Made New: An Ephesians Book StudySample

Have you ever heard of a “hot take”? A hot take is a strongly worded and often deliberately provocative opinion that can cause a reaction or debate.

Such as:

•Android products are better than Apple products.
•Popeye’s has the best chicken sandwich.
•Concerts are overpriced and overrated.
•Marvel movies are boring films that prioritize style over substance.

Paul gives us his hot take in Ephesians 5:21-33 that Christ followers should submit themselves to one another. This passage has caused controversy for centuries and is still commonly confused, extensively debated, and flat-out ignored by many Christians today. Submission gets a bad rap!

We may have heard “Wives submit to your husbands” taken out of context or abused. Women may feel defensive as they sense their worth or identity is being threatened. However, submission is not just a word for marriage. It is a word for Christians. As Christ’s followers, we seek to follow the example that Jesus set before us. Jesus fully submitted Himself to the will of the Father and laid down His life for us. Therefore, we are to listen to Paul’s instruction to “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (v. 21)

Not only should wives and husbands submit to one another, but Paul explains that children, adults, slaves, and masters (employers and employees) should also submit. Submission is NOT about giving in to someone’s power plays or becoming a doormat. It is instead about yielding in love for the sake of unity. It requires a significant amount of humility.

Submitting to others is much easier after we first submit ourselves to God. When we do so, we give Him full authority to guide and show us how to live. When we find our security and worth in God instead of others, we do not feel threatened by others but instead can value them more and place their needs before our own.

Response
1. How does the idea of submission make you feel? Identify one relationship in your life (spouse, parent, child, employer, etc.) that makes it difficult for you to submit. Why is this?

2. Submission to others comes easily after we first submit ourselves fully to God. Do you find it hard to submit to God? What are some of the benefits and/or challenges you face?

3. Read Luke 22:41-44 and consider the example Jesus set in his submission to the Father’s will. Spend some time in imaginative prayer. Place yourself in Jesus’ shoes. What would this experience have felt like? Ask God to deepen your reverence for Him as you learn to submit to Him and others fully.

Weekly Memory Verse
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)."
Ephesians 5:8-9

Written by Derek Beauchamp