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Romans 15:13 – Hopeful Expectation

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Will

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Truth to Learn

Christians can have joy, peace, and hopeful expectation.

Behind the Words

The word translated “hope” in this verse is a form of the Greek word elpis, which means, “the desire of something good with full expectation of obtaining it.” It is different than the English word “hope,” which implies simply a desire for something but not knowing whether it will happen or not. Paul calls our God the God of hope because we know that His promises will definitely come true.

“Fill” is from the verb plēroō, which means “to fill.” Actually, it means more than just filling something; it means to cram it as full as possible. It is expressed here in the Optative mood, indicating a wish, or desire on the part of the Apostle Paul.

The word translated “all” is the Greek word pas, which means “all, the whole, completely, with nothing missing.”

“Joy” is translated from the Greek noun chara, meaning “cheerfulness” or “calm delight.”

The noun “peace” is from eirēnē, which means “peace or tranquility.” It is a state in which there is no perceived threat or cause for worry present.

The word translated “abound” is the Greek word perisseuō, which means “to be in excess in number or measure.”

Meaning Explained

Having finished his treatise on the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ, Paul closes this section with a benediction. He starts off invoking the benediction from the “God of hope.” In all that Paul has been teaching us since the first verse of chapter fourteen, it is hope which, among other things, unites us. It is to both the Jew and Gentile the hope of the return of the Messiah, and it is also to both the Jew and the Gentile the hope of the resurrection and salvation that He promised. Not just empty hope, but expectant hope.

In this benediction Paul asks that God will fill us “with all joy and peace” in our believing faith. That is, Paul is asking that God cram us completely full with all possible joy and peace. Not just a lot of it, but all of it, with nothing missing!

And, as a result of that joy and peace that we have in our saving faith, we can thus abound in hope. Because of the joy and peace that we have in our faith, we can be filled to overflowing with expectant hope.

Our salvation is not a salvation of worry or fear (worrying or being afraid that we might lose it), but a salvation of hope, with full expectation and assurance that God will deliver on His promises.

Application

If you have submitted yourself to the lordship of Jesus Christ and have accepted the sacrificial offering of His blood as full payment for your sins, then God will save you according to His promises! This is the greatest truth ever proclaimed to man. Even though none of us is righteous, all of us are sinners, and even though God demands righteousness, we can avoid the penalty of our sinfulness through the blood of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed to pay the penalty of our sins! Praise God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:23 – Sinners All

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Will

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Truth to Learn

Every one of us has committed sin. As a result, we don’t meet God’s reputation.

Behind the Words

“All” is translated from a form of the Greek word pas, which means “all, the totality, the whole.” It does not mean generically all (all peoples) but specifically all (all people, every one).

The word translated “fall short of” is hustereō, which means “to be behind or under either in place or time.” What Paul is saying is, because of our sins we don’t have the same glory as God and, therefore, are not worthy to be in His presence.

“Glory” is translated from doxa, which primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion, and thus in a secondary sense it refers to reputation.”

Meaning Explained

We left the previous verse having declared that God’s righteousness is only given through faith in Jesus Christ and it is given to all who believe. It is this faith, believing whole heartedly in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a substitutionary payment for our sins, which causes God to declare us righteous.

But what does the phrase, “For there is no difference,” mean? In our study of the previous verse we showed that the Greek word that this is translated from is diastolē, meaning “a distinct difference.” Paul has been talking to the Jewish Christians in Rome who were still putting their hope in their righteousness obtained from obeying the Law. But Paul has shown them that there is no righteousness obtained by obeying the Law. The Law only produces sinfulness. He has shown that this sinfulness applies to all, both Jew and Gentile. All have gone out of God’s way and have become sinful by following their own path. Paul’s closing phrase in the previous verse coupled with this verse shows that he is talking about the fact that there is no difference, no distinction, between the righteousness of Jews and Gentiles.

The reason that there is no distinction between the righteousness of Jews and Gentiles is, “for all have sinned.” In other words, Paul is saying that every person on the earth (except for Jesus Christ) has committed sin and, therefore, is unrighteous. And, because each and every one of us has sinned, we fall short of God’s glory. That is, we don’t measure up to God’s reputation. You may recall that in verse ten we learned that we are all unrighteous. That is, we don’t measure up to God’s standard.

