Christianity is a Faith of Spiritual Surrender and Submission

When God was delivering the Ten Commandments to the Jews, He was establishing a people to commune with to bring about His plan of redemption. Exodus 20 paints a vivid picture of Moses standing over the people listing out the commandments with flashes of lightning and the roaring of thunder. The mountain before them was smoking and sounds of a trumpet could be heard. God was illustrating His sovereign power over the elements and almighty presence to the people He desired to commune with. These commandments were not merely dictatorial instruction, it was a special invitation to be with God. 

The people were so afraid of this supernatural display of power and did not want to speak to God telling Moses to do it for them Exodus 20:19 :

[They] said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die."

Already in the beginning, the Jews were resisting this invitation to commune with God. The response from Moses is one that so illustrates the grace of God of the effects of this communal relationship Exodus 20:20 :

Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin."

Let us read verse 20 again and see what the English Standard Version says of this verse—do not fear God but have the fear of Him. How does this make sense to not fear God but to fear Him? The underlying Hebrew of this passage reveals what it is Moses is speaking of. The first "fear" is the Hebrew word yare (יָרֵא), which is a verb meaning "to be afraid" conveying a sense of dread, terror, or fright. The second "fear" is the Hebrew word yirah (יִרְאָה), which is a noun meaning reverence, awe, and respect. The first fear stems from witnessing God's power and feeling unworthy or safe, just as we see in Exodus 20:19. The second fear comes from understanding God's holiness and authority. Let us re-read verse 20 to further illustrate the point of God's message :

"Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you, that the respectful awe of him may be before you, that you may not sin."

"That you may not sin." This is the why. We worship God, we commune with God, we learn of God, and we pray to God so that we may not sin. This is how God's grace works. The fiery and smoky mountain wrapped in lightning and thunder is our wake-up call. However, our God is a merciful and gracious God. He comes down and meets us where we are and transforms us so that we may not sin anymore. As Titus 3:5 states :

"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."

This is clear and is the foundation of Protestant Christianity. However, so many of us still get caught up in the "how" aspect of sin. How do I stop sinning? If it is by this fear of the Lord that I am transformed from sinning, how do I achieve this? The answer to this question is by analyzing our passage of Exodus 20:19 further. 

The Geneva Bible was first published in 1560 and played a pivotal role in shaping Protestant thought and culture in the English-speaking world. English Protestants in Geneva, including William Whittingham, Miles Coverdale, and John Knox, worked to produce a Bible in the English language that could be read and accessible by the common person. The Geneva Bible reveals important insight in this particular verse of Exodus 20:20 can give us an answer on the "how" with our walk with God :

Then Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.

I would like to bring your attention to how the Geneva Bible phrases the second fear in the form of "His fear". God's fear. The possessive form of yirah in the underlying Hebrew indicates the ownership of yirah belonging to God or the origin coming from God. ESV interprets it in literal translation as "fear of Him", which is technically correct but misses the possessive form of yirah. Both, however, illustrate the multi-dimensional aspect of Scripture we can often find. That being said, these reformers in Geneva chose "His fear" to emphasize a specific theological understanding of the relationship between God and His people that the underlying Hebrew was trying to convey. This fear—this awe, wonder, and reverent respect—originates from God. This wording reflects the idea fear of the Lord is a divine gift placed within the people by God. Fear of the Lord is not merely a reaction to His power done through your own volition but something He instills in us to guide our behavior to foster reverence. This aligns with passages like Jeremiah 32:40, where God says :

"I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me."

This also aligns with the broader Biblical theme that "the fear of the Lord" leads to wisdom and obedience Proverbs 1:7 :

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Our ESV rendering underscores our reaction, but it is God as the initiator and sustains us. Our human response of awe and respect resulting in the ceasing of sin is ultimately rooted in God's work. God's commandments He gave to the Jews were not merely a command of obedience, it was that of submission. Surrender yourselves to the almighty God before you and develop a relationship with Him and I, the Lord, will transform you into the person you were supposed to become, so that you may follow my commandments. A creation without sin living in communion in His presence. This is the "how". We are called to a total spiritual surrender to God so that we enter on our path of the removal of sin. This is the joy of allowing God's grace into our lives. This is the freedom of a Christian.

Believing our own efforts matter is setting up ourselves for failure, as the Jews did with the Law of Moses over and over. Driving our own agendas creates religion in our hearts and on an institutional level that only ends in defilement. We need to acknowledge the level of depravity we are in and that all things good and righteous comes from God alone. We cannot work or systematize a way to access it. Jesus Christ is the only way, and it is through faith alone that we can receive it by God's grace John 15:4-5 :

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

"...apart from me you can do nothing." Without submission to Christ, we are incapable of producing anything of eternal value. Too much we focus on the commandment of obedience without acknowledging the overall theme of the Bible that we are not good enough to obey by our own means. Our sight shifts from surrender to our own works without realizing what it is we are doing—burying the message away from the sovereignty of God to our own free will. The message becomes one of yare instead of yirah instilling the kind of fear that draws us away from God and onto ourselves. 

