Are You Fully Submitted to the Will of the Lord?

There is a powerful verse in the New Testament of the Bible that reads, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil (translated ‘false accuser’ or ‘slanderer’) and he (the devil; Satan – translated ‘our adversary’ or ‘one who withstands’; and described by Christ as a ‘murderer’ and ‘the father of lies’) will flee from you” (James 4:7 NKJV).

The word ‘submit’ used in this passage of Scripture from James, is rightly translated from the Greek word ‘hupŏtassō’, meaning, ‘to subordinate’; reflexively, ‘to obey’:—‘be under obedience’ (obedient), ‘put under’, ‘subdue unto’, (be, make) ‘subject’ (to, unto), be (put) ‘in subjection’ (to, under), ‘submit self unto’. (See Strong’s’ Concordance).

Similarly, Hebrews 12:9 (in the NIV) tells us, “How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!”
This means, in order to overcome the works of the flesh and the devil, and the enemy’s plans for our lives, we are first to submit to or to yield ourselves favourably to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ – to submit to His works of completion in and through our lives.

• Submission to God and his Christ is a key factor in our deliverance. 
• This means we cease to do things our way, and we choose to do them his way. 
• We honour those who have laid down their lives before us, by following their example and we choose to follow Christ. 

Are you a witness to the body and blood of Jesus Christ?

When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, about to be betrayed and put to death on the cross, “He (Jesus) took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.’ He went a little farther and fell on His face”, then crying out to His Heavenly Father He said, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:37-39 NKJV).

“Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him” .

(Luke 22:43 NKV)

• If Jesus needed the help of his angels, how much more so do we? 
• God will bring to our aid, supernatural help and intervention when we need it, in order to see his plans succeed.

Jesus allowed Himself, out of obedience to His Heavenly Father, to be led “like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7 NKJV) even to the point of death on the cross.

“And being found in appearance as a man, He (speaking again of Jesus) humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” .

(Philippians 2:8 NKJV)

It is now through that same death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the righteous requirements of the law are now fully met in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit of God. (See Romans 8:4 NKJV).

Jesus showed us by example

God has called us to be followers of this same Jesus Christ. To take on the same nature as Christ. To be just like Him! Patterned after God’s own likeness, we were made in His image, In the likeness of God and His Son Jesus Christ. This was always God’s original intent – that we should be Holy, just like Him.

“Then God (translated ‘’ĕlōhîm’ – plural in the Hebrew) said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” .

(Genesis 1:26 & 27 NKJV)

It is now, that through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, that we put to death the wicked deeds of the body of flesh, to be changed by his glory into the true holiness and righteousness of Christ.

When speaking to His disciples about those who have been alienated from the life of Christ because of the blindness of their hearts, the Apostle Paul said,

“But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness”.

(Ephesians 4:20-24 NKJV)

And again,

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”.

(2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified”.

(Romans 8:29 & 30 NKJV)

This is that new found glory – that we have been chosen by God, justified by faith in his son Jesus Christ, and now walk in his presence daily!

Are you willing to follow Christ’s lead?

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23 NKJV).

This means we daily have a choice; to say “no” to the way we want to do things, and to yield ourselves to the will of God the Father, just as Jesus Christ His Son did, by saying “yes” with every part of us, to what His Holy Spirit is asking us to do. For the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into truth.

When speaking to His disciples about the Holy Spirit Who was yet to come, Jesus said,

“When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. HE WILL GLORIFY ME, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you”.

(John 16:13 – 15 NKJV)

Again, when speaking to them about the Holy Spirit, Jesus said,

“But the Advocate (translated ‘paraklētos’ or ‘comforter’), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” .

(John 14:26 NIV)
(See also the impartation and baptism of the Holy Spirit in John 20:22; Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:4-8 and Acts 2:1-4).

• God is not glorified by our disobedience to his voice
• We must listen to the voice of the Lord through the person of his Holy Spirit and obey his commands
• He doesn’t go where we lead
• We go where he leads!

Christ leads us into perfect peace

The prophet Isaiah said of those who trust in and follow the Lord, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.

(John 14:27 NKJV)

King David expressed this same community of the fellowship of Christ with His saints in this way:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.

 (Psalm 23 NKJV)

When child-like faith comes forth

When I was a little girl, there was a picture on my bedroom wall that my parents had hung above my bed. It was a picture of Christ the Shepherd, carrying a little lamb in his arms. Below it was a poem that I prayed often before I went to sleep. .

Jesus tender Shepherd,
Hear me,
Bless thy little lamb tonight,
In the darkness be thou near me,
Keep me safe ‘til morning light.

(Taken from a hymn called “Evening Prayer” by Mary (Lundie) Duncan 1839)

The prophet Isaiah depicted this same prophetic picture of Christ the Shepherd, saying,
“He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young” (Isaiah 40:11 NLT).

The Shepherds role is to care for the needs of His sheep. To lead them to green pastures where they will find rest and nourishment, and to quiet waters where they will be able to drink freely and not be drowned. He tenderly watches over them to protect them and keep them from harm. When one of His little lambs is in need of His help, He picks them up and gently carries them in His arms, holding them close to His heart. Christ is that good Shepherd, Who gave His life for His sheep.

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” .

(John 10:11-16 NKJV)

Christ is a kind Shepherd. There is safety, security and rest in His arms. We can cry out to Him and be saved. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 NKJV).

And again,

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28 & 29 NKJV).

I pray today, that you also, will come to know the good Shepherd, Who is gentle, and Who gave His life for His sheep, and find rest for your soul. If you have not yet made that decision to receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour, but you would like to have a relationship with your Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ today, please pray this prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for me, to take away my sin. I am sorry for the sins I have committed and I ask You to forgive me. I now turn away from all the things that I know to be wrong and I receive Your Holy Spirit and Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for this free gift of Salvation. Please help me to come to know and experience Your love for me more every day, and to share the love that You have given me through the Lord Jesus Christ with others. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.