MONDAY June 15, 2026

Obedient Submission

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
Hebrews 13:17

Paul reminded Christians that it was important to obey and be submissive to spiritual leaders in the church. Why? Listen, they are watching out for you; they care about your souls. These men are true shepherds who will one day have to give account to God for their stewardship of the Church:

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but  being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Peter 5:2-4).

I encourage you to obey godly men in the church and not to give them any grief by your stubborn disobedience. Be submissive to them. Again, they are the ones who are praying for you and watching out for your souls. Work alongside church leadership in unity, because, by doing so, you are lifting up their hands in the work of the ministry.

One of the saddest things for me to see is when someone from Calvary Chapel has failed to be submissive to what our leadership has diligently taught them. As a result, they are deceived into believing false doctrine or falling into sexual sin, or influenced by their worldly friends to go back to taking drugs and drinking alcohol. It really breaks my heart!

Many backslidden Christians, at one time, had the potential to be greatly used by the Lord. At first, they had progressed in the Christian faith, but slowly they drew back into the world to partake of the sinful things they used to do. They went from being a profitable Christian, active in the ministry, to an unprofitable Christian––unusable and placed on the shelf.  If that is you, it is not too late to repent and return to the Lord.

Man is born with his face turned away from God. When he truly repents, he is turned right round toward God; he leaves his old life.
~D.L. Moody~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!