Submitting to God

James 4:7-8 (NIV) -

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

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During worship tonight, I felt God give me an illustration around the word, "submit," that has actually blown my mind a bit, because the more I think about it the more I realise it can explain. I'm actually gonna spend the next few days unpacking it a bit at a time, mainly using this verse above, and then even try to unpack the verse a bit more using this new imagery.

As a student, I'm occasionally required to sit a test. Before the test, I can prepare by studying a textbook. During the test, I write down all of my answers, and then I will go hand in my test to the teacher - submit it to them. Once I've done that, I can't take it back - I am giving it to them exactly as it is, whether I'm completely happy with it or not. Then, I have to wait for them to mark it and give it back to me so I can see whether I passed or failed, then learn from my mistakes and their advice so I can do better on the next test.

In the passage above, James calls us to, "Submit... to God." In other words, we are meant to give ourselves completely to God, exactly as we are, without holding or taking anything back. When we do, He will judge us - a terrifying thought if that were the end of the story, because humans are fallen and sinful. However, there is good news! God in His grace and love has provided a way for us to meet the standard that He sets, which we'll be spending the next few days unpacking more.