Embracing True Submission for Spiritual Transformation

 

Summary

In the passage from James 4:7-10, we are called to submit ourselves to God, resist the devil, and draw near to Him. This submission is not merely a passive act but a profound surrender of our will, desires, and entire being to God's authority. Many struggle to find peace with God because they misunderstand the essence of faith and submission. They may profess belief in Jesus, yet their lives show no evidence of transformation or spiritual fruit. This lack of peace often stems from an unwillingness to fully submit to God, clinging instead to self-will and sin.

Submission to God is the beginning of true peace and salvation. It requires acknowledging our sins, accepting God's righteous judgment, and embracing His grace. This submission is not about losing freedom but gaining true liberty from the bondage of sin. It involves a heartfelt repentance, a turning away from sin, and a sincere desire to live according to God's will. Without this, faith is dead, and prayers remain unanswered.

The call to resist the devil is a call to active spiritual warfare. It is not enough to passively believe; we must actively fight against sin and the temptations that lead us away from God. Drawing near to God through prayer and a sincere heart is essential for a vibrant spiritual life. This involves cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts, turning away from double-mindedness, and seeking God with our whole being.

Humility is crucial in this journey. We must humble ourselves before God, acknowledging our need for His mercy and grace. This humility leads to a broken and contrite heart, which God will not despise. It is through this brokenness that we find healing and restoration.

Ultimately, true faith in Jesus Christ leads to a transformation that is evident in our actions and attitudes. It is a faith that produces good works and leads us into a life of holiness. Without this transformation, our faith is empty, and we remain spiritually dead.

Key Takeaways:

- Submission to God: True peace and salvation begin with a complete submission to God, acknowledging His authority and surrendering our will to His. This involves a heartfelt repentance and a turning away from sin, recognizing that without submission, faith is dead and prayers remain unanswered. [05:34]

- Active Resistance: Resisting the devil is an active part of our spiritual journey. It requires us to fight against sin and temptation, not just passively believe. This resistance is essential for maintaining peace with God and involves a conscious effort to live according to His will. [38:01]

- Drawing Near to God: A sincere relationship with God is cultivated through prayer and a genuine desire to be close to Him. This involves cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts, turning away from double-mindedness, and seeking God with our whole being. [39:43]

- Humility and Brokenness: Humility is crucial in our relationship with God. We must humble ourselves, acknowledging our need for His mercy and grace. A broken and contrite heart is what God desires, and it is through this brokenness that we find healing and restoration. [45:04]

- Transformative Faith: True faith in Jesus Christ leads to a transformation that is evident in our actions and attitudes. It is a faith that produces good works and leads us into a life of holiness. Without this transformation, our faith is empty, and we remain spiritually dead. [50:06]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:08] - Call to Submission
- [00:38] - Struggle for Peace
- [01:08] - Misplaced Comfort
- [02:18] - Inner Strife and Peace
- [03:12] - Dual Nature of Believers
- [05:34] - Comprehensive Command
- [06:43] - Resistance to Submission
- [08:17] - Rights of God
- [10:21] - Rest in Submission
- [12:26] - Necessity of Submission
- [14:13] - Stumbling Block of Submission
- [19:34] - Salvation by Grace
- [22:19] - Giving Up Sin
- [26:23] - Submission to Teachings
- [29:08] - Submission to Providence
- [32:11] - Unconditional Surrender
- [35:07] - Misunderstanding Faith
- [37:06] - Repentance and Faith
- [39:43] - Drawing Near to God
- [41:25] - Cleansing and Purification
- [45:04] - Humility and Mourning
- [49:24] - Salvation from Sin

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- James 4:7-10

#### Observation Questions
1. What are the specific actions James instructs believers to take in James 4:7-10? How do these actions relate to the concept of submission to God? [00:08]
2. According to the sermon, what are some reasons people struggle to find peace with God despite professing faith in Jesus? [00:38]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between humility and finding peace with God? [45:04]
4. What does the sermon suggest is the evidence of true faith in Jesus Christ? [50:06]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the sermon explain the connection between submission to God and true peace and salvation? What might this look like in a believer's life? [05:34]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that resisting the devil is an active part of a believer's spiritual journey? How might this resistance manifest in daily life? [38:01]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of drawing near to God. What are some practical ways believers can cultivate a sincere relationship with God according to the sermon? [39:43]
4. How does the sermon define transformative faith, and what role do good works play in this transformation? [50:06]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you struggle to fully submit to God? What steps can you take to surrender these areas to Him? [05:34]
2. Consider a temptation or sin you frequently face. What strategies can you implement to actively resist the devil and fight against this temptation? [38:01]
3. How can you make prayer a more integral part of your daily routine to draw nearer to God? What changes might you need to make to prioritize this time with Him? [39:43]
4. In what ways can you practice humility in your relationship with God and others? How does this humility lead to healing and restoration in your life? [45:04]
5. Think about a recent situation where you were double-minded or struggled with spiritual indecision. How can you purify your heart and seek God with your whole being in similar situations? [39:43]
6. Identify one area in your life where your faith has not yet produced visible transformation. What specific actions can you take to align this area with a life of holiness? [50:06]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually dead or distant from God. What changes can you make to ensure your faith is alive and producing good works? [50:06]

Devotional

Day 1: Submission as the Path to True Peace
Submission to God is the foundation of true peace and salvation. It involves a profound surrender of our will, desires, and entire being to God's authority. Many people struggle to find peace with God because they misunderstand the essence of faith and submission. They may profess belief in Jesus, yet their lives show no evidence of transformation or spiritual fruit. This lack of peace often stems from an unwillingness to fully submit to God, clinging instead to self-will and sin. True submission requires acknowledging our sins, accepting God's righteous judgment, and embracing His grace. It is not about losing freedom but gaining true liberty from the bondage of sin. Without this submission, faith is dead, and prayers remain unanswered. [05:34]

James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?


