The Five Solas | Submission To The Lord
The church during the early 1500s found itself in desperate need of a reformation. From the actions of one German monk who looked to be faithful to scripture, the church would forever be changed. While Martin Luther never set out to establish the protestant church (in fact, he wanted the church to remain intact), the effect of his challenging of Rome and Papal Authority forced the people to determine what they actually believed. The church needed to adjust its theological beliefs to come under the authority of true authentic Christianity. Ultimately, the church needed to be willing to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, allowing their life to reflect the glory of God in all manners
In today’s age, we find ourselves in the opposite problem but the same solution nonetheless. Today, we have swung so far to decentralization that even the concept of truth lacks any real form. Pluralism and the idea of subjective truth has ravaged our ability to, not only pursue God, but also to express our faith without drawing criticism, accusations of bigotry and hatred, and in some places violence. The church, even today, is in dire need of a reformation of sorts. We, as Christians, face a severe problem of Biblical Illiteracy in our faith. Now, more than ever, we must be willing to engage in the depths of theology as we seek a greater understanding of the scriptures as the self-revelation of God, all for the glory of God.
Idol Factories
John Calvin, in his work Institutes of the Christian Religion stated the condition of the mind of man. “The human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols.” An idol is anything that attempts to take the place of God in any aspect. We crave to enthrone various aspects of our life and creation into something other than the intended. We elevate things to the level of God rather than putting them in their rightful place as in total submission to God. For many, the idol factory comes in the form of past preferences and even past experiences. We take things that, they were good in their inception, have been elevated to the level of being unable to be adjusted or touched. The idol of preference runs deep within us all. For others, we idolize power and authority or the structure we hold. You see this is various Christian backgrounds who feel their denominations are superior to the other denominations.
The solution is simple. Idols must be smashed as we bow before the Lord. False gods and the One True God cannot sit on the same throne of our lives. Any god other than the One, True God will be seen as standing in opposition and be treated as an enemy. This is the danger of idols, they align us with enemies of God. During the reformation, the idol was history and personal experience. During our days, the idol is rampant individualism and personal autonomy (something submission to the Lord conflicts with). For Jonah, as he came to understand his calling for the people, he bowed before the idol of safety and bias. Yet, after spending time within the belly of a large fish, Jonah came to his senses. “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord !”‘ (Jonah 2:8-9, ESV) Idols must be abandoned and destroyed for the sake of our submission to the Lord. When we allow God to smash the idols built up in our heart, we move closer to presence of God, free from distraction.
Our Lives in Submission to the Glory of God
Our lives should submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ for the glory of God in the world. With our idols smashed, there remains only one final idol to destroy; ourselves. “Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24, ESV) We must be willing to die to ourselves in order to come alive to the person of Jesus Christ. We may have preferences and history but we must be willing to bring everything before the foot of the cross and allow God to speak first and as the authority of our lives. We must lives in total submission to the Lord for the glory of God.
Just as the purpose of all creation is to reflect the glory of God, our lives are no exception. They, too, should reflect the glory of God. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV) We are not saved by our works, but when our lives are redeemed by the Jesus and we submit to His Lordship, our very beings becomes a testament to the goodness and glory of God. Biblical literacy and theological understanding are great but must result in a changed life. Furthermore, we do not seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but we seek the mind of Christ to deepen our relationship with Him and express our faith through our life so that the world will know the glory of God and be saved by the blood of Christ.
