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WEEKLY
Volume 4 Number 27
29 November 2009
A Submissive Heart
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, Nov 29, 09)
Text: James 4:7
Most people in this world do not like
to submit themselves to someone, to the authorities, to ethics, to laws,
rules or regulations, and they reluctantly show their submission to
avoid troubles, fines, disciplines, or punishment. If there is no
punishment for those who break the traffic rules, many may like speeding
or parking their cars anywhere for convenience. Many children may follow
their parents’ instructions but without a willing and submissive heart.
Many just pray, read the Bible or go to church but without a cheerful
and submissive heart. Many may preach and teach God’s Word, but they are
not wholeheartedly submissive to God and His Word! All of these show the
rebellious heart of human beings after the Fall of Adam and Eve. Many
regard submission as a sign of weakness, but submission to God and His
Word is a sign of wisdom and maturity. God commands you and me to submit
ourselves to Him, “Submit yourselves therefore to God” (James
4:7). Do you and I truly have a submissive heart to God and His Word?
Submission versus Rebellion
The Greek term of the verb “submit” is
hupotássō, which means to place under in an orderly fashion,
to subjugate, place in submission, to subject oneself, place oneself in
submission (Zodhiates), and subject, subordinate; be subjected or
subordinated, obey (BAGD).
Then, if you and I have a submissive
heart, we shall submit ourselves to God and His Word, to obey Him and
His Word without any question or rebellion.
Sadly, human nature is sinful,
rebellious, corrupt and totally depraved. Naturally, human nature
neither likes nor wants to submit to God and His Word, but is rebellious
against God and His Word, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So
then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:7-8).
God is grieved at His rebellious
people although He has been so faithful and good to them, “I have
spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh
in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts” (Isa 65:2).
Moses said to his people, “Ye have been rebellious against the LORD
from the day that I knew you” (Deut 9:24). God spoke to His people
through Jeremiah, “Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not
tremble at my presence…? But this people hath a revolting (stubborn,
backsliding) and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone”
(Jer 5:22-23).
Dear friends, rebellion or
disobedience against God and His Word is a serious sin, and we just harm
and destroy ourselves by not submitting to God and His Word. Through the
Scriptures, we see the holy and righteous God resist the proud and
punish those who disobey Him and His Word with a rebellious and stubborn
heart. Lucifer was cursed (Isa 14:12-15), so were Adam and Eve (Gen 3).
It is serious for Moses to disobey God when God told him to speak to the
rock but he smote the rock twice due to his anger against the murmuring
and rebellious people (Num 20:11), and he was not allowed to bring his
people into the Promised Land, “And the LORD spake unto Moses and
Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the
children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into
the land which I have given them” (v 12). It is serious for King
Saul not to wholeheartedly and carefully obey God’s Word, and he was
rejected, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For
rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath
also rejected thee from being king” (1 Sam 15:22-23). May the Lord
graciously help you and me to wisely submit to Him and His Word.
A Submissive Heart to God and His
Word
Truly, “The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer
17:9). Many are deceiving themselves by thinking that it is alright for
them to go to church or even to serve Him, to preach and teach God’s
Word while their heart is not submissive to God and His Word! I may
stand at the pulpit and preach God’s Word but do I really and
wholeheartedly believe in and submit to the Lord and His Word? God is
the Creator and Maker, and He has all right and authority to require you
and me to submit to Him and to His Word. God’s commandment is, “Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as
thyself” (Luke 10:27), and to love God is to keep His words, “If
a man love me, he will keep my words” (John 14:23). God requires you
and me to walk humbly with Him, “what doth the LORD require of thee,
but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
(Micah 6:8). To walk humbly with God means to follow Him with a humble
and submissive heart in His narrow way. Let no man, even us, deceive
ourselves by thinking that it is alright to worship and serve the Lord
regardless of His will and Word. Our Lord Jesus encourages you and me to
walk in the narrow way in the boundaries of God’s will and God’s Word,
“Enter ye in at the strait gate… Because strait is the gate, and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it… Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will
I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity” (Matt 7:13-14; 21-23).