Recognizing this fact about ourselves is the first step in what has come to be called the Romans Road to Salvation. In order to be saved a person must first recognize their need for salvation and they need it because they are a sinner.

Application

According to the Apostle Paul you are a sinner, not “were a sinner” but “are a sinner.” Because of this fact you don’t measure up to God’s standard or God’s reputation; you are unrighteous. But, you can be declared righteous and measure up, through faith in Jesus Christ. You may be a sinner, but you can be saved through faith in Christ.

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 1:5 – Diligent Growth

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Will

And for this very reason, make all diligence in your faith to add goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

Truth to Learn

No matter where we are in our Christian experience today, we need to be growing and maturing in our relationship to God.

Behind the Words

“All” is translated from pas which means “all” or “every,” but it includes the idea of oneness, a totality or the whole. Hence Peter is telling us to use all of our effort. Today we might say “every ounce of effort.”

The word “diligence” is from the Greek word spoudē, which refers to “speed, earnestness, diligence, or zeal.”

The word translated “add” is from the Greek word epichorēgeō, which means “to abundantly furnish.” It is not a mere adding a little more of what you already have, rather it is an intensive and abundant addition. It is expressed in the imperative mood, indicating a command, not a suggestion.

“Goodness” is a translation of the word aretē, which means “manliness” or “valor.” It denotes that which is good or worthy in a moral sense.

Meaning Explained

“And for this very reason” is a connective phrase so we need to see what it is referring to. In this case, the reference is to the preceding two verses. Because He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, because of His exceedingly great and precious promises, because one day we will be partakers of His divine nature … we need to do the following:

We need to be using all of our effort to grow in goodness and knowledge. In other words, don’t take these promises and the saving faith that you have for granted, and don’t just meander through life knowing you now have your “ticket” into heaven. Rather, apply yourself with earnestness and diligence to add some things to your faith.

Peter uses words of force here to communicate to the Christians of his day, and to us today, the need to work long and hard at growing as a Christian. Simply being a committed Christian by itself is a difficult assignment for anyone, but Peter is saying that we need to work hard at developing our Christianity. We need to be growing!

He says that there are several areas where we need to apply that effort. The first is improving our faith and developing goodness. In other words, Peter is telling us in addition to growing our faith, we need to grow in our morality (something that is rapidly slipping away in the world today). And along with this, Peter tells us that we need to be diligent in growing our knowledge of God and His promises. That doesn’t simply mean listening to a sermon once a week. We need to be doing a lot more! We need to be reading the Bible regularly, attending Bible studies or studying on our own, and applying the things we learn to our relationship with God.

Application

I heard a preacher once say that in out Christian life we are never standing still, we’re either moving ahead or we’re sliding back. Which direction is your Christian life going today?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 5:10 – Temporary Suffering

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Will

Now the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Truth to Learn

God will use our suffering to make us complete in Him.

Behind the Words

The word translated “all” is pas, which as we saw in verse seven means “all” or “the whole.”

“Perfect” is from the Greek katartidzō, meaning “to complete or repair thoroughly.”

The word translated “establish” is stēridzō, which means “to set securely” or “to turn resolutely in a certain direction.”

The word “strengthen” is from the Greek sthenoō, which means “to give bodily vigor or strength to.”

And the word, “settle” is from the Greek themelioō, which means “to place firmly on a foundation.”

Meaning Explained

Now Peter gives us a few more words of encouragement lest we think that we are fighting this battle alone. He tells us that even in the midst of our suffering, the God of all grace will do something for us. He is not simply a gracious God (the God of grace) but the God of all grace. The implication is that there is no grace which does not come from God.

Peter goes on to tell us that not only does He bestow favor on us that we don’t deserve, but he also invites us to approach His eternal glory. Approaching this glory is only possible for us because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. This is the glory that James, John, and Peter got a glimpse of at the transfiguration:

And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. (Matthew 17:1,2)

God has invited us (called us) to come and see His glory! According to Peter, this same God will complete, securely set, strengthen, and firmly place us after we have suffered a little.”

