SUBMISSION

Born again believers are constantly seeking to know God's will in order to please Him.  By accepting the Lordship of Jesus, we have declared ourselves to be His servants.  In fact, our willingness to surrender to Him as our Lord and Savior, appears to be a key to our being born again.  Our believing what the Word of God has to say about Jesus, will result in our submission to Him!  I believe this is true because of how Paul described unbelievers in Romans 10:3.  He wrote, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." 

The Gospel message, on the other hand, is clear in that it declares that all men are sinners (Rom. 3:23); that the wages for sin is death (Rom. 6:23); but while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8); and so, we might freely receive His righteousness and eternal life by faith in Him (Rom. 5:18; 6:23; 10:8-13; 2 Cor. 5:21).  The first act of submission is for man to come to God on God's terms, and not on his own.     

Jesus is not asking us to do what He, Himself, did not do.  His whole Incarnation was an act of submission to the will of God (Jn. 4:31-34; 5:30; Phil. 2:5-8; etc.).  And, like Jesus, the Holy Spirit is of the same mind in that He submits Himself to doing the will of Jesus (Jn. 15:26; 16:7, 13-14). 

Born again believers are called upon to submit, not only to God but also to other imperfect human beings.  Christians are to be submissive.  We are to submit ourselves to church leaders (1 Cor. 16:15-16; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:5; etc.).  Husbands are to submit themselves to the Lord (Eph. 5:25-33; 6:4).  Wives are to submit themselves to their husbands (Eph. 5:22-24).  Children are to submit themselves to their parents (Eph. 6:1-3).  Servants (employees) are to submit themselves to their masters (bosses) (Eph.6:5-8).  Masters (bosses) are to submit themselves to God, for they will answer to Him for how they treat their workers (Eph. 6:9).  And all are to submit to governmental leaders (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13). 

Submission, the mark of a believer, is humility in action.