The Challenge of Submission

Submission to the will of God is not something that comes easy to the natural man.

In the beginning, God put a perfect man in a perfect environment with only one command demanding submission. He failed. The Scriptures demonstrate the failure of mankind to submit to God, regardless of dispensation or circumstances. Thankfully, God was manifest in the flesh and laid down a perfect example of submission, thus fulfilling all righteousness. Those in Christ have all the spiritual resources necessary to live in God’s will and for His glory; however, in order to do this, the believer must submit.

My submission to God’s Word and will is regularly challenged, and my failure to submit is often exposed. Recently, as I was studying Jeremiah’s ministry during the days of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 27), my submission to the Lord was challenged again.

In Jeremiah 27:2, the LORD spoke to Jeremiah saying, “Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck.” Wearing the bonds and yokes, Jeremiah was to preach to king Jehoiakim and the nation concerning the coming judgment at the hand of the Babylonians. The purpose of the bonds and yokes served as an illustration of their need to submit to God’s judgment by submitting to Nebuchadnezzar and serving him. In Jeremiah’s message, the LORD essentially promised that their submission would allow them to enjoy the LORD’s mercy in judgment. The LORD also warned that their rebellion would result in their experiencing the LORD’s wrath in Judgment. Sadly, the very people who had no problem serving other gods had big problems serving other nations. To state their situation succinctly, they were a patriotic people, but not a spiritual people.

The example of the people of Judah in this biblical account exposes our problem when it comes to submission. We have little problem submitting to things that are carnal, worldly, or appealing to the flesh. We do have a problem submitting to things that relate to God’s Word and will.

To test our submission, let’s put ourselves in the same position that the Jews in Jerusalem were in during the days of Jeremiah. If the Lord were to make it clear through His Word that His will was to judge America at the hand of a wicked, ruthless nation such as China; and if the LORD were to give us the same promise of mercy and warning of wrath that He gave to Judah, what would we do? Would we be spiritual enough to temper our patriotism and submit to the LORD by submitting to the bonds and yokes of China, understanding that, though counterintuitive, our submission and obedience to God’s will is what is best for our nation? Or would our patriotic desires override our spiritual desire to submit to God’s will? This is certainly a challenging hypothetical to consider in relation to our submissiveness.

I have to admit, if I am honest, this would be difficult for me. Thankfully, Scripture shows the results for those who chose rebellion over submission. Rebellion never turns out well — it always ends in ruin sooner or later.

So let us be exhorted and challenged to be serious about the practice of submission in our lives.