God will not stop His work until He has absolutely completed what He wants to accomplish in us. God will establish our position in Christ, firmly and securely. God will make us spiritually strong. Our position in Christ will be built “on Christ” as we are used by God to build his church of which Christ is the chief cornerstone.

All of this will be done to us when? Peter says, after you have suffered a while. The word translated “a while” is oligon, which literally means “puny in degree or duration.” That is to say, our suffering here under God’s divine providence will be insignificant when compared with what is promised us in eternity.

Application

Though the suffering that you may be undergoing right now seems to be almost more than you can stand, God will use the suffering to bring you to a more Christ-like condition, and He will use it to bring glory to Himself. And … when we reach heaven, we will look back on the suffering and say, “Now, that wasn’t so bad after all!”

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 5:7 – No Worries, Mate

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Will

casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

Truth to Learn

God is interested in our well being, so why are we worrying?

Behind the Words

The word “casting” is translated from the Greek word epirrhiptō, which is a compound of epi, meaning “on or upon” and rhiptō, which means “to fling or toss” (not a hard throw like a “hurl” but a gentle toss). So this word means to “toss something on” like you would toss a small stick on a campfire. This word is expressed as an aorist participle, indicating an action done once and for all.

“All” is translated from a form of pas, which means “all.” However, this word does not mean all as in “all of them,” but all as in “the whole.” It’s a subtle but distinct difference meaning that we are to cast all of our ability to worry on Him.

The word translated “care” is the Greek word merimna, which means “concern or worry.” It is derived from meris, meaning “something divided” or “a piece.” The implication is that it refers to anything that divides our attention from God.

The words “cares for” are translated from the Greek verb melei, which means “to be of interest to” or “to take care of.” This word is expressed in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood implying current continuous action.

Now, if we tie this all together with the previous verse, we get:

Therefore, be humbled under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in time, tossing all your worrying onto Him, because He is taking care of you.

Meaning Explained

We are often quick to ask God for help with the things that worry us. But like so many other areas of our lives, we want Him to take care of them while we continue to hold on firmly. I like the idea of “tossing” all of our worrying on Him because it requires a release on our part. If we simply hand it to Him, we can still hold on and “help God” with it. Tossing it requires that we let go.

“But what if He doesn’t do anything about it?” you may ask. That’s where faith comes in. If we truly believe that nothing is impossible with God and that He loves us with an agape-type love and is truly concerned for our well being, then He will do what is ultimately best for us and what brings the most glory to Himself. That may mean that we have to suffer regarding those very things we have been worrying about. This is the very notion of suffering for righteousness’ sake that Peter has been talking about throughout this entire letter. But let it be God’s choice, not ours.

The bottom line is that we must allow ourselves to be used by God in the manner that He decides is best. That takes faith … That means allowing ourselves to be humbled … That means a complete commitment to God and to what He decides.

Application/Challenge

I know a person who worries so much that she gets worried when she realizes that she doesn’t currently have anything to worry about. That’s not living by faith. That’s not allowing oneself to be humbled before God. Let me challenge you to go through an entire week accepting whatever God puts in your path, humbly accepting it from Him and giving Him the Glory.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 4:8 – Demonstrate Fervent Love

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Will

Above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

Truth to Learn

Love means forgetting your own pain in order to help a brother or sister grow in grace.

Behind the Words

The expression “above all things” is translated from the Greek words pro pantōn. The word pro means “before.” It can refer to place, time, or importance. In this case, it refers to importance. The word pantōn means “all things.” Hence, Peter is literally saying “before all things,” that is, having more importance than all other things.

“Love” is translated from agapē, which in fact does mean “love.” But it is only one of several Greek words that is translated that way. The best way to describe this type of love is that it is the kind of love which is more concerned about the well being of the loved one than of self.

The word “fervent” is from the Greek word ektenēs, which literally means “stretched out.” As used here it means “continual or intense.”

The word translated “cover” is kaluptō, which means “to hide or cover.” The opposite of this is the Greek word apokaluptō, meaning “to uncover” or “to reveal” from which we get our English word apocalypse.

