As we approach the joyous occasion of Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I encourage us to consider the concept of “submission.” In our society, this word often carries negative connotations, perceived as oppressive, restrictive of freedom, patriarchal, and flat-out “party-pooperish!” The idea of submission seems to directly contradict the very fabric of our core American values of individual liberty, equality, and self-governance. However, Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated that submission is an essential and joyful component of our faith journey. Let’s examine His example as presented in Philippians 2:

“Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Instead, He emptied himself, Taking the very nature of a servant, Being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death— Even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place And gave him the name that is above every name, That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, In heaven and on earth and under the earth,  And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the Father.”   

Tis’ the season to tell the story of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, where the eternal Word, the Creator of all, became flesh and dwelt among His creation as Emmanuel, GOD WITH US! The Light of the World burst into the darkness to offer eternal life to all who believe. The One who would bear the highest name first humbled Himself to become the most vulnerable of all creation, a little baby, born in a feeding trough because there was no room in the inn. This same little baby grew in wisdom and stature, favored by both God and man, yet not through reliance on His own divine power.

He emptied Himself, experiencing the same struggles and temptations we all face. However, He provided His followers a model for a life wholly submitted to the will of the Father and utterly dependent on the Holy Spirit’s guidance and power. Submissive to both the Father and the Spirit, He was led into the wilderness to be tempted, called into ministry as the promised Messiah, and ultimately crucified on the cross to atone for our sins. When faced with drinking the cup of wrath on behalf of sinful humanity, He prayed to the Father, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

As Jesus’s followers, we are called to adopt this same attitude. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5, “And [Jesus] died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.” This should compel us to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who, through his victory over sin and death, offers us salvation from eternal separation from God. As Oswald Chambers powerfully stated, a true response to Jesus is ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ – an absolute and unwavering commitment to living for God and surrendering our will to Him entirely, in every moment of every day.

Furthermore, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6, reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, a precious gift entrusted to us by God. We were bought with a price, the precious blood of Christ, and therefore, we are obligated, or, better yet, compelled by love to serve God with our bodies. This concept extends beyond individual believers. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul declares that the church itself is the temple of the Holy Spirit, a collective body of born-again believers. This idea is further elaborated in 1 Corinthians 12, where he describes the church as the Body of Christ, with each believer functioning as individual members of it. 

So what’s the point?! The call to follow Jesus demands a life of submission, first and foremost, to the Lordship of Christ, to His teachings, and to actively seek guidance from the Holy Spirit who resides within you. However, this submission extends beyond private devotion. The Holy Spirit indwells not only individual believers but also lives within the collective assemblies of the church worldwide. Therefore, isolating yourself from submitting to Christian community runs perpendicular to God’s Will and undermines your desire to experience the fullness of Christ in your life. As the author of Hebrews exhorts, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some have made a habit, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day of his return approaching.” True discipleship necessitates both a deep personal relationship with Christ and active participation in the life of the church. You can’t have one without the other.

Please consider reading Ephesians 5 as a guide to a life of submission! 

I pray you have a blessed Christmas Eve filled with fellowship in the Spirit as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is worthy of our unending worship!