Then, you and I must have a submissive
heart to God and His Word. There is no other way if we want to be
blessed. If you and I are God’s children and if we are still immature,
we usually trust in ourselves and our ability and we sometimes just do
what we like and go where we like regardless of God’s will and His Word.
Due to His love, God has to chastise us and humble us through our
failures, afflictions or trials until we are submissive to Him and His
Word, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, … shall we not much
rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?... he for
our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness” (Heb 12:6,
9, 10). Then, a submissive heart to God and His Word is a good sign of
maturity and wisdom. We must submit ourselves to God and His Word first
and above all.
Submit to the Government Authorities:
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no
power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God…
Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for
conscience sake… Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to
whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to
whom honour” (Rom 13:1, 5, 7). We are to submit ourselves to our
government authorities. Only when we are forced to deny God and His
Truth, ought we “to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Submit to One’s Parents:
In the Old Testament, rebellious children were severely punished, “If
a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice
of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have
chastened him, will not hearken unto them… And all the men of his
city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil
away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear” (Deut
21:18, 21). Nowadays we cannot do that, but God does command the
children to honour and obey their parents, “Children, obey your
parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother”
(Eph 6:1-2; Exod 20:12). Do you and I truly honour our parents? Only
when we are told to do something against God’s Word, ought we “to
obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Submit to One’s Husband:
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord”
(Eph 5:22). Although male and female are equal before God, they still
have different functions and duties. God has ordained the husband to be
the head of the family. Then, all the wives should obey God’s
commandment and submit to their own husbands except when they are told
to do something against God’s Word.
Submit to One’s Boss:
“Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the
good and gentle, but also to the forward (wicked)” (1 Peter
2:18). Then, you have to submit to your boss except when you are told to
do something against God’s Word.
Submit to the Elders and God’s
Servants:
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder” (1 Peter
5:5) and “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit
yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give
account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
unprofitable for you” (Heb 13:17). We are commanded to submit
ourselves to the more spiritually mature brethren in Christ, to those
who truly submit themselves to God and His Word. And surely, we ought
not to submit to those who fail to submit themselves to God and His Word
despite their high position in the church.
Submit to One Another:
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Eph
5:21) and “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” (1 Peter 5:5). We must humbly submit to one another in the
fear of God and according to God’s Word. Husbands must submit to their
own wives or parents to their children or even elders/pastors to the
brethren when they are reminded to do God’s Word. For example, when you
want to do something on the Lord’s Day, and your children remind you,
“Daddy/Mommy, today is the Lord’s Day, and we have to worship Him and
keep His Day holy,” then the parents have to submit to God’s Word
reminded by their children. When you and I are reminded to do
God’s Word by someone, and we fail to do that, we do not have a
submissive heart before the Lord.
Conclusion
Satan has rebelled against God and
God’s Word and he still tries his best to tempt you and me to rebel
against God and His Word too. The only way to deal with his temptation
is, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you” (James 4:7). Like Adam and Eve, many have failed
to submit themselves to God and His Word and failed to resist the Devil,
so the Devil is neither scared of them nor fleeing from them. Our Lord
Jesus Christ wholeheartedly submitted Himself to His Father and resisted
the Devil by God’s Word, the Sword of the Holy Spirit (Matt 4:4-10; Eph
6:17), so the Devil fled from Him. Only when you and I submit ourselves
to the Lord can we find rest for our souls,
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light”
(Matt 11:28-30). To take Jesus’ yoke upon us means to
submit ourselves to Him, His Word, His control and His guidance. May God
graciously deal with you and me until we are wholeheartedly submissive
to Him and His Word first and above all and then submissive to one
another according to His Word so that we may find true rest for our
submissive souls. Amen.
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