Post Brengle Reflection 2

I have been giving a lot of thought about this word "submission" in relation to the theme of holiness. For a large part of my Christian walk, my view of personal righteousness has been defined by the degree to which I have engaged in the spiritual disciplines. When I have struggled with sin, I have tried to overcome either by being more determined (try harder) or more devout (pray harder). Although, both are noble attributes, neither approaches have the power to make me a righteous man, as they are fundamentally centred upon what I do.

Don't misunderstand me, I am a firm believer in prayer and value the role of other spiritual disciplines (I have been greatly influenced by people like William Law, St Francis of Assisi, Thomas a' Kempis). But, I have come to realise that no amount of human effort can make me righteous; it is only by 'submitting' to the One who declares me righteous, because of what He has done, that makes me a righteous man.

So, what does submission mean? To "Submit" comes from the Greek word "hupotasso".

• hupo means "under"
• tasso means "to arrange"
• hupotasso means "to arrange oneself under"

To submit is to "arrange oneself under" the authority of another. Whenever this word is used in the New Testament, it is in context of relationship to another person. Rather than being a word that infers oppression, it is an act of the will to choose to humbly position oneself under the leadership of another. In the context of Christian faith, I willing choose to humbly position myself under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This willingness to submit to another is based upon a foundation of trust. I choose to put my trust in a Saviour who has the power to completely transform me into the person He has called me to be. When I submit to this divine relationship, it is then my most natural desire to commune with Jesus through prayer and the reading of His Word. The spiritual disciplines become a response to grace, rather than a means to grace.

Listen to these powerful words by former General of The Salvation Army, Frederick Coutts, from his book "The Splendour of Holiness":

"The first word in the Christian vocabulary is not struggle - but surrender; not one more try - but to yield to the divine will; not one more effort and this time you will make it - but to submit to another. For the gospel of Jesus does not begin with a call for a man to do something to save himself, but to cast himself without reserve upon him who has already promised to be his Saviour."