Submission – Prerequisite to authority: by James Lantz

The word submission is considered politically incorrect in our world today. Sadly many in the body of Christ have allowed the spirit of this world to get into their thinking and therefore into their words and actions. Every thing in the kingdom of God is under the authority of our heavenly Father. He has placed his Son Jesus at the head of the church and given Him a name above every name. Phil. 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth,and things under the earth. We have been given the name of Jesus when we entered into covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ. A good example of a covenant relationship is the marriage covenant between husband and wife. When they commit themselves totally to each other in marriage, he loves her as himself and she reverences him. All that she has becomes his and all that he has becomes hers, even his name. When we submit to the Lord Jesus Christ we receive his name and all the authority that goes with that name. The first time Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples after he was raised from the dead, he delegated the preaching of the gospel to them and with this commission he gave them the authority to use His name. Mk.16:15–18…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Because they accepted the will of God for their life they received the authority of the use of the name of Jesus. In other words devils were cast out, they received the power of the Holy Ghost just like Jesus had in his ministry, poisonous snake bites didn’t hurt them and the sick are healed when they laid their hands on them. What some need to realize is that the great commission has been given to us for our generation. Every member of the body of Christ is to be either going on the mission field or sending someone. Every one of us is to be ready to open our mouth and speak forth the truth that’s sets people free in our daily walk. Many today are trying to experience the pleasures of marriage without the commitment of marriage. Some are trying to do God like that, wanting the blessings of the covenant but unwilling to submit to the plan of God for their life. They want to be healed but they don’t want to submit to the word of God (Jesus). John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. As we read the gospels, we see that many did not recognize who Jesus was because they had no desire to submit to the light of doing things God’s way. Some realized who he was but would not confess him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12:43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Some are blind because they cannot see and some are blind because they have closed their eyes. Mt. 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Some have listened to the traditions of men for so long they don’t recognize the truth when they hear it. Some, like Pilate, don’t want to hear the truth, because that would require them to drop their agenda and adopt the Lord Jesus Christ agenda. Salvation, healing and blessing have been purchased for every person! Jesus said that only one type person was going to receive from him and that is the person whose heart is right before God. The parable of the sower is the first parable we must understand if we are going to experience the good things of the kingdom of God. We are compared to one of four types of soil. The only person who experiences any harvest is the one whose heart is right before God and does what God says. Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. An honest and good heart is a heart absent of sin and full of faith. This person is free from covetousness (loving money and things more than God) and loves the word of God. The Lord refers to the children of Israel who refused to go into the promised land as being ignorant of his ways. God’s way is the way of faith and love. The way of faith is to accept what God has said as the truth and step out knowing that God will cause you to triumph. Heb. 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. The Holy Ghost said, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness. God said, go and take the land, I have given this land to you. They said we can’t. Faith says, I can take it, God will help me. The first step toward God is to humble yourself in his sight. James 4:6&7 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Did you ever notice that in the letters to the church we are never instructed to pray to God to get the devil off of us. James said we are to resist the devil. Paul said don’t give the devil any place (Eph. 4:27). Paul was referring to us not letting any unbelief or ill willl come out of our mouth. Peter said we are to resist the devil in the faith. (1Pet.5:9) In the context of first Peter chapter five we see the subject is humbling ourselves to the authority God has placed over us. The elders are exhorted to humble themselves to feed the flock of God willingly, not doing it only if they get a big offering, not lording over God’s people but rather being a Godly example of how to serve God for his goodness. The younger is to submit to the elder. This is not just referring to physical age but also to our standing with the Lord. 1 Pet.5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. I want to point out that when Peter said to submit one to another he was not saying that the elder should submit to the younger or he would be contradicting what he just stated. Peter was saying that we should all submit to those in authority over us. We are to rightly interpret the word of God. You must interpret the word of God by the word and take it in context. Let every word be established by two or three witnesses. Again, when Paul said, submit yourselves one to another, he was not contradicting himself about who God had given the authority to as to being the head of the home. He was exhorting us to all be submissive to those in authority.  Of course there are many times we husbands can submit to our wife in the fear of the Lord. Wives, your submission to your husband is not to be contrary to the word of the Lord. The scripture says we are to be in the assembly, so if your husband says to not go to church, then you simply yield to the word of God which is the higher authority. Act in faith and love and the Lord will deal with your husband! Smith Wigglesworth was won to the Lord through his godly wife’s obedience to the Lord. As long as the devil is around there will always be those who resist authority. Rebellion is the very nature of the devil. God put him in a high place but he wanted to set himself somewhere that God had not placed him. When he tried to lift himself up, God booted him out of heaven as quick as lightning. We are to walk humbly before our God.The place God has given his children is a very high place, seated together with Christ at the Father’s right hand. Heb. 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? You don’t read of God asking the angels to come in and set down with him but we are seated with him in Christ. Man is the one that Jesus came to redeem by offering himself for our sins.  Every one of us (christians) has been raised together with Christ and God is going to continually show kindness toward us now and in the ages to come. Col. 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. There is no place for jealously and pride in the Kingdom of God. God has made us the part of the body of Christ that we are and we can never be anything else. We can choose to excel in the place God has put us and to bear much fruit. John 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Keep this in context with the fact that John was referring to the fact that God had made him the forerunner and he could never be the Messiah. Salvation is available to every person who will humble themselves and believe the word of God (instead of their own reasoning), that Jesus sacrifice paid for their sins and grants eternal life.

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