Co-labourers of God's Grace

Let's review the biblical role of women before we continue.

First, according to Romans 8, we are daughters of the King. Through salvation, we have been adopted into the family of God. Secondly, Genesis 2 states, we were designed by God to be man's help met.  According to I Timothy 2:9-13, women have not been given the right to serve God outside the boundaries of man's authority. We must find our role as co-laborers with men, as ministers of God's grace, by being in submission according to Hebrews 13:17.

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."

As married women, we must learn to defer leadership of our spiritual lives to our own husbands. If unmarried, discuss spiritual matters with your father. If he is not available, then take direction from your pastor. Yes, I know that sometimes we "feel" we are smarter then these men and yes, the book of Hebrews does teach us that we are our own "believer priest." However, look again at I Timothy 2:14:

"And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

It was Eve who was deceived and deluded and fell into transgression through her emotions. Without the balance of authority God has placed in our lives we still have the same potential. We are the first to become frustrated with our circumstances. We have tempers. We devise plans to manipulate. We will do anything to make sure we are right.

To break this evil pattern of behaviors, we must begin viewing submission as a way of showing God, our Father, our love and devotion. Ephesians 5:22 states:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."

Women have such problems with submission and having a submissive attitude due to the curse placed on them after the fall. (Genesis 3)

Now, look at Ephesians 5:21: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

This is a reference to both genders.

Let me challenge you, as women in today's world, to view submission as a non-gender specific action. Submission is a Christ like attitude. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus tells us how we are to love God and our neighbor. Loving God with all our heart, soul and mind and our neighbour as ourself, will cause us to develop an attitude of submission. Being submissive to each other, is the action behind that kind of  love. Deferring to the needs of others is the first step to developing this Christ like attitude.

Now, we will begin the real work of developing a submissive Christ like mind. Begin reading the book of Ephesians. We will begin a verse by verse study of this book. It will teach us how to defer and submit to one another, so we can truly become co-laborers of God's grace.