Breaking the Chains - By Mike Ratliff, Pt.4

Ephesians 5
19"speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of [fn3] God."

All of the Greek verbs in this passage and their participles are present tense. That means that this whole section of commands that Paul is describing is a continual process that repeats over and over and over. We don't become Spirit-led and then stop. No, this requires a walking before the Lord this way as a way of life.

Now, look at v21. This is the key to closing the loop, to complete the circuit that keeps this process going. We see that as a result of our being Spirit-filled, we will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. If you read through the rest of Chapter 5 and into Chapter 6 down through v9 you will see that everyone in Christ are to submit to one another. There are no exceptions. This treating others as we wish to be treated is the marker that reveals the Holy Spirit. We will not look at anyone in our sphere as less important than ourselves. In fact, our view will be that all are more important than us. This is the essence of Christlikeness. If a church is full of people like this, what will it be like? wouldn't it be a true New Testament Church like that found in Acts that was pastored by the Apostles themselves?

This is how God builds up His Church. I did not say grow His Church. I said, build up His Church. More mature believers should disciple the newer Christians. No one should lord it over any other believers there. All of these submissions are done out of reverence for Christ. What is keeping us from doing this? God taught me this in 2004 by taking me through it. I didn't know what was going on at the time, but He did. I woke up one morning in September 2004 and realized that God had totally changed my value system. I no longer cared for material things, or fleshly things or money or anything except pleasing my Lord. I didn't understand exactly how He had done that at the time, but I was, and still am, more grateful than I can describe in words here.

Dear Christian, do not think that God may do this for others but not you. I thought that way for more years than I can imagine. No one becomes Spirit-led by trying harder or becoming more excited. It is a work of God as we obey commands like this one from Ephesians 5. It is only by becoming filled by the Spirit that we can do anything that is not a work of the flesh. Jesus said in John 15 that without Him we can do nothing. This is what He was talking about. His Joy is our strength. When we abide in Him, don't we worship and pray and study His Word and obey Him? Don't we submit to all for His sake? This is Christlikeness. This is killing our sin. This is walking in the Spirit. This is Walking the Walk by Faith. This is being the Christian that God desires for you to be.