Word of God, Speak – One Another

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Opening Words
God has a way of ordering our circumstances to humble us. Yet, when God humbles us, it is a sign of
his deep love.

OAN 005 – Be humble with one another

Today is our last message in this series, One Another, but it will certainly not be the last day that we
talk about it – our relationships with one another in the body of Christ are crucial. John put it this
way in 1 John 4:20. “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who
does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

John’s blunt, isn’t he? Yes, we must love one another, be devoted to one another, care for one
another, and build up one so that we are all strong workers in this greatest cause in the world. Let’s
not fool ourselves. Let’s not talk about loving God and then not caring for one another.

Today I want to finish this series by talking about another “one another” command in Scripture. The
command is Ephesians 5:21, and it says this: “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”

This may be the toughest challenge yet. We can reach out to people in need and love them. We can
sometimes go the extra mile with others and serve them. We can be devoted to one another and
have fervent love and we can unite for a great cause and be fellow workers, but when it comes to
submission, well, that’s not quite so easy.

We often resist the command to be subject to one another. We resist it for a couple of reasons. We
do because we are afraid of what might happen if we let go of control. God knows this. It is hard for
some of us not to be in control of everything. Sometimes we don’t want to give up control because
we are afraid we will get hurt or overlooked, and this is why we have the comforting words of 1
Peter 5:7. After Peter tells us to submit in 1 Peter 5:5-6, he says we can do this because God cares
for us.

We also resist obeying this command to submit because we want to be significant in life – and that’s
not a bad thing because God made us to be significant. Our lives do matter. But 1 Peter 5 also tells
us that He will exalt us at the proper time.

But I think the primary reason we do not submit ourselves to one another is that we are proud.
Let’s be honest. Some of us would rather be in charge and give the orders rather than take the
orders. We like to be first and we like the authority. Sometimes, some people are this way because
they are natural leaders and they may even have a gift in leadership, but Christ has to break our
natural tendencies toward pride and wanting to be first so that we will use whatever authority we
have for the benefit of others and not for our glory.

How does God break us of this? 1 Peter 5:5-7 gives us one of the greatest passages in Scripture on
humility. I referred to this passage moments ago. Let me now read it to you.
 Word of God, Speak – One Another
www.WGSministries.org – info@WGSministries.org - ©2022 WGS Ministries
5You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with
humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE
HUMBLE. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you
at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

I find three ways to subject ourselves in this passage. First, we are to be subject to our elders. And
although Peter is specifically thinking of church members being subject to the spiritual elders in the
church, I believe he would not be upset if we were to include all authorities. Whatever situation you
are in, you will find someone in charge, and you are to be subject to them. This could be at work,
this could be at school, this could be at home. You are to be subject to your authorities.

All of us have authorities in our lives. When my children were younger and when they would
naturally push against me from time to time and test the limits of their freedom and my authority, I
loved to explain to them that God had put me in charge. I also loved to tell them that just as I was
their authority, God had placed authorities over me. I told them about my supervisors at work and
how I was in submission to them. I told them about my fellow pastors at church and how I was in a
mutually submissive relationship with them for the good of the church and how I had to humble
myself and submit to them. Just as I was submissive for my good, so they needed to learn to submit
for their good.

And so Peter tells the younger men of the churches he was writing to to be submissive to their
elders. Let me ask you a question. Are you in submission to the pastor or pastors of your church? Do
you pray for them? Help meet their needs financially by giving? Do you support their goals? And if
you have a difference with them, do you go to them with humility and seek to learn more and offer
help and practical suggestions to make things better? I believe all of that is part of being subject to
your elders. It’s not a matter of slavishly doing everything they say, but it is part of a process where
we learn to work together and respect one another for God’s glory and for the advance of His
kingdom in the world.

There is a second way Peter tells us to submit. This one is even tougher. Peter says, “all of you,
clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” Did you catch that? All of you … toward one
another. In other words, we are to be subject to our peers. They may not be in charge of us. They
may not have authority over us, but we are to put on humility like clothing and wear it toward one
another.

What does this look like in real life? How about listening first before we speak our mind? How
about letting another person have his or her way for a change? How about praying for others rather
than talking about them behind their back? How about giving others a chance to serve rather than
doing everything ourselves? There are a thousand ways we can learn to be subject to others.

Finally, Peter says humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Of course, when we humble
ourselves to our authorities and to one another we are doing this, but I wonder if Peter has
something else in mind when he speaks of the mighty hand of God. I wonder if Peter is talking about
 Word of God, Speak – One Another
www.WGSministries.org – info@WGSministries.org - ©2022 WGS Ministries

the circumstances in life that seem to close in on us, that seem to block our path when we are trying
to get things done or achieve our goals.

God has a way of ordering our circumstances to humble us. In so many ways God has faithfully
humbled me through circumstances, not because he didn’t love me but because he loved me so
much. As the passage says, “we can cast all our cares, all our anxiety upon him because he cares for
us. When God humbles us, it is a sign of his deep love.

We are constantly trying to lift and exalt ourselves, but God has to press us down with his mighty
hand so that he can exalt us at the proper time.

Peter tells us that God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Grace to the
humble – that is what we want is it not? – the grace of God. The grace of God is His mighty power to
work in us that which we cannot work in ourselves and which we don’t deserve to have done for us.
Without the grace of our God we can do nothing and are nothing, but with the grace of God we can
be everything he wants us to be, and we can do all things he asks us to do through Christ who
strengthens us.

There are some other choice verses that speak to us about the same topic. In Romans 12:10 Paul
said: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not
lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” We looked at this verse earlier in
this series when we talked about being devoted to one another. But I want to draw our attention to
the same verse for another reason. Paul says to give preference to one another in honor. Another
way of saying this is to outdo one another in giving honor. The New Living Translation says, “Take
delight in honoring each other.”

What is our tendency? It is usually to take delight in receiving honor. But here Paul says take delight
in giving honor to others. Do others get the credit for things when you think you never seem to get
credit? Don’t let it bother you. God has his eye on you, and you can rejoice when others receive
honor. And let me tell you this, when you live this way, you will find a deep peace coming over your
life. When you don’t have to live for yourself or make sure you are being recognized or that others
see you, then you are free and can live in peace before God who sees everything, and he will reward
you some day.

Let me close this message and this series with Paul’s great words in Philippians 2:1-5:

1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is
any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of
the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing
from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more
important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for
the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
 Word of God, Speak – One Another
www.WGSministries.org – info@WGSministries.org - ©2022 WGS Ministries

The last phrase says it all – have this attitude which was in Christ Jesus. Remember, no one humbled
himself as much as he did. Even though he was the Lord of glory, he humbled himself by becoming a
servant and then he humbled himself all the way to the cross where he died for your sins and mine
– the sins of pride, the sins of putting ourselves first, the sins of being devoted to things and not
people, the sins of not caring for others, and the sins of not loving one another.

Friends, we can live our faith and become fully mature only in community, only with one another.
It’s not always easy. It can be hard, painful work. But it is worth it in the end.

Yes, “One Another,” those two little words that appear over 50 times in the New Testament with so
many helpful words of exhortation. God made us to experience Him in our relationships with one
another in His church. May He bless you as you obey His word today and may God sanctify and
bless His Church in the world.