How, then, do we submit? What does this even look like? Submission is not letting go of control, for this would imply we had control in the first place. This also subtly implies we have a burden of self-reliance. Our pursuit of total autonomy from the Fall never fully has been achieved, despite what we think being separated from God. This belief of self-sufficiency, even in partiality, whether explicitly or implicitly in our actions, is a lie born from the Fall. Our choice in all things is fundamentally a response of submission or resistance Proverbs 16:9 :

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 :

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Control is an illusion. We remain entirely dependent on God for life, breath, and everything (Acts 17:25). Even our idea of obedience has been clouded in this illusion of control believing it is about "doing better" or "trying harder". Obedience is yielding ourselves to God's authority and relying on His enabling grace. Obedience fundamentally flows from love John 14:15 :

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

True obedience comes from a heart of desire to please and know God, not a check list of rules. God is the one who transforms us to be capable of obedience Ezekiel 36:27 :

I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The only conscious decision we can make is to yield to God rather than resist Him. That is what obedience is all about. That is what submission and total surrender of our souls is. Just as Christ exhibited throughout His life, submission to the will of the Father is not passive resignation but an active, loving surrender. When we approach the commandments of God through human effort, it leads to a lose-lose situation: pride if we succeed, despair if we fail. This generates an environment of legalism and self-reliance. We are not just talking about a legalism of restricting movies or types of clothing. We are are also talking about the subtle legalism of believing your own ability and qualifications matter in your connection and understanding with God. These things are a gift–His fear, His love, His knowledge, His wisdom, His life. 

Obedience begins with a choice to submit, but its completion is empowered by God's Spirit working in us. What is this choice? What does it look like? The first step is faith. However, we must not let platitudinal thoughts cloud our minds when hearing this. Faith is not merely the strength of belief in God, it about is the depth of relationship with God and the understanding of His will. Christianity is a faith of spiritual surrender and submission. It is a faith that utilizes prayer and the studying of Scripture to get to know our almighty and merciful God. We do not pray to "get" something. We pray to unify with the Father to submit to His will and to create relationship. We pray to harmonize so that we can surrender our souls to God. Neither do we read Scripture to "get" something. We read to receive knowledge of our God that allows us to love (1 John 4:8). We read of Christ so that we may know what surrender to the Father looks like. "Not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). We meditate on the things we have read and prayed throughout our day allowing the Spirit to fill our hearts with Christ Psalm 1:2 :

Blessed is the one...whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night.

These elements–faith, prayer, Scripture, and meditation–are not to be seen as a mere work. All these things are strictly provided to us by God's grace, and to participate in them is yielding to grace, not working towards it. Faith, prayer, Scripture, and meditation transcend any human craft and exist on a separate level. We cannot successfully approach them without submission making it, at its core, a surrender to grace. We are yielding to the same invitation extended to the Jews at the base of Mount Sinai–to commune with God. In doing so, God will provide His fear to us so we can obey the commandments of the Lord. "Apart from me, you can do nothing." Let this be a freeing truth of joy and not one of confinement. Allowing God to shape you brings you to the full potential of what we are supposed to become.

Let me further emphasize this surrender to God is not a passive one, but an active surrender to His grace and will. Our freedom of choice is certainly there, but are we to choose to resist God's will or to submit to it? We have identified the forms of God's grace we actively submit to, faith, prayer, Scripture, and mediation; which we accept into our lives to surrender our souls. However, there are more forms of grace we can surrender to, which are worship, fellowship with believers, sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, humble servitude, and rest. Yes, rest is a grace from God. As He rested on the seventh day, so must we heed this example trusting in Him enough to rest Psalm 46:10 :

"Be still, and know that I am God"

Instead of relying on these graces from God, the Jews often responded to the commandments and the Law as something to be burden themselves with in their own volition. This is the same desire as the original sin reaching out for autonomy desiring to do good through our own efforts becoming our own god. God was inviting the Jews with the Ten Commandments and Adam and Eve with the tree to rely on Him and not resist His will. Jesus entered into this world saying in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to Him and lay these burdens on God freeing yourself so that you can be transformed by the Spirit. Accept the invitation of Christ. Accept the words of Moses–do not be afraid so God can transform you into who you are supposed to be. Be free of religion clouding the concept of our progressive sanctification. Turn to the graces of God laid before you and surrender your souls as Christians.

