Devotionals by Raul Ries
TUESDAY September 15, 2026
A Servant’s Submission
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
1 Peter 2:18
The central theme of Peter's letter is emphasizing the necessity for our submission to God. Listen, if your life is not in submission to God, you will not be in submission to anybody else. It has been said: “To exercise authority, we must first learn to be under authority.” Interestingly, this concept is found in the conversation Jesus had with a Roman Centurion. The commander asked Jesus to heal his servant, in which Jesus replied: “I will come and heal him” (Matthew 8:7). Listen to how the centurion understood the concept of submission:
“Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matthew 8:8-9).
You see, the word submission is the Greek word hupotasso. It is a military term used for troop divisions that rank under the command of a leader. The term literally means “to arrange in order under” or “subordinate.” The Bible Hub Dictionary explains how we, as Christians, are to look at our submission to God, biblically. Submission is:
A state or attitude of yieldedness to an acknowledged authority. In the New Testament the word portrays a willing alignment beneath God-ordained order so that the truth of the gospel may flourish in life, church, and society.
Certainly, for most people, submission is not a very popular topic, but it is very necessary in the life of the believer. Understand, as a Christian, you are no longer the one in command of your life––God is. You are to take orders; you are not the one giving orders. If you further understand that God has your best interest at heart, and that He loves you, your submission to Him will be a natural response.
The essence of sin is arrogance; the essence of salvation is submission.
~Alan Redpath~
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About Raul Ries
Raul Ries is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs and President of Somebody Loves You Ministries. After his miraculous conversion in 1971, Raul began to read and study the Bible extensively even though he had a limited education. In 1974 he began a home Bible study with seven other committed individuals. Soon, he started to preach and counsel youth during the noon hour at his former high school, Baldwin Park High. Calvary Chapel West Covina grew out of Raul's home fellowship, as well as his Kung-Fu studio, and was soon meeting weekly at an old converted Safeway store. In 1993, the congregation moved to Diamond Bar and occupied a 101,000 square-foot corporate building on 28 acres. Calvary Chapel Golden Springs (as it is now called) draws between 10,000 - 12,000 in attendance weekly.
Author of several books, including Fury to Freedom (the story of his early life and dramatic conversion), Raul Ries has also produced three films: Fury to Freedom (feature film dramatization of the book); A Quiet Hope (a riveting and stirring documentary detailing seven soldier's accounts of the Vietnam War and its aftermath); and A Venture in Faith (a documentary of the history of the Calvary Chapel movement).
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