Servias Ministries Blog

Obedience involves the “doing”, but submission involves the “emotions”!

As we submit to GOD in a joyful manner, HE blesses us and provides us with greater resources to give.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 9:

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God Loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

9 As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”

10 This generous God Who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First He supplies every need, plus more. Then He multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow.

11 You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God.

GOD says HE Loves a cheerful giver, but HE never says HE loves an obedient giver. 

I can attest that HIS Word is true in my life.  However, we must understand that when seed is planted, there is a timing to its harvest.  We must remain steadfast as we patiently wait for fruitfulness to manifest on our behalf.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 2:

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name,

10 that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Because of that obedience, God exalted Jesus and multiplied His greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names!  Let His mindset of obedience become your motivation. 

Your power and authority will expand in relation to your level of obedience and mindset.

Jesus humbled Himself to become man, and He humbled Himself to die on the cross.  As a result, GOD highly exalted Him above every name.

How humble was He?  He so emptied Himself of His glory, power, status, and Divinity, that no one recognized Him as GOD.  Even those closest to Him, it took men a year and a half to discover Who He was.  He did not self-promotion, neither should we as we walk in greater power and authority. 

Our joy comes forth as we are fruitful and exalt The Name of Jesus above every name.

AS we are fully submissive to The Holy Spirit, we will be qualified to walk in both power and authority!

In the Scripture, “submission” means willingly placing yourself under proper authority, order, or service out of reverence for God, not because of inferiority, fear, or loss of value.

Being submissive is rooted in humility, Love, trust, and obedience to God’s design.

James wrote by The Holy Spirit in James chapter 4:

7 So then, surrender (submit) to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will flee in agony.

8 Move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting.

You and I have the choice of joyfully submitting to GOD and being fully led by The Holy Spirit.  As we do, we will fulfill our individual callings with authority and power.

To submit to God means:

* yielding your will to His Will,

* obeying His commands,

* trusting His Wisdom over your own desires,

* living under His authority.

Jesus Himself modeled this perfectly when He spoke in Luke chapter 22:

42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Even in His darkest hour in His walk on the earth, He chose to do FATHER’S perfect Will because of His Love for you and me.

Believers are called to serve and honor one another humbly.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 5:

21 And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in Love.

We are to walk in humility, teachability, putting others before self, and avoiding pride and domination.  Biblical submission is never meant to be selfish control by one person over another.

Submission Within Marriage: the Bible teaches a special order in marriage.

In Ephesians chapter 5:

21 And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in Love.

22 For wives, this means being devoted to your husbands like you are tenderly devoted to Our Lord,

23 for the husband provides leadership for the wife, just as Christ provides leadership for His church, as the Savior and Reviver of the body.

24 In the same way the church is devoted to Christ, let the wives be devoted to their husbands in everything.

25 And to the husbands, you are to demonstrate Love for your wives with the same tender devotion that Christ demonstrated to us, his bride. For he died for us, sacrificing himself

26 to make us Holy and pure, cleansing us through the showering of the pure water of the Word of God.

27 All that He does in us is designed to make us a mature church for His pleasure, until we become a source of praise to Him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and Holy, without fault or flaw.

28 Husbands have the obligation of Loving and caring for their wives the same way they Love and care for their own bodies, for to Love your wife is to Love your own self.

29 No one abuses his own body, but pampers it—serving and satisfying its needs. That’s exactly what Christ does for His church!

30 He serves and satisfies us as members of His Body.

What woman wouldn’t want to submit to such a Godly husband!

Biblical submission in marriage does not mean being worthless, being silent, tolerating abuse, or blind obedience to sin.  Instead, it describes a willing respect for Godly leadership within a covenant of sacrificial Love.

The husband’s role is not domination but Christ-like service.

We are to submit legitimate authority.  The Bible also teaches respect for parents, church leadership, governing authorities, and employers.  This submission is conditional upon obedience to God first.  We must not walk in blind submission and be a part of acts of unholiness.

