Respect and Submission

Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:15-16, But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”

We see, once again, that Hannah is a woman of character. In the face of a false accusation, by a man of God, she addressed him and countered his accusation with respect. Yes, that “dirty” word, respect. Regardless of how she might have felt at the moment, she respected the office he was called to occupy by God. This is something that is lacking greatly in much of society today. There is a lack of respect for parents, authority, and much of that disrespect has spilled over into the local church. A lack of respect also lead to an unwillingness to submit and vice versa. Children do not honor parents as God’s Word commands (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2) and rebel. Wives refuse to honor and submit to their husbands in opposition to God’s Word (Ephesians 5:22), and husbands are unloving toward their wives and thereby rebel against Christ’s authority in their lives (Ephesians 5:21, 25). Congregations rebel against the pastor and his God-ordained office also in opposition to God’s command in Hebrews 13:17. As God’s children, our testimony should be, before the world, that we, out of fear, respect, and honor for the Lord, submit and pray for our country’s leadership and laws (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2). I know many will question this because of such corruption that exists today in politics and political leadership. However, this does not excuse us from obeying, or justify disobedience to, the laws of the country, state, or city, we live in. We are supposed to be model citizens that will live by any laws that do not call us to disobey God’s Word. We may not like a particular law or even agree with a particular leader’s point of view or leadership, but we are not to behave like the world in expressing our disagreement. We can peacefully and respectfully make our point of view known. The devils have a field day pitting us against each other over political believes and opinions about legal issues and ruining our testimony with the unsaved world. Jesus was our greatest example in what is proper. When asked whether it was legal to pay taxes to Caesar, in Matthew 22, God recorded Jesus’ response in verses 18-22, “But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.’ So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ 21 They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.” When we pay our taxes, even though we may not agree or like it, we render to the government what is the government’s, we honor God by our obedience, and show Him that we trust Him to take care of us, in spite of all the corruption that exists around us. Jesus not only said what He said in Matthew 22, but He had already proven what he said by His actions in Matthew 17. In verses 24-27 of Matthew 17 we read, “When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?’ 25 He said, ‘Yes.’ And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?’ 26 Peter said to Him, ‘From strangers.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.’” The bottom line is that far too many Christians are disobedient to the God-ordained authorities in our lives on the basis of dislike or what we consider unfair. Yet, Jesus, paid taxes, stood trial, unfairly, being falsely accused, wrongfully beaten and bloodied, and went to the Cross knowing that He was sinless. He did all that for us, so that we could become the sons and daughters of God. Is it too much for us to be as humble as our Savior and submit to the God-ordained authorities in our lives? If you think it so, then read Philippians 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).