Surrendered or Submitted?
Submitted by Frank Williams
April 1, 2024
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Someone has suggested a difference between Surrender and Submission. It seems reasonable to me. When we surrender, it may very well be that we fear God’s punishment, or at least, His displeasure. However, to submit to the Lord is because we love Him and want to please Him.
As such, surrender involves an outward action, perhaps out of force or obligation, whereas, submission involves an inward motivation.
When a battle rages, and one army overcomes another, the survivors may “surrender” to the enemy, but their hearts may not be submitted. When a child yields to sit down, he may still be standing up on the inside. A wife may surrender to do as her husband wishes, but yet not be submitted in her heart.
The Lord had no reservations in coming to this sin-cursed earth, to redeem a sin-cursed people to Himself. This was done with full knowledge of what it would cost Him to accomplish this great task.
It was not a pleasant thought to Jesus, that He would be separated from the Father, while enduring the just wrath of God against sinful man. But He willingly submitted to it because He loved the Father with all His heart. He knew that it was the absolute will of the Father to make provision for sinners to be saved from wrath.
What an amazing love and respect the Father had for the Son, and that the Son had for the Father. It was this motivation, this love each had for the Other, that led Jesus to meet and satisfy the terms of justice and righteousness on our behalf. He fully submitted Himself because He loved the Father. He completely wanted to please the Father.
This is the only true motivation for our submission to the Lord.
Consider: If your heart is not in it, you may very well be surrendered, but not submitted.
Smiley: Wife sends husband to store. "Pick up a gallon of milk, and if they have avocados, pick up 6." He came back with 6 gallons of milk.
Wife—"Why did you buy 6 gallons of milk?"
Husband—"They had avocados."
