Day 45 – Equal Submission

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Equal Submission

In a world in which post-modernism is the philosophy of the majority, such spiritual truths of “authority” and “submission” become blurred. Post-modernism champions the idea that everyone determines for himself what is right and wrong. It undermines God’s order, authority and design for individual responsibility. As a result, families breakup over the slightest disagreement and churches suffer divisions. The clear, Scriptural teaching on authority and submission is explained away on the basis of changing culture.

Here are five warnings on the danger of “equal submission” as it would determine how we live in our home, church and society.

  1. The teaching of mutual submission in the “fear of the Lord”, (Eph. 5:21), must be balanced by individual responsibility, (Eph. 5:22-32). Truth out of balance leads to heresy.
  2. Equal submission leads to the elimination of all authority. It seems to project the idea that, though all authority comes from God, when given to man, God loses control of it and man then abuses it. This fear motivation thus distributes authority equally to every person so that no one has more than anyone else.
  3. The basis of rebellion is in one’s desire to be equal. Satan did not want to greater than God, but rather equal to Him, (Is. 14:14). It is the foundation of humanism, in which everyone is his own god, and where the goal is to try to tolerate one another and live in peaceful coexistence. It is like in the day of the Judges where “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25).
  4. Equal submission discounts the power of influence. There are two kinds of power: that based on position and the other on influence. The two work together. Without position, influence becomes manipulative and without influence, position becomes authoritative and domineering.
  5. It also eliminates the need for Godly attitudes. In I Peter 3:1-6, the attitudes of the wife has tremendous power and influence in her home, even to the point of winning her unbelieving husband. Without submission these attitudes are not cultivated.

Even though equal submission sounds good and reasonable, it is destructive to the values we hold most dear. Authority and submission enhances one’s personal responsibility by being accountable to and responsible for people. This is the basis for a moral society instead of anarchy.

Scriptures to meditate on:

Romans 13, Eph. 5:21-32; I Peter 3:1-7; Psalms 68:6