James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

1 Peter 2:13-15 says, “13Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

One of the greatest struggles for people seems to be the concept of submission, which revolves around arranging themselves under the authority of another person. It is respecting and honoring authority. It is being obedient and doing things that you do not even feel like doing because you know that God is in a place of authority and has positioned people in authority over our lives. By submitting to those in authority, it is as though we are submitting to God, and it is through submission that God can later entrust us with a position of authority. It is a hierarchy that we have to work our way up, but it reflects our humility and the very character of God!

Although Christians must obey God and place Him as top priority, we do not have the right to be “lawless”. Because we are free by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ does not mean that we are selfish and only do what we want. That would mean that kids did not have to go to school because they are free, or that people should never get a ticket for speeding because they are a Christian. We are not excused from the law because we are saved. As a matter of fact, it is quite the opposite. Freedom can only come as a result of crucifying our flesh, denying ourselves, and helping those who are around us. Christ Himself is the law. He did not abolish it, but He fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17). This is what Christianity itself is all about, but in today’s time, it has become polluted and perverted where we think it is all about us. Instead of submitting, we are omitting. We are leaving out those ordinances and parts of scripture that we conflict with our cultural interests. We treat the Word of God like a buffet, consuming those foods we desire and leaving out those foods that are spiritually nutritious for us but we simply refuse. We are omitting governmental laws because we just do not feel like abiding by them. Our freedoms came with a price, and they should not be abused. We are to be obedient and submissive in order to walk pleasing unto God in all things!