Submission
Submission is when we dedicate ourselves to God. When we submit ourselves to
God we submit to the word of God. James 4:7-8a tells us how we can defeat the
devil, it says “submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”.
God has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and has translated us into the
kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Following Christ means total
submission to Him, even to the point of death. Believers are those who trust God
with their will as well as their mind. Jesus tells us how in John 8:31 “if you continue
in My word, then are you My disciples indeed”. And again in John 15:4-8 “abide in
Me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine,
no more can you except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches, he
that abides in Me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without Me you
can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If
you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it
shall be done to you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, so
shall you be My disciples”. We are to serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:16-17,
23-24) “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. And
whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not to men. Knowing that of
the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord
Christ”.
A lot people want Jesus as Savior, to deliver them from hell, but as we submit
ourselves to God, He becomes our Lord. Submitting to God means committing to
do what God says. Jesus says “why call you Me, Lord, Lord and do not the things
which I say? Whosoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings, and does them, I will
show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built an house and dig deep,
and laid the foundation on a rock, and when the flood arose, the stream beat
vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a
rock. But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built
a house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently and
immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49).
Submitting to another person is an often misunderstood concept. It does not mean
becoming a doormat. Jesus Christ, although equal with God the Father, submitted
to Him to carry out the plan of salvation. Christ at whose name “every knee will
bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth”, His will to the Father, and we
honor Christ by following His example. We are told to “let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God. But made Himself, of no reputation and took upon
Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the
death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a
name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).
When we submit to God, we become willing to obey His command to submit to
others, that is, to subordinate our rights to theirs. In a marriage relationship, both
the husband and the wife are called to submit to one another. For the wife, this
means willingly following her husband’s leadership in Christ. For the husband, it
means putting aside his own interests in other to care for his wife (Ephesians 5:21-
22). You will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Submission is
mutual commitment and cooperation.
God created lines of authority in order for His created world to function smoothly.
We serve God in these relationships by willingly submitting to others in the church,
to our spouses, and to our government leaders (Romans 13:1-7) says “let every
soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power, but of God, that powers
that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the
ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For
rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of
the power? Do that which is good and you shall have praise of the same. For he
is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for
he bears not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute
wrath upon him that does evil. Wherefore you must needs be subject not only for
wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause, pay you tribute also, for they
are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore
to all their dues, tribute, to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom, fear to
whom fear; honor to whom honor”.
And again in (I Peter 2:13-16) “submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the
Lord’s sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme. Or to governors, as to them
that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them
that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God”. Servants are told to be subject to their
masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward.
Ephesians 6:5-7 says “servants, be obedient to them that are your masters
according to the flesh, with respect and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to
Christ. Not with eye service, as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ, doing
the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not
to men”.
We are to pray and not complain, complaining puts us in rebellion with God (I
Timothy 2:1-4) “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and for all that
are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Who will
have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. The devil
wants to control this world, so he targets leaders, trying to get them to follow his
ways, but as we pray and intercede for them, we put them in God’s hands. Our
prayers should be for the blindness to be removed from their eyes and that God
would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
Paul became submitted when on the road to Damascus, he asked “he trembling
and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do? (Acts 9:6). Paul called
himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and so did James, Peter and Jude. A
bondservant is described as one who is allowed to go free after a time, but refuses
to go out (Deuteronomy 15:16-17) “and it shall be, if he say to you, I will not go
away from you, because he loves you and your house, because he is well with
you. Then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he
shall be your servant for ever, and also to your maidservant you shall do likewise”.
Paul and the early apostles were dedicated to following the Lord Jesus. Paul says
“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and
the life which I now live, in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave Himself for me”.
People want to receive the blessings and gifts which are in Him, but to be in Him,
you must be submitted to Him. And just like Jesus said in the garden of
Gethsemane “not My will, but let Thy will be done”. Let us submit out will to God,
and follow His leading. Remember He has a plan for our lives, to do us good and
not evil.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 2, 2008
Submission is when we dedicate ourselves to God. When we submit ourselves to
God we submit to the word of God. James 4:7-8a tells us how we can defeat the
devil, it says “submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”.
