When the Holy Spirit Comes to Church Pt. 5

In this series of posts, we have been examining worship from Ephesians 5:19-21. We are considering what it looks like when the Holy Spirit gathers with His people. Today, we finish our series!

Thus far we have considered that when the Holy Spirit is filling believers there is regular assembly, as well as rejoicing awe and reverential appreciation. 

We conclude by considering rightful authority. Ephesians 5:21 sets us up for several examples of submission in the church, such as wives to husbands, children to parents, and slaves to masters. 

Our twenty-first century culture does not like the word “submission.” This may be one of the most hated words in all of the Bible.

Ephesians 5:21 is used by some to flatten out the dynamic of submission. They say we all submit to each other, and that your role as a husband or wife, child or parent, servant or master simply does not matter.

Of course, this is foolish and is not what Paul meant. Further, do not forget that what Paul means here, God means, for Paul is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

The Spirit-filled church understands her proper relationships in the world. She understands submission and headship. She understands authority in the home, in the workplace, or even in terms of rightful and wrongful authority in the government. Those texts are for another day.

Here is where I want to discuss individual Christians submitting to the church. Worship and submission go together. 

It is hard for us to think about the church having authority due to our idea of government in this country. Our nation was built on casting off authority. 

We might also think of the terrible stories in the past where a church has abused her authority in some evil way. But when Paul says that we are to submit to one another, there is a real idea of the people of God submitting themselves to the church in her doctrine, her meetings, her mission, and her leadership. 

Of course, this is all insofar as a local church has aligned herself with God’s Word, just as submission to the government is only insofar as they are within their rightful bounds of authority.

On the other extreme from disregarding submission, we could instead take the word and make it mean that we go along with the church so long as we agree. But that is not submitting to one another; that is just agreement. 

Inevitably in the life of the church, there will be times when you may think she can do something different or better, but the church has chosen a different path or idea. Therefore, as long as the church is not sinning and asking you to sin against your conscience, you too ought to walk in that way. 

Notice this last truth in Ephesians 5:21. In our submission to the church and in our relationships inside and outside the church that demand proper authority and submission, we carry out these roles and duties out in the fear of Christ. 

Think about that for one moment. To embrace egalitarianism, which is to say the roles of men and women in the church do not matter, is to scoff at the fear of the Lord. 

To reject the role of the elders in the church, to reject the rightful authority of the local church, or to dismiss the roles of wives and husbands and parents and children is to scoff at the fear of Christ. To treat worship flippantly is to dismiss the fear of our King.

John Gill is helpful on this point: “The fear of God is that which should influence and engage to every duty.” When we are submitting to proper authority, not blindly by any means, and not propping up tyranny in the home, church, or government, but when we humbly submit to proper authority, what we are doing is worshiping God. 

We are living out the fear of God. Jesus Christ is a High and Holy King. He is a friend to those who trust in Him. But He is a friend that ought to be feared. All of our issues in churches, or sins of the home or sins of nations, boil down to our lack of reverence and fear of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Is Christ worthy of your reverence? Do you walk before others in this world in the fear of Christ? 

The worst indictment against unbelievers in Romans 3 is when Paul says that there is no fear of God before their eyes. 

That is the same word for our text. What is the difference between an unbeliever who lives out his or her life without the fear of God, and a professing Christian who lives out his or her life without the fear of Christ? The difference is in the name and maybe the outward actions, but the hearts are the same: hardened to the awesome holiness of our great and glorious God. 

But this is not true of those filled with the Holy Spirit. These are those who maintain regular assembly, rejoicing awe, reverential appreciation, and rightful authority.

Here is the Spirit’s work in our lives and in the church. This is what true worship looks like!

Do you fear the Lord? 

There are some readers today who will go now in humble faith to Christ asking the Father through Him to grant them evermore, as it were, of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They want more of God’s grace manifested in their lives and long for more of God’s presence. 

But there will be others who may not express it outwardly, but inwardly feel no experiential fear and reverence of Christ. 

May this not be you this day! May the sovereign Christ pierce your heart. May you see Him as the holy one who deserves all your allegiance to what He has said. 

May we, by sovereign grace, always be a people striving to have the Holy Spirit come to church.

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