Meaning Explained

Since we know that our time is short, as stated in the previous verse, we need to be serious and dedicate ourselves to prayer. But, Peter tells us in this verse, of greater importance than even these things, we need to have fervent love for one another. Since Peter is writing this letter to Christians (1Peter 1:1, 2), it means that we are to love our fellow Christians with a self-sacrificing love, being more concerned for their well-being than our own. But it’s not just love, it is “fervent love” that we are to have for one another.

Why are we commanded to have fervent love for each other? Peter says it’s because love covers (or hides) a multitude of sins. This is not to say that we are to ignore the sins of a brother or sister. It means that we are to love each other this way so that we will be gracious and forgiving of each other’s faults. We need to be more concerned about the well-being of our Christian brothers and sisters than our own selfish motives and feelings. If a brother of sister is living in sin, we have a responsibility to approach him or her in a loving (agapē) manner with his or her ultimate good in mind. It also means that when a brother or sister sins against us, we need to be more concerned for their spiritual well-being than our own bruised selfish pride. Again, it doesn’t mean that we ignore the offense; rather, it means that we approach the offender in a loving (agapē) way to let him or her know that they injured us, having already forgiven them and freed them of any blame.

Keep in mind that love is an action verb, not just a feeling. In light of what Peter just told us in the previous verse (“the end of all things is near” and “be self-controlled unto prayer”), we should consistently demonstrate fervent love to our Christian brothers and sisters.

Application

When we approach a Christian brother or sister who is living in sin or who has offended us, we need to do it while standing in their shoes. We need to confront them lovingly the way we would want someone to treat us if the tables were turned.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 5:5 – Spiritual Enlightenment

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Will

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of night nor of darkness.

Truth to Learn

Christians have spiritual understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Behind the Words

“You” is from humeis, the second person plural personal pronoun. Greek is different from English in that all verbs indicate not only what the action is, but also who performs the action. The verb in this case is “are,” which is the Greek verb eimi (the verb of being). The form of the verb in this verse is second person plural (you, plural). Therefore, the personal pronoun humeis (you, plural) is not needed to accurately portray what Paul is saying. That fact that he included it indicates emphasis on who are the sons of light.

The word translated “sons” is huios, which means “a male descendant.” However, it is often used in the New Testament to refer to a child, male or female.

Pas is the root word translated here as “all.” It carries the idea of “oneness” or “the totality of something.” Therefore, pas refers to “all of something without anything being left out.”

“Light” is from the Greek word phōs (or phōtos), which is derived from the verb phaō, meaning “to shine” or “to make visible.” This, phōs refers to “that which shines” or “that which makes visible.” In other words, it refers to light. It is used both of physical light and spiritual light (enlightenment).

The word “day” is from the Greek word hēmera, which can refer to a complete twenty-four hour period or to that portion of the day in which the sun is shining (daytime).

Meaning Explained

In order to completely understand Paul’s teaching here we need to understand that Paul was brought up as a Hebrew. The Hebrew language, like most other languages, has idiomatic expressions that don’t always translate easily into other languages. For instance, the Hebrew expression “with four eyes,” as in “the two men met with four eyes,” means that the two men met face to face without anyone else present. Paul often uses such Hebrew idioms (called Hebraisms) in his writing, even though he is writing in Greek.

The expression in the previous verse, “you are not in darkness” is a Hebraism meaning “you are not ignorant, unaware, or unenlightened.” Likewise, the expression “sons of light” is a Hebraism meaning “children of God, the heavenly Father, who is light and in whom is no darkness at all.” Throughout the Bible, the metaphor of light (with respect to God) is a reference to His holiness, righteousness, and sinlessness. As His adopted children, we have been given the righteousness of Christ. In Genesis 15:6 we read that Abraham was credited with righteousness because of his faith. Similarly, a Christian, one who has faith in the saving blood of Christ, is seen by God as completely righteous. In God’s record book we are sinless, righteous, and holy. Hence, we are children of light.

