From the beginning, God’s creation enjoyed the greatest freedom in being and fulfilling God’s purpose. Sin entered the world as Adam and Eve decided that submitting to God’s will was less than fulfilling, thus rebelling against God and His design for their lives. Just consider what they enjoyed and what their failure to submit brought them. God blessed them to live in a paradise on earth in the Garden of Eden. God gave Adam work to do and even blessed him with a wife. Of course, God had given them the blessing of the Sabbath for weekly rest and God regularly visited the couple so they enjoyed the blessing of His presence. All in all, there is really nothing for which they lacked and there was just one restriction, and it was upon that they were tempted to rebel, resulting in their losing the freedom and blessing of the garden.
Genesis 2:15–17 (ESV) — 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 3:1–6 (ESV) — 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:23–24 (ESV) — 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
You might ask Adam how rebelling against God rather than submitting to Him worked out for him, but we don’t need to because we all learn that lesson daily. Whenever we rebel against submitting to God, we lose. We are tempted as the world, our old nature, which is known as our flesh, and by the devil to rebel against God’s call for submission to Him and His word, but the result is a lack of freedom rather than a gain of freedom.
Luke 9:23–25 (ESV) — 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
It’s a serious thing to fail to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ in every aspect of life. Too many times we try to compartmentalize our lives and submit in one area or on one day or we pick and choose where we want to submit, but our King says He wants it all. It’s not that He’s out to take or ruin our lives, rather He offers us real life and great benefits which are unique to His followers who are “all in” as they submit to Him.
John 10:10 (ESV) — 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Think about Jesus as King and we as His servants submit to His will. We are tempted to bury His commandments and look the other way, thinking we want to be free from any restrictions or duties. The result is missing out on the best He has for us. Here’s a great illustration of those who found freedom and blessing by submitting, whereas the one who wanted freedom from submitting found it to be less than desirable.
Matthew 25:14–30 (ESV) — 14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The call of God is for complete sold-out submission to Him. It’s the greatest commandment.
Mark 12:29–30 (ESV) — 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Those who make this their aim and focus on submission, rather than rebellion, are those who enjoy the freedom in the presence of God and the benefits of finding their delight in the Lord.
Psalm 37:4–5 (ESV) — 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