For example, the apostles refused authorities when commanded to disobey God:

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 5:

27 When they brought them before the council, the high priest demanded an explanation,

28 saying, “Didn’t we strictly warn you that you were to never again teach in this Name? But instead you have now filled all of Jerusalem with this doctrine and are committed to holding us responsible for this Man’s death!”

29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must listen to and obey God more than pleasing religious leaders.”

So Biblical submission never requires participating in evil or sin.

True Biblical submission is voluntary, humble, rooted in Love, and grounded in Trust in God.  Jesus demonstrated submission while remaining fully powerful and fully equal with the Father.

What describes submission in Scripture?  You will walk in humility, servanthood, self-control, obedience, peace, and maturity.  On the other hand, pride resists submission, but Wisdom embraces proper order.

Submission Is not abuse, oppression, coercion, enabling sin, loss of human dignity, forced silence, or unquestioning loyalty to corrupt authority.  Whenever authority becomes abusive or commands sin, we are not to comply.  Scripture places obedience to God above human authority.

Are you willing to serve others when you are walking in full authority and power?  Jesus did!

AS we fully embrace Agape Love, we will be qualified to walk in both power and authority!

If you walk in HIS Love, you will not abuse or misuse your ministry to others.  You will only exalt Jesus in your ministry and not allow the focus to be on you.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Corinthians chapter 12:

31 But you should all constantly boil over with passion in seeking the higher gifts. And now I will show you a superior way to live that is beyond comparison!

What was Paul planning to show us?  It is covered in the next chapter… to walk in Agape Love!  Jesus walked in this Love and there was no sin in Him.  This is why He could go to Sheol to preach to the captives, satan had no authority over Him thus He was able to set the captives free.

David knew this as he wrote by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 16:

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

11 You will show me the path of life; In Your Presence is fullness of joy; At Your Right Hand are pleasures forevermore.

Jesus will not leave any of His sheep left behind.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 18:

11 “The Son of Man has come to give Life to all who are lost.

12 Think of it this way: If a man owns a hundred sheep and one lamb wanders away and is lost, won’t He leave the ninety-nine grazing the hillside and thoroughly search for the one lost lamb?

13 And if He finds his lost lamb, He rejoices over it, more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.

14 Now you should understand that it is never the desire of Your Heavenly Father that a single one of these little ones should be lost.”

Agape Love is to operate in both authority and power toward all so that they won’t perish.  We are to walk without guile (or deceit) and in Holiness.  If you are rebellious, you are not sinless.  Don’t rebel against the Word in any way.

Jesus spoke in Revelation chapter 1:

18 I am He Who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades (Sheol) and of Death.

Jesus has authority over death and unlocked Hades to set those captives free.  We must not allow death to intimidate us.  If The Holy Spirit instructs us to declare life over a dead person, DO IT!  It is vital that we listen to Him.

The total recorded individuals raised by Jesus in His earthly minister was three: Jairus’s daughter, the widow’s son at Nain, and Lazarus.  These events are presented in the Gospels as signs of His authority over life and death.

Matthew recorded by The Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 27:

51 At that moment the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth shook violently, rocks were violently split apart,

52 and graves were opened. Then many of the Holy ones who had died were brought back to life and came out of their graves.

53 And after Jesus’ resurrection, they were seen by many people walking in Jerusalem.

What a sight to see!  Death has no authority over Our Lord Jesus Christ.  He has all authority and He is totally motivated by Love!

We are intended to walk in both power and authority!

In order to fulfill our individual destinies, we must operate in both authority AND power for HIS Name to be glorified.

Spiritual authority is not just bestowed, it is absorbed as we enter into and are immersed in HIS Presence.  At one time, satan had authority and power until he was cast out of Heaven.  He immediately lost authority but continued to have some form of power. 

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 10:

17 When the seventy missionaries returned to Jesus, they were ecstatic with joy, telling Him, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we commanded them in Your Name!”

8 Jesus replied, “While you were ministering, I watched satan topple until he fell suddenly from Heaven like lightning to the ground.

19 Now you understand that I have imparted to you My authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will harm you as you walk in this authority.

