Submission: to what extent? (Part 2).

[Leonardo Von]

Submission: to what extent? (Part 2).

Continuing yesterday’s message, let’s look on Daniel’s life. Although the kings of Babylon and Media-Persia were bad, he was always faithful to them. So much so that Dario overestimated Daniel (Daniel 6.14). Even Jesus never slandered, cursed or blamed on criminals and sinners, let alone the authorities of the Roman empire or worshippers of Ha-Satan.

    On the other hand, Jesus faced all the religious leaders that, supposedly, worshipped the Creator, but misleading Israel’s people.

    How can we conciliate these two types of demeanor? Especially considering the excerpt below:
    
•    “Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” (James 3.10-12)

The problem isn’t the deportment, but our sinful nature:

•    “So then they that are in the flesh *cannot please God*.” (Romans 8.8).
•    “For the wrath of man *works not the righteousness of God*.” (James 1.20).
•    “But we are all as an unclean thing, and *all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags*; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64.6).

In virtue of this, regardless what we do, without hearing Jesus’ voice, the outcome is awful:

•    “A righteous man regards the life of his beast: but *the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel*.” (Proverbs 12.10).
•    “A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.” (Proverbs 25.26)

The only way of running off this is obeying the advice of Zechariah:

•    “Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, *not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts*.” (Zechariah 4.6).

In other words: it doesn’t mind if the authority is good or evil, if what they do or ordain are right or unjust, never defy an authority, nor tamper with people who are given to change (Proverbs 24.21). Instead of it, stay close to them (Ecclesiastes 10.4), seeking out in Christ what He plans on doing in their life through you amidst the situation that the two of you are living. Do this and the good, pleasant and perfect will of Jesus for your life will fulfill in your mouth and acts (Romans 12.1,2):

•    “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what all of you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what all of you shall speak. For *it is not all of you that speak, but the Spirit (o. pneuma) of your Father which speaks in you*.” (Matthew 10.19,20).

Have a supernatural week looking at Jesus and His words and works instead of engrossing yourself in what sinners are doing.