God has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and has translated us into the
kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Following Christ means total
submission to Him, even to the point of death. Believers are those who trust God
with their will as well as their mind. Jesus tells us how in John 8:31 “if you continue
in My word, then are you My disciples indeed”. And again in John 15:4-8 “abide in
Me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine,
no more can you except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches, he
that abides in Me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without Me you
can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If
you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it
shall be done to you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, so
shall you be My disciples”. We are to serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:16-17,
23-24) “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. And
whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not to men. Knowing that of
the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord
Christ”.
A lot people want Jesus as Savior, to deliver them from hell, but as we submit
ourselves to God, He becomes our Lord. Submitting to God means committing to
do what God says. Jesus says “why call you Me, Lord, Lord and do not the things
which I say? Whosoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings, and does them, I will
show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built an house and dig deep,
and laid the foundation on a rock, and when the flood arose, the stream beat
vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a
rock. But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built
a house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently and
immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49).
Submitting to another person is an often misunderstood concept. It does not mean
becoming a doormat. Jesus Christ, although equal with God the Father, submitted
to Him to carry out the plan of salvation. Christ at whose name “every knee will
bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth”, His will to the Father, and we
honor Christ by following His example. We are told to “let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God. But made Himself, of no reputation and took upon
Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the
death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a
name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).
When we submit to God, we become willing to obey His command to submit to
others, that is, to subordinate our rights to theirs. In a marriage relationship, both
the husband and the wife are called to submit to one another. For the wife, this
means willingly following her husband’s leadership in Christ. For the husband, it
means putting aside his own interests in other to care for his wife (Ephesians 5:21-
22). You will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Submission is
mutual commitment and cooperation.
God created lines of authority in order for His created world to function smoothly.
We serve God in these relationships by willingly submitting to others in the church,
to our spouses, and to our government leaders (Romans 13:1-7) says “let every
soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power, but of God, that powers
that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the
ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For
rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of
the power? Do that which is good and you shall have praise of the same. For he
is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for
he bears not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute
wrath upon him that does evil. Wherefore you must needs be subject not only for
wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause, pay you tribute also, for they
are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore
to all their dues, tribute, to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom, fear to
whom fear; honor to whom honor”.
And again in (I Peter 2:13-16) “submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the
Lord’s sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme. Or to governors, as to them
that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them
that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God”. Servants are told to be subject to their
masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward.
Ephesians 6:5-7 says “servants, be obedient to them that are your masters
according to the flesh, with respect and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to
Christ. Not with eye service, as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ, doing
the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not
to men”.
We are to pray and not complain, complaining puts us in rebellion with God (I
Timothy 2:1-4) “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and for all that
are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Who will
have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. The devil
wants to control this world, so he targets leaders, trying to get them to follow his
ways, but as we pray and intercede for them, we put them in God’s hands. Our
prayers should be for the blindness to be removed from their eyes and that God
would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
Paul became submitted when on the road to Damascus, he asked “he trembling
and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do? (Acts 9:6). Paul called
himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and so did James, Peter and Jude. A
bondservant is described as one who is allowed to go free after a time, but refuses
to go out (Deuteronomy 15:16-17) “and it shall be, if he say to you, I will not go
away from you, because he loves you and your house, because he is well with
you. Then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he
shall be your servant for ever, and also to your maidservant you shall do likewise”.
Paul and the early apostles were dedicated to following the Lord Jesus. Paul says
“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and
the life which I now live, in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave Himself for me”.
People want to receive the blessings and gifts which are in Him, but to be in Him,
you must be submitted to Him. And just like Jesus said in the garden of
Gethsemane “not My will, but let Thy will be done”. Let us submit out will to God,
and follow His leading. Remember He has a plan for our lives, to do us good and
not evil.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 2, 2008