And – because we are righteous children of light, our minds are illuminated by the Spirit of God so that we can understand spiritual things like God’s coming judgment on the world of sinners. “We are not of night nor of darkness” is another Hebraism meaning that we are not ignorant sinners marching mindlessly towards God’s judgment and destruction.

Finally, note that Paul starts off this verse with “you,” speaking directly to those to whom he is teaching, but then says “we,” indicating that all Christians are in the same category.

Application

Unsaved people cannot understand the Bible because they are not spiritually enlightened like we are (see 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11). We, on the other hand, are taught by the Holy Spirit, and we can know future things as taught to us in Scripture.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:16 – Keep the Faith!

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Will

In addition to all, taking the shield of the faith in which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Truth to Learn

We need faith to protect us from some of Satan’s attacks.

Behind the Words

The words “in addition to all” are translated from the Greek words en pasin. En means “in” and pasin is a form of pas, meaning “all.” Later manuscripts have this as epi pasin, meaning “above all,” but the better transcripts have en pasin. There is a difference of opinion as to what Paul means by this. Some think his meaning is “in addition to,” while others think it means “as a covering overall”

“Taking” is from analambanō, which is composed of ana, meaning “up” and lambanō, meaning “to take.” Thus, it means “to take up.” The picture is of a soldier picking up his shield and putting it into position.

Thureos is the word translated “shield,” which is derived from the word thura, meaning “a door.” This was a large shield about 2 ½ feet wide and about four feet high, which protected the entire body of a soldier. There is another Greek word for shield, aspis, which refers to a smaller round shield.

“Extinguish” is translated from sbennumi, which means “to extinguish” or “to put out.” Figuratively, this word also means “to dampen, hinder, or repress.”

The word “darts” is from the Greek noun belos, which is derived from ballō, meaning “to throw.” It refers to any kind of missile that is thrown by hand, with a sling, or shot from a bow.

The words, “the wicked one” are from the Greek word ponēros, which refers to evil or wickedness in a moral or spiritual sense. In the Greek, there is a definite article (the) associated with this word, indicating that it is a specific person that is being referred to here.

Meaning Explained

When Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison guarded by Roman soldiers. It is fitting, therefore, that he would use the metaphor of Roman armor in describing how we are to prepare ourselves for our spiritual battle. Having described the belt, breastplate, and shoes of Christian armor, he now talks about our shield.

Roman soldiers used two different types of shields depending on the type of battle they were engaged in. The thurios was used when the Romans were facing a foe that utilized arrows as a primary strategy in their attack. These arrows often had the tips packed with a tar-like substance which was then set on fire. With this door-like shield, an entire regimen could set up a nearly impenetrable wall of protection from a salvo of arrows. A single soldier whose shield was struck with such a fiery arrow would sometimes cast his shield aside to avoid the fire, thus leaving him vulnerable to further attack.

In a Christian’s battle against Satan and his demons, our enemy will often use such fiery arrows in the form of temptations, hateful or impure thoughts about others, or doubt. It is at these times that our unshakable faith protects us. This is not our saving faith, but our day-to-day living faith. It is the belief that we are secure in God’s love, that He will never leave us, that all of our sins have been forgiven, and that He will be a shield to us in times of attack. It is the faith which allows us to follow God’s leading in our lives even when the future looks uncertain along the path He has chosen for us.

Application

When you are attacked by the spiritual enemy, make sure that your shield is in place. Though your faith may be weak at times, believe God’s promises and trust in Him to protect you.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:13 – Prepare for Battle

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Will

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against them in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Truth to Learn

We need to be prepared for spiritual battle at all times.

Behind the Words

Analambanō is the Greek word translated “take up.” It is composed of ana, meaning “up” or “again” and lambanō, meaning “to take.”

“You may be able” is translated from the verb dunamai, which means “to have the ability or the authority to do something.” It is expressed in the subjunctive mood indicating the possibility or probability of happening.

The words “to stand against” are from the verb anthistēmi, made up of anti, meaning “against” and histēmi, meaning “to stand.” Thus, it literally means “to stand against someone or something.”

“Having done” is from the Greek verb katergadzomai, which is composed of kata, meaning “down” used here as an intensifier and ergadzomai, meaning “to work.” Katergadzomai means “to perform a task until it is completely finished.”