Day 2: Active Resistance Against Temptation
Resisting the devil is an active part of our spiritual journey. It requires us to fight against sin and temptation, not just passively believe. This resistance is essential for maintaining peace with God and involves a conscious effort to live according to His will. Many people struggle with sin because they do not actively resist the devil's temptations. Instead, they allow themselves to be led away from God by their desires and the influences of the world. To resist the devil, we must be vigilant and intentional in our spiritual warfare, relying on God's strength and guidance to overcome the challenges we face. [38:01]

1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV): "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

Reflection: Identify a specific temptation you face regularly. How can you actively resist this temptation today, relying on God's strength and guidance?


Day 3: Drawing Near to God with a Sincere Heart
A sincere relationship with God is cultivated through prayer and a genuine desire to be close to Him. This involves cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts, turning away from double-mindedness, and seeking God with our whole being. Many people struggle to draw near to God because they are divided in their loyalties, trying to serve both God and the world. To truly draw near to God, we must be willing to let go of anything that hinders our relationship with Him and seek Him with a sincere and undivided heart. [39:43]

Psalm 24:3-4 (ESV): "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully."

Reflection: What is one thing in your life that is hindering your relationship with God? How can you begin to let go of it and seek God with a sincere heart today?


Day 4: Humility and Brokenness Before God
Humility is crucial in our relationship with God. We must humble ourselves, acknowledging our need for His mercy and grace. A broken and contrite heart is what God desires, and it is through this brokenness that we find healing and restoration. Many people struggle with pride, thinking they can rely on their own strength and abilities. However, true humility involves recognizing our limitations and our need for God's help. When we humble ourselves before God, He lifts us up and brings healing to our brokenness. [45:04]

Isaiah 57:15 (ESV): "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"

Reflection: In what ways do you struggle with pride in your life? How can you practice humility and acknowledge your need for God's mercy and grace today?


Day 5: Transformative Faith Evident in Actions
True faith in Jesus Christ leads to a transformation that is evident in our actions and attitudes. It is a faith that produces good works and leads us into a life of holiness. Without this transformation, our faith is empty, and we remain spiritually dead. Many people profess faith in Jesus but show no evidence of transformation in their lives. True faith involves a change of heart and mind that results in a life that reflects the character of Christ. This transformation is not something we can achieve on our own but is the work of the Holy Spirit in us as we submit to God's will. [50:06]

Titus 2:11-12 (ESV): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."

Reflection: Reflect on your actions and attitudes over the past week. How do they reflect your faith in Jesus? What changes can you make to ensure your faith is evident in your daily life?

Quotes



We frequently meet with persons who tell us that they cannot find peace with God. They have been bidden to believe in the Lord Jesus, but they misunderstand the command, and while they think they are obeying it, they are really unbelievers. Hence they miss the way of peace. [00:00:41]

Though our words may be somewhat caustic, they will be uttered in loving faithfulness, and may the Lord our God make them effectual to the ending of the inner strife and the establishment of settled peace. I fear that many who profess to be Christians are in a very questionable condition. [00:02:25]

Submit yourselves therefore to God, and then secondly let me further press upon you to practice the other precepts which follow, such as resist the devil, draw nigh to God, cleanse your hands, purify your hearts, and be afflicted and mourn and weep, and humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord. [00:05:29]

The apostle quietly indicates in the words of our texts that many Christian professors need to submit, for at present their unhumbled nature leads them to lustings and strivings and effectually prevents their asking so as to receive at the Lord's hands. A want of submission is no new or rare fault in mankind. [00:07:20]

The Lord should have supremacy over us, for our existence depends on his will. I have heard much of the rights of man, but it will well also to consider the rights of God, which are the first, highest, surest, and the most solemn rights in the universe and lie at the base of all other rights. [00:08:45]

To submit to God is to find rest. The rule of God is so beneficial that he ought readily to be obeyed. He never commands us to do that which in the long run can be injurious to us, nor does he forbid us anything which can be to our real advantage. [00:10:19]

A man is not saved until he bows before the supreme majesty of God. He may say I believe in Jesus, but if he goes on to follow out his own desires and to gratify his own passions, he is a mere pretender, a wolf in the clothing of a sheep. [00:12:39]

Salvation means being saved from the domination of self and sin. Salvation means being made to long after likeness to God, being helped by divine grace to reach to that likeness and living after the mind and will of the most high. Submission to God is the salvation which we preach. [00:13:15]

Repentance is as essential to salvation as faith. Indeed there is no faith without repentance, except the faith which needs to be repented of. A dry-eyed faith will never see the kingdom of God. A holy loathing for sin always attends upon a childlike faith in the sin bearer. [00:37:06]

The business of salvation is not all passive. The soul must be aroused to active warfare. I am to fall into the arms of Christ that he may save me and trust in him entirely, but when I depend upon him I receive life and the very first effort of that life is to smite with all its might the adversary of Christ and of my own soul. [00:37:50]

He who believes in Christ sincerely will be much in prayer, yet there are some who say we want to be saved but they neglect prayer. They cannot make out how it is that they have no enjoyment of religion, but why need they be puzzled? Ask your neglected closet, ask your own heart. [00:39:47]

Faith in Jesus Christ does save and will save all who have it, but it is by purging out sin. It assures us that we are pardoned and thus it makes us love the Christ by whom we are forgiven. This love leads us to abhor ourselves for our sins, and we endeavor to purify our sins from them by his spirit. [00:49:24]

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Transcript
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