1. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
Spirit-filled people are submissive people (Eph. 5:18-21).
Filled with the Spirit is being influenced and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

2. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
Spirit-filled people are submissive people (Eph. 5:18-21).
When controlled by the Spirit, one becomes submissive.
Submissive to God (Eph. 5:1; Jas. 4:7-10; 1 Pet. 5:6).
Submissive to others (Rom. 12:10; 15:2).

3. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
Examining closer the principle of mutual submission.
Why is it that conflicts arise in human relationships?
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures James 4:1-3

4. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
Submit – hupotasso.
hupo -- under.
tasso -- to line up, or to arrange.
As Christians, we are to line up under each other, i.e., to rank ourselves under one another, and not over one another.

5. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
How mutual submissiveness is demonstrated in human relationships (Eph. 5 – 6).
Husbands & wives (Eph. 5:22-33).
Parents & children (Eph. 6:1-4).
Masters & slaves (Eph. 6:5-9).

6. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
How mutual submissiveness is demonstrated in human relationships (Eph. 5 – 6).
Is there no one with authority then?
Within every human relationship there has to exist some type of authority – it is needed in a structural, functional way.

7. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
How mutual submissiveness is demonstrated in human relationships (Eph. 5 – 6).
Is there no one with authority then?
The principle of mutual submission has nothing do with the order of authority, but with the operation of it.
The one considered the greatest is the one who uses his authority to build others up, not to build up his authority or build himself up.

8. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
Application to marriage.
The importance of the marital relationship cannot be overstressed.
Fallen people make up marriages.
If the relationship is founded on the principle of mutual submission, whatever discord develops will be resolved!

9. Building Strong Marriages
The Foundation… Mutual Submission
Ephesians 5:21
Application to marriage.
Wives submit to husbands...
In a functional way.
In an interpersonal way.
Husbands submit to wives...
Not in a functional way.
In an interpersonal way.