The word translated “all” is hapas. This word is made up of hama, meaning “together” and pas, meaning “all.” Hapas means “absolutely everything.”

Meaning Explained

As we have noted before, whenever you see a verse start out with “therefore” or “wherefore,” you need to look carefully at what it is “there for.” In this case, Paul is saying “because we are wrestling against spiritual forces (evil angels) in hand-to-hand combat, we need to put on all of the weapons that God provides for us.

But, it is not our own armor that we are to put on, it is God’s armor. In Greek mythology, the gods provided special armor for the heroes. Paul is playing off that idea by showing that our God provides us with the special armor we need for our battle against the evil forces.

What does Paul mean by, “the evil day?” One view sees this as every day since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Since the day that Satan attacked and defeated Adam and Eve, evil has been present on this earth. These evil days won’t end until our Lord returns to conquer all evil. The other view is that the evil day refers to any time that we are actively battling the forces of evil. No matter which of these two is correct, the fact is that Christians are in face-to-face, close contact conflict with the forces of evil each and every day.

What’s even more important is that when we are attacked by Satan and his warriors, we need to be ready. Once the battle has begun, it’s hard to put on the armor. We need to have it on at all times. Some Roman soldiers complained about the weight of their armor, so they took it off as soon as the battle was over. Then, because of lack of exercise and practice fighting in the armor, they became quickly fatigued and were not able to stand firm against their rival, making themselves easy targets.

The expression “having done all” means that we have prepared ourselves and we have stood against the enemy with the victory of our King. As a result, at the end of the battle we are still standing, not having been defeated.

Application

Let’s pay close attention to the next few verses so we can put on the armor and be practiced and prepared for battle. Fighting a battle is not easy, but we can win, for God is on our side.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:22 – Supreme Authority

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Will

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins and He is now your supreme authority with regard to all things physical and spiritual.

Behind the Words

The words “put … under” are translated from hupotassō, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and tassō, meaning “to place in an orderly arrangement.” Thus, hupotassō means “to intentionally place in a lower position.”

“Gave” is from the Greek verb didōmi, which means “to give” or “to grant.”

The word “head” is from the noun kephalē, which refers to “a head.” It can refer to the physical head of a body or, metaphorically, it can refer to “the supreme position of authority” as it does here.

“All” is the translation of the Greek word pas. It is expressed here in the neuter gender. Therefore, it refers to “all things.”

The Greek word ekklēsia is translated “church.” Ekklēsia is made up of ek, meaning “out” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” So, ekklēsia refers to something that has been “called out.” Originally, this word referred to an assembly of citizens who were called out by civil authorities. It is used throughout the New Testament, however, to refer to the church, either a local assembly or the world-wide church. The church is a reference to all of us who have been called out of the world system into God’s family.

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about the awesome power that God displayed when He raised Jesus Christ from the dead. As He did this, He also seated Jesus at His right hand, the position of greatest honor. In this position He is far above all of creation, both physical and spirit. This is an indication of the supreme position of honor in which Jesus has been placed. Now, to emphasize the point a little bit more, Paul says that God the Father also put all of creation beneath His feet. This is a direct fulfillment of the words spoken in the Psalms:

You have made him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, (Psalms 8:6)

In other words, Jesus Christ is not only supreme in honor, but He is also supreme in authority. All of creation must submit to the authority of Jesus Christ or face the outpouring of His wrath. Those who submit to His authority during this life will not experience His wrath at the judgment. Notice that as Christians, we are commanded to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ and we are commanded to submit to each other as well, as Paul teaches later in this letter (see Ephesians 5:21).

As supreme authority over all of creation, Jesus has also been given a special position with regard to all Christians. He is our Lord individually, but He is also placed in the highest position regarding the church. He is the head of the church. That is, He is our supreme spiritual authority.

Application

As a Christian, you have humbled yourself before God and accepted the blood of Jesus as payment for your sins. At the same time, you placed yourself under His authority. Jesus Christ is not only your Savior, He is your Lord and Master.

In God's service, for His glory,