I’ve had dealings with people who say something along these lines, “I am Christian but I cannot accept the bible’s gender roles.” Sorry to be so blunt but that person is clearly NOT a CHRISTIAN.
One’s claim to Christianity, being a Christ follower is only valid when they are not challenged by the word “submission”. If you have a problem with the word, that is because there is an underlying issue of pride and selfishness that needs to be dealt with. Selfishness is a worldly trait that is contrary to life in the Spirit. All people struggle with this but those who have the Holy Spirit struggle with this much less.
Can one claim to be Christian if a person cannot accept the concept of submission or even submit and when I say this, I mean the biblical bounds of submission to their spouse or to authority whom they can see?
Jesus submitted to the will of God. Jesus is God in the flesh and humbled Himself to submit to human authority. Talk about submission in the highest degree. If one can’t deal with that fact and struggle with God’s hierarchical order, then by all means, refrain from identifying yourself as a Christian since that label clearly does not apply to you. Your own confusion only adds to the defilement of Christianity when you go around and tell people you’re Christian but don’t believe that what’s written in the bible is applicable to how people ought to live in this modern day and age.
If Jesus was not challenged by submission, ergo a REAL Christian who claims to follow Christ should not be challenged by submission.
If submission makes one feel less of a person, it only proves they do not understand the full concept of what Jesus conveyed in Matthew 20:26-28, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
People can be so well versed with all of the world’s teachings on every single “ism” known to man but remember, those who belong to Christ will not listen to a stranger’s voice (John 10:4-5). If you feed yourself with people’s assertions glorifying the self (James 3:14-15), you will eventually become convinced and stray from the biblical worldview.
“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.“
2 John 1:9
As you can see, submission is a fact of life for a Christian (Matthew 16:24). If a person cannot carry the cross of submission, it makes one’s claim to Christianity null and void.
Beware of those who are intent to drag your faith to the ground.
[Image: Wikimedia Commons]
Without being humble it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of heaven as seen in Matthew 18:1-4 which says, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Jesus called a little child to Him and set him in their midst, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself like this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
for Jesus the greatest is the lowest because the humble will not have room for pride.