to do His will.

If a person rejects Christ and His will, as revealed by His Holy Word (the Bible), he may still want to be considered a "good person," so may depend on his own opinion instead of the Word of God and believe that he does not have to submit to Christ and His Word, but may think that he can come to God in whatever way he chooses--and that whatever "good works" he does will gain some sort of merit with God.  

The Word of God describes this type of person as "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Timothy 3:5) 

Even the grossly sinful and rebellious are permitted to enter the Kingdom of God, if they repent from going their own way and genuinely submit to the Word and will of God.  In fact, this is the type of sinner who will more likely enter the Kingdom of God, than the religious-type of sinner, who thinks that he can be saved by his own determined "good" works, false humility, repetitive chantings, and religious exercises, which are just a self-serving performance that he thinks will accomplish some spiritual benefit.

(8) Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

(9) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit

the kingdom of God?

Be not deceived:

neither fornicators

[prostitutes - those who sell themselves into sexual slavery]

nor idolaters

[those who put anything other than God first in their life],

nor adulterers,

[spiritually unfaithful - apostate - traitors - or in marriage]

nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

[male prostitutes]

(10) Nor thieves, nor covetous,

[embezzlers - pilferers - false teachers stealing the truth from others]

nor drunkards,

[come under the influence or addicted to any intoxicant]

nor revilers,

[complainers - scornful verbal abusers]

nor extortioners,

[robbers - greedy predators]

shall inherit the kingdom of God.

-1 Corinthians 6:8-10

What does it mean to be unrighteous?

It is wise to know the answer to this question because our eternal life depends on what it means.  Paul is telling us that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

In the above passage we see what unrighteousness looks like and Paul gives us a list of those who are unrighteous and committing the specific sins that reveal their unworthiness to enter the Kingdom.

(13) And they brought young children to him,

that he should touch them:

and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

(14) But when Jesus saw it,

he was displeased,

and said unto them,

Suffer [Allow] the little children to come unto me,

and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

(15) Verily I say unto you,

Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God

as a little child,

he shall not enter therin.

-Mark 10:13-15

When we consider the Kingdom of God, first of all we are given a warning to be careful how we treat children and their desire to enter the Kingdom.  When the disciples rejected the children, Jesus was displeased and admonished the disciples to let the children come to Him.

Regarding children to be of less importance when it comes to spiritual matters, is a common inclination of adults.  Jesus considered this a serious sin.  Other places in Scripture reveal how God, Himself, revenges all offenses against children.  

"(5) And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.  (6) But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  (7) Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matthew 18:5-7)

Even very young children need to know about Jesus.  To keep this knowledge from them is very displeasing to God.  Before the world has a chance to corrupt children, Jesus wants them to have the opportunity to understand His power, His love for them, and equip them to face the attacks that will be coming against them from the world, the flesh, and the devil.

When the world has not yet had the chance to corrupt young children, they are closer to the Kingdom of God than most adults.  Therefore, adults should take a lesson from children regarding the spiritually dangerous hold the world has on them.

This does not mean that adults should be childish, naive, or immature--like a child.  On the contrary, Jesus is saying that in order to become mature, adults need to first become as little children who are able to see things as they really are, not as someone tells them they are.  In other words they need to look at life as they did before they fell for the world's lies and submitted to the world's philosophy. 

When we first become as little children who are not influenced by the philosophy of this world, we actually learn to think for ourselves, take responsibility, and make mature decisions.  It has become obvious today that the more worldly-minded people are, the more immature and naive they become.  Adults even talk, dress, and act irresponsibly--like immature little children in some cases, proving that a revolt against God is indeed, a revolt against maturity.

(15) Love not the world, neither the things

that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father

is not in him.

(16) For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,

is not of the Father, but is of the world."

-1 John 2:15-16