Week Five -
Submit To
Every Authority
The
churches of
Christ Greet You (Romans
This week you
will study
one of the keys to the Christian life. It is totally opposed to worldly
wisdom,
but it is something we see perfectly in Jesus and He wants to see it in
us.
It is the principle of submission.
1. Already you
have learned that Jesus Christ has all authority today (Matt 28:18).
However, God
has set up certain orders in society. These maintain order and teach us
to
be submissive and obedient in spirit so we can ultimately and basically
submit
to and obey Jesus Christ.
2. To follow
Jesus Christ
one must have an obedient spirit, thus, willing to submit to another's
authority.
Read 1 Peter 1:2, 14 to see what kind of children God wants.
3. Read Ephesians
2:1-2. To what kind of spirit is God opposed?
4. Read Hebrews
5:8-9. Notice the important statement about Our Example, Jesus Christ.
What did He
learn? How was it learned? What does God want us to learn? How will it
be
learned?
1. Yesterday we
learned that God wants obedient children. Now read 1 Peter 2:11-17.
Verse 11 describes our "old self" with its sinful desires. The "old
self" does not want to obey - it wants to do things its own way. It
doesn’t like to be told what to do! Read Matthew 16:24. Do you now
understand why Jesus commands us to "deny
self"?
2. Write down the
reason given in 1 Peter 2:13 for submitting to every ordinance of man.
List all the
authorities that are in your life (meaning all the people that are in
some
role where they can tell you what to do or strongly expect you to do
what
they ask). What is your attitude toward these authorities?
1. What if the
authorities in your life ask you to do something which is wrong - must
you submit to them
in that case? What do you think the mind of Christ would say?
2. Read 1 Peter
2:18-23. What does this passage say to contribute to the question
above? Peter is teaching
that Christians should have a submissive and obedient attitude at all
times.
We should always be ready to obey those whom God has put over us. HOWEVER...
3. Read Acts
1. Read Hebrews
13:17. This passage is speaking about elders or overseers in the body
of Christ, and those who have been given special jobs by the elders.
2. How can you
specifically make the elders or other leader’s work a joy and not a
burden? Does the above passage say we have to agree with everything a
leader does before we can submit
to him and obey him?
1. Read Ephesians
5:21-6:4. Most likely you are in some kind of family relationship. In
this relationship you can show the love of God - the kind of love that
is willing to lay down its life for others in the family.
2. Remember, your
ultimate concern is that your family members come to know the living
God through your life in a deeper way. If your family members have not
been seeing in you the
things described in the above passage, then a confession to them could
open
up many new possibilities in your ministry to them.
1. Read Romans
13:1-14. List at least seven clear teachings from this passage.
2. Is there
anything wrong with a bitter, complaining attitude about the government
one lives under?
Again, when you must say "NO" to government, always keep the proper
attitude.
1. Read
Philippians 2:1-11. Look carefully at the deeper teaching on
submission. What happens to those who submit (vs. 9)?
2. In what ways
can you "empty yourself" or make yourself of no reputation (vs. 7)? In
what ways can you take the form of a servant to your brethren and to
the lost?