Equality in Christ

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21


Mutual submission creates sort of a funny image. You picture two people standing at a double door. Each is holding a door open and telling the other, “After you.” “No, after you.” “No, after you.” Ad infinitum. How do you make any progress if you’re stopping to allow another to go ahead and vice versa? It’s reminiscent of teenage couples asking: “What do you want to do?” “I don’t know. What do you want to do?” It’s a maddening cycle.


Submitting is the admission that “I am not over you. I am submitting myself to you.” Scripture’s request that we submit to one another also shows that our submission is a choice. And, we do have a choice, so we are not submitting to someone who is over us. We are not over them. They are not over us.


In the body of Christ, we are equals. Equals don’t deserve submission from another, and they choose to submit to each other. The “higher” up you go, the more people you serve. Now, I don’t mean “serve” in the sense of politicians who serve the people meaning that “since the people are stupid, they need the ruling class to think for them.” That’s not service or submission.


The motivation for our submission is out of reverence for Christ. Jesus is the Head of the Body (Ephesians 5:23) and yet, Jesus is the servant of all (Mark 9:35). He willingly set aside His rights and privileges as God to become one of us and to serve us all by dying for our sins (Matthew 20:28). Christ’s greatness stems from His humility. No one else can compare.


Where are you on this submission issue? Do you expect others to do for you, but you don’t do for them? Have you gotten to the place where there are things that are beneath you? Things that you don’t feel like you should have to deal with anymore.


Sometimes the best thing for the high and mighty is to come home and take out the trash or clean up after the dog. What are you having trouble submitting to these days?


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