This is precisely what the gospel message of Jesus Christ is all about that applies to both believers and non-believers. We have covered what submission of believers looks like, but what of those who do not believe? For this, we will turn to Martin Luther, who accurately describes the situation best. Luther identifies that there are two kingdoms of this world battling against each other. Satan reigns in one kingdom, who is labeled as "the prince of this world" (John 12:31) by Jesus and "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4) by Paul. Jesus illustrates in the parable of the Strong Man Satan holding souls captive according to his own will not yet rescued by the Spirit. The second kingdom is the one where Christ reigns, which fights against the kingdom of Satan. This kingdom of Christ is one that we cannot enter on our own will, but only by the grace of God, who calls us into deliverance John 6:44 :

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."

To further illustrate this concept of bondage of will Scripture describes of those who are not saved is in Romans 1:18 :

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

This verse pertains not to certain groups of people, but to all mankind. This suppression described is the active effort of humanity to hold down God's truth, which in itself is a grace, preventing it from influencing their hearts and actions. Our natural state is resistance of God's will. We resist, however, not because of our own volition but due to our slavery to sin (Romans 6:17). Slaves do have their own will and responsibility; however, their will is captivated within the bounds set by their master. A slave cannot free themselves from bondage and only can be freed by the master. Neither can we escape this type of slavery from the strong man, because our natural state is to resist God. Not until the stronger man, Christ, comes in and frees us from the kingdom of Satan can we divinely receive righteousness and grace. We are either a slave to Satan and sin or a slave to God. Our souls cannot dwell outside these two realms in true autonomy. 

This is why it can only be justification by faith alone. This is why the gospel cannot be achieved by works of our own doing. Human autonomy is an illusion. We are compelled to serve the kingdom of Satan, until the liberation of God. Only then can God instill His fear inside us, so that we may not sin. Even faith itself is a gift that only God can give us (Ephesians 2:8-9). To say we work towards our faith, to obtain a certain level of piety to access God, or simply believe our own efforts matter at the slightest is reaching out to that tree in the Garden of Eden desiring autonomy. In the beginning of your salvation, it was always God the entire time. The mere desire for God came from Him. 

Why, then, do we arbitrarily draw a line in our hearts believing our own efforts matter after salvation in our obedience to God? The only thing we can do is submit to the divine powers calling us to God's various forms of grace He has provided. That burning desire to know God and connect is from Him. Stop suppressing it with distractions and your desire to reach out for autonomy believing you can control your actions. If you go down this path, you will be too busy trying to fix yourself leaving not enough space for God to work within you.

What of God's judgement? How does the concept of a future judgement of our souls reconcile with this fact of our will being in bondage? Fellow believers in Christ, it is time to release ourselves from our modern humanized conception of judgement and retrieve was has been taken from us. The judgement of God is not a mere activity of analyzing a scorecard of our actions in an individual process, like a temporal justice system. This Godly event transcends anything that we can conceptualize. As John Calvin illustrates, this judgement is a stage upon which God's glory is revealed in full, both in His mercy and His justice (Revelation 15:3-4). Judgement is to magnify God's sovereignty announcing that He is the author of history, humanity, and salvation. Our full depravity will be put on display illustrating the immeasurable gap between humanity's corruption and God's glory. This magnificent display of our almighty God will reveal the to those who have rejected God's grace the justice of their condemnation. Those who have accepted God's grace has the justice of God satisfied in Christ (Romans 3:26). 

The bondage of the will does not negate human responsibility but highlights humanity's willful rebellion against God. As Romans 1:18-20 states, we suppress the truth knowingly, which is not coerced but flows from the sinful nature of ourselves. In other words, we become slaves to the kingdom of Satan and embrace it with our own will. God's judgement is not unjust, because He judges humanity for what they are–willful sinners freely clinging to a life of abomination. The bondage of will does not excuse sin; it explains why humans persist in it. As Luther often pointed to Romans 3:19 for the purpose of judgement :

...so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Stop seeing judgement as merely punitive; it is declarative and unveiling of God's majesty. The bondage of the will highlights humanity's complete dependence on God's grace–His fear. The event written in Exodus 20 can be seen as a foreshadowing of this divine judgement. A grand display of power and authority over all things exposing our depravity and bondage of will. A declaration of holiness what God wants us to be in obedience that we cannot do on our own. Do not be afraid, for I, your God, want to commune with you and will transform your heart to dwell with me once more. Submit yourselves to your holy God so that we may answer the call of a Christian. Rejoice that we can be made free from our bondage of depravity that a holy Maker can reclaim what has been lost. Amen.