Jesus imparted His authority which is superior to all other authorities on earth, both spiritual and physical.  Notice that these were “no name” missionaries and not His twelve disciples.  They were not “gifted” with some special and unique calling but instead were serving Our Lord Jesus.  You and I qualify to be a “no name” missionary.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 11:

29 And when God chooses someone and graciously imparts gifts to him, they are never rescinded.

Gifts are irrevocable, but authority is proximity oriented.  The seventy were in close proximity to Jesus in order to receive His authority

Before they went out, Jesus imparted His authority to them in Luke chapter 10:

1 After this, the Lord Jesus formed thirty-five teams among the other disciples. Each team was two disciples, seventy in all, and He commissioned them to go ahead of Him into every town he was about to visit.

2 He released them with these instructions: “The harvest is huge. But there are not enough harvesters to bring it in. As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to send out many more workers into his harvest fields.

3 Now, off you go! I am sending you out even though you feel as vulnerable as lambs going into a pack of wolves.

9 Heal the sick, and tell them all, ‘God’s Kingdom has arrived and is now within your reach!’

Keep this in mind as we refer to the parable of the ten virgins in a future writing.

The seventy disciples had a relationship with Jesus because they stayed in close proximity to Him.  He knew them and they knew Him.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Genesis chapter 2:

19 For YAHWEH-God had formed from the soil every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them before the man to see what he would call them. So, whatever the man called the living creature, that was its name.

GOD gave man the authority to name every creature… including the serpent.  Man had authority over the serpent.  The serpent was under the authority of man because he was named by Adam.

The serpent used Scripture to tempt man, and it was only after Eve added to Scripture did the serpent gain authority.  Eve gave satan the permission to twist the Scripture once she added, “neither shall you touch it”.  GOD didn’t say, “neither shall you touch it”, HE only said “you shall not eat of it”.  She compromised her authority and satan took advantage of it.  He tried it again with Jesus in the wilderness but failed!

We must protect the authority given to us at all times.  That is why it is important to study and know The Word.  Neither add nor subtract what has been given to us by The Holy Spirit.

We are intended to walk in both power and authority!

In order to fulfill our individual destinies, we must operate in both authority AND power for HIS Name to be glorified.

Spiritual authority is not just bestowed, it is absorbed as we are immersed in HIS Presence.  Authority changes both the invisible world and the visible world.  Power only changes the visible world.  Power will not change the invisible!  It is relegated to the visible.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 10:

19 Now you understand that I have imparted to you My authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will harm you as you walk in this authority.

The word impart means “to give, convey, or grant.”  Impartation, then, is the act of giving or granting something. 

Authority is more important than power.  You don’t use a Spiritual gift to remove a demon, you use authority.  You don’t remove an illness with a gift, it requires authority.  Healing begins after the removal of the cause and it is power that recreates an organ, a limb, an eye, or an eardrum.

Once again, authority only comes by relationship.  There is a prevailing mindset today that grace means you don’t need to seek GOD.  Untrue!  There has never been a time when it is most important to grow close to HIM.  People believe that grace means “I don’t have to repent.”  They are only concerned with getting through the pearly gates, not with the quality of life that we live on earth with THE MOST HIGH.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 8:

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,

6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a Word, and my servant will be healed.

9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.

12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

The centurion had unwavering faith in Jesus’ authority to remove the paralysis and torment without even laying hands on the servant.  Distance and time were and are not issues with expressed authority.

Authority is more relevant than power!  However, we need both.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Genesis chapter 1:

26 Then God said, “Let Us make a man and a woman in Our Image to be like Us. Let them reign over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the livestock, over the creatures that creep along the ground, and over the wild animals.”

27 So God created man and woman and shaped them with His Image inside them. In His Own Beautiful Image, He created His masterpiece. Yes, male and female He created them.

28 And God blessed them in His Love, saying, “Reproduce and be fruitful! Populate the earth and subdue it! Reign over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every creature that lives on earth.”

FATHER gave Adam and Eve authority over HIS creation.  The adversary stole it, Jesus got it back, and we are intended to walk in this authority.  It is that simple!