Length: 6 Minutes

In our last part, we introduced the concept that Peter spoke of, regarding submission without fear. This world submits for fear of consequences or for the control that they feel someone has over their life. But we submit to authority voluntarily, for the Lord’s sake, without any fear or terror.

1 Peter 3:5-6 (NKJV) For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

As we said in our last part, when a person submits to authority for fear of consequences, they will allow themselves to be controlled by that authority. They will go along with things, even beyond what they feel is right, simply to avoid consequences. But God does not want us to submit out of fear or timidity. The Holy Spirit inside of us is not a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and sound judgment (2 Timothy 1:7). And therefore, our submission should never be out of timidity, because we are too afraid to go against protocol. Our submission should be real submission, for the Lord’s sake, from a position of power, and yet love, with sound judgment. These are not things that need to be spoken to your superiors at work or to anyone you’re ever submitting to, but they are things for you to know. 

None of this diminishes the need for real submission and being deferential to the judgment of a leader, even if we disagree, but it certainly does change the motivation for that submission. God’s kind of submission does not come from a standpoint of weakness or helplessness. It’s not submission because we’re forced to, by the strength of another. It’s true kindness, respect, and submission for the Lord’s sake, without any fear or terror.

David is one of the best examples I can think of (apart from the Lord), of voluntary submission without fear or timidity. He’s a great example of submission from a position of strength, from someone who understood who he was in Christ.

David submitted to Saul and respected him because he was king, but even further, because he knew that the Lord had chosen him. David was even respectful of Saul while Saul was trying to kill him! Of course, this is not an advocacy for staying in an abusive relationship, for instance. Even David separated himself from Saul when this began to happen, as should anyone in a relationship like that. But David had such respect for Saul that when Saul died by killing himself, there was a man who came to boast before David, lying that he had killed Saul. That man expected that David would be proud of him. After all, Saul was hunting David for so long. And David, as the next king that God had anointed, had that man killed for saying that he took Saul’s life (2 Samuel 1:10).

Even while Saul was hunting David, he came into a cave where David and his men were hiding, and David cut a piece of Saul’s robe off, rather than killing him. David even questioned his own decision to cut a piece of Saul’s robe, concerned perhaps about the mockery that this would make of Saul (1 Samuel 24:5).

Despite David’s strong commitment to submit to Saul, David also had no problem respectfully stating the truth about Saul when Saul had gone contrary to the Lord.  Because, despite all of David’s strong submission to Saul, he was not submitting out of fear. He was submitting to him out of love, for the Lord’s sake, from a position of strength. Whenever you are submitting for the Lord sake, and not out of fear, it enables you to stand your ground and refuse to go contrary to the Lord.

Abigail did this when her husband Nabal had foolishly treated David. She did not go along with her husband’s treatment of David, and yet pleaded with David not to kill her husband, or to take vengeance into his own hands (1 Samuel 25:3). 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did this with government authorities when it was commanded of them to bow down and worship a statue that the king had made. They had served the king before this, but because their submission was without fear, they also did not fear to refuse this order from the king, standing their ground in the truth. Daniel also, refusing direct orders from the king when it went contrary to the Lord (Daniel 3:18, 6:7).

The world is mostly one of two things. They are either prone to disobedience and disrespect of authority, bad mouthing leadership behind their back, amongst employees or family. Obeying them while the leadership is watching and disobeying in the dark. Or on the other hand, out of timidity, kissing up or submitting, for fear of what men might do to them. Neither of these things are for you as a child of God.

We have been served and respected by the Lord, despite not deserving any of it. The Lord even clearing our accusers from heaven while we were yet sinners. How can we not give love and kindness to everyone, let alone our love and submission for those in authority, even if they don’t deserve it? How can we not serve others from a renewed heart? And yet, all of this, without fear of the retaliation or of the consequences. 

Without this fear or timidity, we will never be cowed into silence when it is important to respectfully speak. Without this fear, we will never be pushed into the corner when it is time to civilly disobey. Without this fear, we will never allow ourselves to go to the contrary of the truth of Jesus, no matter what cost they are saying will be exacted, because we have a master above all masters, a king above all kings… and they are not Him…

So, support and love those that are in leadership. Wives submit to your husband’s. Husbands consider your wives in everything. Citizens, respect your government. Workers, submit to leadership.  Demonstrate love toward everyone. And do all of this because of your knowledge of the Lord and your confidence in Him, not out of fear or timidity, so that if the time comes that you need to respectfully disobey, you’ll have no fear to keep you quiet; only confidence in the Lord Jesus to stand for the truth. You have a Father in heaven who has done enough to deserve your submission, no matter how many earthly authorities that contradicts.

Acts 5:29 (NKJV) But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.

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