A LIFE OF HUMBLE SURRENDER.
Love leads to submission because of who Jesus is, He is “Lord of all” Acts of Apostles 10: 36 says, you know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
If you love me, says Jesus, you will obey what I command, read John 14:15–16, if you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. Again in John 14:21–23, “Jesus says, whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to Him and make our home with Him.”
The only detailed story of Jesus’ youth introduces us to two traits: Jesus devotion to His “Father”, and Jesus’ submission to His earthly parents, see Luke 2:49–51 Jesus says, why were you searching for me? He asked, didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? But they did not understand what He was saying to them. Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. As an adult, Jesus taught and practiced obedience to the proper authorities. Read Matthew 8:4 which says, Then Jesus said to him; see that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
If Jesus, great as He is, needed to follow His Father’s will “exactly,” how much more should we lesser beings take care to obey! Because of His humble obedience, Jesus was exalted to the Father’s side. Philippians 2:5–9 Paul says your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death:- even death on a cross ! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. Hebrews 5:8- 9 says, Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. Now He tells us to humble ourselves that we too, in due course, may be exalted. Peter tells us in 1st Book of Peter 4:11 “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
Is it your personal goal in life to please God? Then you will learn to speak as He speaks. You will learn to obey Him in everything. You will also learn to obey the proper authorities He places over you.
1st Peter 2:13–14, 17 says, submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the king. Such example helps us to keep these matters in true perspective.
First, submission does not imply lesser value, inadequacy or inferiority in any sense. Jesus submitted to Jewish and Romans rulers. See Matthew 17: 24–27 says, after Jesus and His disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax? Yes, He does, he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. What do you think, Simon? He asked. From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes: - from their own sons or from others? From others, Peter answered. Then the sons exempt, Jesus said to him. But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours. Were those rulers better than Jesus? Were they greater or more important than He? Absolutely not! Jesus was God in flesh! Though far greater, He willingly became a servant, which included fitting into His roles in society. Jesus was born a Jew, a firstborn, a male, and a subject of Rome. He was a child and latter an adult. Each of these roles involved its own set of responsibilities which Jesus fulfilled in godly ways.
Second, submission does not mean approval of a ruler’s evil ways. These truths also apply in principle to bosses and their employees, to teachers and their students, to any relationship where one person has proper authority over another. They apply whether the authority behaves well or not. In 1st Peter 2:18, Peter tells slaves to submit to masters who are good and also to those who are harsh. In all this, keep the right focus. Whatever your position in life, you are Christ’s slave. See 1st Corinthians 7: 22 – 23, Paul says that for he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free when he was called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
Reflection Question: - What is the goal of the Christian life, as stated by 2nd Corinthians 5: 9 – 10? “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
Love leads to submission because of who Jesus is, He is “Lord of all” Acts of Apostles 10: 36 says, you know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
If you love me, says Jesus, you will obey what I command, read John 14:15–16, if you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. Again in John 14:21–23, “Jesus says, whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to Him and make our home with Him.”
The only detailed story of Jesus’ youth introduces us to two traits: Jesus devotion to His “Father”, and Jesus’ submission to His earthly parents, see Luke 2:49–51 Jesus says, why were you searching for me? He asked, didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? But they did not understand what He was saying to them. Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. As an adult, Jesus taught and practiced obedience to the proper authorities. Read Matthew 8:4 which says, Then Jesus said to him; see that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
If Jesus, great as He is, needed to follow His Father’s will “exactly,” how much more should we lesser beings take care to obey! Because of His humble obedience, Jesus was exalted to the Father’s side. Philippians 2:5–9 Paul says your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death:- even death on a cross ! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. Hebrews 5:8- 9 says, Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. Now He tells us to humble ourselves that we too, in due course, may be exalted. Peter tells us in 1st Book of Peter 4:11 “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
Is it your personal goal in life to please God? Then you will learn to speak as He speaks. You will learn to obey Him in everything. You will also learn to obey the proper authorities He places over you.
1st Peter 2:13–14, 17 says, submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the king. Such example helps us to keep these matters in true perspective.
First, submission does not imply lesser value, inadequacy or inferiority in any sense. Jesus submitted to Jewish and Romans rulers. See Matthew 17: 24–27 says, after Jesus and His disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax? Yes, He does, he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. What do you think, Simon? He asked. From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes: - from their own sons or from others? From others, Peter answered. Then the sons exempt, Jesus said to him. But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours. Were those rulers better than Jesus? Were they greater or more important than He? Absolutely not! Jesus was God in flesh! Though far greater, He willingly became a servant, which included fitting into His roles in society. Jesus was born a Jew, a firstborn, a male, and a subject of Rome. He was a child and latter an adult. Each of these roles involved its own set of responsibilities which Jesus fulfilled in godly ways.
Second, submission does not mean approval of a ruler’s evil ways. These truths also apply in principle to bosses and their employees, to teachers and their students, to any relationship where one person has proper authority over another. They apply whether the authority behaves well or not. In 1st Peter 2:18, Peter tells slaves to submit to masters who are good and also to those who are harsh. In all this, keep the right focus. Whatever your position in life, you are Christ’s slave. See 1st Corinthians 7: 22 – 23, Paul says that for he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free when he was called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
Reflection Question: - What is the goal of the Christian life, as stated by 2nd Corinthians 5: 9 – 10? “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”