BE SUBMISSIVE 1

18 SERVANTS, BE SUBMISSIVE TO YOUR MASTERS WITH ALL FEAR, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
1 Peter 2:18-25 (NKJV)

• The issue of submission is the major issue that was stressed out in the first part of the first epistle of Peter.

• This issue is being contended in the contemporary time. Disobedience to the authorities; either the authority in government, church, family, and whatever, is a result of the society or the people who would not want to agree with God's Word.
• Submission is now seen as an evil, a degradation, even in the church or among the believers—the people of God.
• Marriages are collapsing, even that of the professed believers, because, submission which is a major injunction of God is no longer obeyed or practiced.
• Believers' conduct should be rooted in submission; citizens to government, servants to masters, or employees to employers, wives to husbands, and christians or believers to one another:
  "SERVANTS, BE SUBMISSIVE TO YOUR MASTERS WITH ALL FEAR, NOT ONLY TO THE GOOD AND GENTLE, BUT ALSO TO THE HARSH" (1 Peter 218 NKJV).

• The submission being talked about here should be for both good and gentle masters, as well as froward or harsh masters—those who are difficult to work with.

• Working with a grim or unpleasantly severe—stern or cruel or austere or harsh—master could be devastating. Albeit, the Bible still says you should submit!
• When you reverence a harsh or an austere master, you are doing It to God—because you want to obey God. Your focus should be God, His Word; instructions or commands or principles given in the Bible.
• When you do it, the Scripture says it is worthy of high praise; applaudable or laudable: "FOR THIS IS COMMENDABLE . . . " (1 Peter 2:19).
• The conclusive part of the verse says " . . . IF BECAUSE OF CONSCIENCE TOWARD GOD ONE ENDURES GRIEF, SUFFERING WRONGFULLY" (1 Peter 2:19).
• In other words, If you are unjustly treated and you endure it, the grief, because you wanted to honour or obey God; It is commendable and worthy of emulation by other believers.

• Things being taught here are some of the things some social or modernistic believers would not want to believe or agree with.

• They are the types who believe that a believer should be assertive and be ready to slug or fight it out with whoever wants to take advantage of them.
• But God's principles are not so. Would the people not think one is stupid? Someone said. God Who instructed you not to fight back would not fold His hands without helping you. He is a just One, not unjust at all (Romans 12:17-19).
• Your obedience is what God needed before He could stand to defend you and fight your cause (Matthew 5:39-42).
• You submissively obeyed your master who seems to be uncouth and unreasoning, the coarse mannered Boss; because you would not want to violate your tender conscience, you want to obey God.
• In the passage, the text of this teaching, It says suffering for doing good is applaudable: "BUT WHEN YOU DO GOOD AND SUFFER, IF YOU TAKE IT PATIENTLY, THIS IS COMMENDABLE BEFORE GOD" (1 Peter 2:20 NKJV).
• If you handled the mistreatment or the unjust treatment you received according to the Bible standard or way, you definitely would be rewarded or compensated for it by God.

• Note:
a. Finding yourself under such a master or Boss could be a test. God might want to use him or her to prune you or smoothen the rough edges of your life—prune you or deal with the excesses or defects in your character.
b. It could also be a way of God building or growing some of the fruit of the spirit that are lacking in your life (Galatians 5:22,23). The pruning of your character is mainly for the purpose of maximum fruit bearing life: "HE [God] CUTS OFF EVERY BRANCH OF MINE [Jesus] THAT DOESN'T PRODUCE FRUIT, AND HE PRUNES THE BRANCHES THAT DO BEAR FRUIT SO THEY WILL PRODUCE EVEN MORE" (John 15:2 NLT).
THUS, being under a callous master could be a way of pruning or testing of your obedience and submissiveness.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• If you are having any sickness in your body, I declare your healing now in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
• Whatever is not planted in your body that is working against your health and wellness is cursed and uprooted totally in Jesus' mighty name.
  Peace!
  TO BE CONTINUED

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!