"Supreme" Series: Two Requirements In Marriage = Submission & Sacrificial Love

Today, I want to start with a story I saw online…

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident.

It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to submit and yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.

I’m going to talk to you about something that, in our society, is almost considered a bad word. I want to talk to you today about “submission.”

In our culture submission, in general, is thought of as a negative thing. Submission is seen as a sign of weakness. It’s something for a weak person to do. It’s what you do when you lose or give in. It’s something a less educated or less powerful person should do.

But what if our society’s view of submission is wrong and backwards?

The Bible has a different view of submission. The Bible has a positive view of submission. The Bible actually reveals submission as a requirement for all people in some form whether it’s submitting to God or to submitting to each other. The Bible actually reveals submission as a part of God’s nature!

Bible Commentator, David Guzman said this about submission…

”This idea of an order of authority and submission to an order of authority are so important to God that they are part of His very being. The First Person of the Holy Trinity is called the Father; the Second Person of the Holy Trinity is called the Son. Inherent in those titles is a relationship of authority and submission to authority.

“The Father exercises authority over the Son, and the Son submits to the Father's authority - and this is in the very nature and being of God! Our failure to exercise Biblical authority, and our failure to submit to Biblical authority, isn't just wrong and sad - it sins against the very nature of God.”

Today we’re to take a look at a passage of scripture that talks about submission in marriage and also in some other realms of life. This passage has been has been misapplied by Christ-followers in the past. And I want to shatter those misconceptions and talk today about what the Bible really does say about the roles of husband and wife and about the role of submission and authority.

First let’s review where we’re at in this series. We’re doing a series I’m calling "Supreme." It’s based on a book from the Bible called Colossians. We’re looking at the things God has done for us or wants to do for us that are so much greater than all we chase after in life.

The first Sunday, we looked at Colossians 1 and saw the dangers of letting other things in our lives take the place of God. The second Sunday, we looked at Colossians 2 and saw the danger there was in adding to Jesus. We saw that it was dangerous to add other philosophies to him and it’s dangerous to add rules and rituals to him.

Last Sunday, we looked at the mystery that Paul understood about Jesus that few Christ-followers understand: Paul understood the mystery of our union with Jesus. He understood how we’re one with Jesus just like husband and wife are considered one.

Today we’re going to look at a passage of scripture that’s has been misused in the past in ways that caused wives to be mistreated, husbands to be harassed. The crazy thing is that's not what the Apostle Paul meant! Paul was saying something that was meant to improve marriage relationships.

Today we'll shatter the old, incorrect understanding of these verses (Col. 3:18-19) and look at what these verses really mean for us today.

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