Growing in Spiritual Leadership and Biblical Submission

Lesson 7: Defining Female Submission According to the Bible.

“When the New Testament speaks about the fullness of grace which we find in Christ, it does not mean only forgiveness, pardon and justification. Christ has done much more for us. He died for us, but he also lived for us. Now he has sent his own Spirit to us so that we might draw on his strength. He grew in grace, and when we draw on his power we shall likewise grow in grace.” –Sinclair Ferguson

Christ didn’t come just to die! But to perfectly obey all the commandments and fulfill all of the prophecies. He lived for us! And he sympathizes with us!

Heb 2:17-18 – For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God…Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Heb 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.

Not only is Christ the author of our salvation, but He is the Pioneer of our salvation. He’s gone before us, and blazed the path. He’s done so perfectly! That’s why we are exhorted by Christ himself to follow Him (Luke 9:23). He is our great pioneer that lived for us! Not only did he blaze the path as an example, but He also died for our imperfections, so that we are not saved by our obedience to His law, but by His grace. That’s why Paul says in Gal 6:14 “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” We boast in the cross, because that’s where we find grace, it is the cross that not only saves us, but by which we have the power to live the Christian life. That’s why Paul boasts in the cross.

And that is why as husband’s, spiritual leaders in the church and family, they must display servant leadership. Because the savior served us by giving Himself for us.

“The reason why we lack assurance of his grace is because we fail to focus on that spot where he has revealed it. But if we fail to focus our understanding there, we will fail to grow in grace.” – Sinclair Ferguson

As spiritual leaders, men must strive to grow not only in grace, but in their ability to spiritually lead. -Small Steps (You can’t go from being a baby Christian to a spiritual giant overnight) -Spiritual Leadership begins with taking the initiative

“Spiritual Leadership looks different for different men.“ – John Piper “Biblical Submission looks different for different women.” – John Piper 1 Peter 3:1-7 What Biblical Submission is NOT! 1) Submission does NOT mean agreeing with everything your husband says. 2) Submission does NOT mean leaving your brain or your will at the wedding altar. 3) Submission does NOT mean avoiding effort to change your husband. 4) Submission does NOT mean putting the will of the man above the will of Christ. 5) Submission does NOT mean that the wife gets her spiritual strength from her husband. 6) Submission does NOT mean acting out of slavish fear toward the husband. 7) Submission does NOT mean blind or unqualified obedience to the husband. Definition of Biblical Submission: Submission is the divine calling of a wife to honor and affirm her husband’s leadership and help carry it through according to her gifts. Submission is an inclination of the will to say yes to the husband’s leadership and a disposition of the spirit to support his initiatives. 1.) Biblical submission honors the Lord. 2.) Biblical submission honors the husband and the wife. 3.) Submission is not a place the husband puts the wife, but an “inclination” of the will of the woman to follow the leadership of the man and “support his initiatives.”