To submit or not to submit

"You were the signet of perfection ,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked....Your heart was proud because of your beauty; your corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor." Ezekiel 28:12-17

"Have this mind among yourself, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8

" Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made." Genesis 3. What was the temptation, wasn't it really to rebel against God's authority? The word submit means to place yourself under authority. Pride responds,"You can't tell me what to do! I am my own boss."

"Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24 Satan shouts, "Rebel!" Jesus invites us to deny ourselves. I have to admit my natural inclination is to rebel. I don't like other people telling me what to do.

Sometimes it's good to know the end of the story, or the consequences of your decision . "By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you,and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever."Ezekiel 28:18,19

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2: 9-11

So in the end I think it is really just a matter of which one I submit to. Either I choose to submit to "The father of Lies, the Murderer, The Power of Darkness, the Wicked One" or "Jesus the way the truth and the life ,Light of the world, The Good Shepherd, The Prince of Peace."

I choose to to submit myself to the authority of Jesus Christ.