What Does It Means to Submit to God’s Word?
Is it possible to follow Jesus without submitting to Scripture? Discover how God’s Word protects, convicts, and transforms—and why drifting from it may be easier than you think.
-
All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
What Does It Mean To Submit?
The word “submit” can be a trigger for some people; however, what we see in the context of this usage is us conforming to the image of Christ. The trajectory of the New Testament is that God conforms us to Jesus, who doesn’t ask us to do anything He also doesn’t do.
Just as Jesus was headed to the cross, He prayed, “Lord, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). Not only did Jesus do this because He loves us, but because He loves the Father. Jesus also submits to the Father, and as we become more like Jesus, we, too, are being formed in the lens of submitting to God’s will in and through our lives.
With the idea of submission in mind, let’s examine our passage, 2 Timothy 3:10-17. The Apostle Paul shared this to a young Timothy:
“You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.” 2 Timothy 3:10-11
Paul states that Timothy must understand that when we stand for Christ, we cannot move with every cultural wind that blows around us.
Remember, Paul wasn’t just anybody. Not only was he God’s servant, but he was a man who’d been called up to the third heaven and had seen revelations of reality. It’s not religion—he saw revelations of where all history is headed. Paul spoke the Gospel with rooted conviction of what he knew to be true out of love for God and people. Sometimes he was persecuted, but he was willing to suffer for the truth out of love.
Because of that conviction and love, Paul stated, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” 2 Timothy 3:12-13. Paul modeled something for Timothy, and he models something for us today.
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15
If Timothy needs reminding, then we also need reminding:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Make a specific note of this: “All Scripture is breathed out by God…”.
Christians don’t worship the Bible itself, but we do worship the God of the Bible. But the Bible isn’t like other books. It’s not the newspaper or Shakespeare; it’s different.
The Bible was written over 1600 years, by 40 different authors on three continents and in three different languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Additionally, it was written in poetry, prose, accurate prophesy, and some songs. It’s also backed by historical method (outside sources) and supported by archeological finds.
If we randomly selected three individuals from any worship service to compose the Bible, we’d quickly realize there’d be no consistency with their thoughts on God. Yet, despite the different voices, varying styles, geographical differences, and languages, we see incredible consistency in the Bible.
In his book, The Bible Jesus Read, Philip Yancey shared:
“I find it remarkable that this diverse collection of manuscripts written over a period of a millennium by several dozen authors possesses as much unity as it does. To appreciate this feat, imagine a book begun five hundred years before Columbus and now just completed. The Bible’s striking unity is one strong sign that God directed its composition. By using a variety of authors and cultural situations, God developed a complete record of what he wants us to know. Amazingly, the parts fit together in such a way that a single story does emerge.”
What Happens When a Christian Drifts From God?
What does it take to drift?
I propose that all it takes is a lack of attention. Do nothing, and you will drift. While we may attend church every Sunday, it’s entirely possible for our hearts to drift from God. Paul reminded Timothy of this (2 Timothy 3:14) because he knew we’re susceptible to drifting, even if we’re like Timothy and active in Christian activities.
So, this poses another question: How do you know if you’re drifting?
There are many things we consider important. We can value things like sports, movies, hobbies, friendships, and so forth, all of which have their rightful place. However, was there a time you could look back to see the significance of God’s Word in your life? Have you lost that delight? If yes, then you’re drifting.
How Does Scripture Prevent Drifting?
If you go 30 days without eating, how will you feel? Not great! Your body requires protein, vitamins, fiber, minerals, antioxidants, certain fats, carbohydrates, and more to function well. However, if you don’t eat, your body breaks down.
In Matthew 4:4, Jesus made the analogy that man doesn’t live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. His illustration reminds us that if we’re not nourishing our soul and relationship with God, we drift and break down.
The Bible informs us that we’re fallen human beings, and it’s because of this fallenness that we face temptation. What is your Achilles heel? What area of your life is most susceptible to temptation? Hebrews 4:14-16 shares that Jesus was tempted in every way, and He identifies with us. However, be mindful that when Jesus was tempted, He used God’s Word, Scripture, to stand firm (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13).
God’s Word is alive (Hebrews 4:12) and gets deep within us like a two-edged sword penetrating joint and marrow. Not only does it convict but also develops and surgically works within us. It cuts out the cancer of bad thoughts, negative habits, and patterns of bitterness and self-centeredness. It moves us to the joy and liberation of being God-centered and God-glorifying.
The hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” shares, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” See what Martin Luther said about this:
“The Word is so effective that whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, it is bound never to be without fruit. It always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts. For these words are not lazy or dead, but are creative, living words.”
What Does It Mean To Delight and Meditate on Scripture
Merely reading the Bible isn’t sufficient—We’re to rejoice in it! Psalm 1:2 shares that the blessed man’s “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” We can transliterate the author’s point: there’s a blessing upon the person who delights in God’s Word and meditates on it.
Let’s explore those two actions, delight and meditate.
Take a second and allow the word “delight” to capture your imagination.
What does it mean to delight in something?
What do you delight in?
Have you ever visited an art museum and been delighted by the creativity, skill, and beauty of a piece of art that could be hundreds or even thousands of years old? With that in mind, what does it look like for you to “delight” in God’s Word?
Let’s examine the other word, “meditate.” The Hebrew word for meditate is the word ruminate. An illustration of this is how cows consume grass or hay. When they chew their food, it goes into their stomach, burps up, and then chew again. This process is repeated up to seven times.
As unpleasant as that example can be, what does rumination look like in the believer’s life? It means you’ve committed God’s Word to memory and heart. It means you revisit it throughout the day. According to Psalm 19:10, the Law of the Lord is “more to be desired…than gold, and sweeter than drippings of the honeycomb.”
How easy is it for us to lose perspective? Consider what it looks like when we allow bitterness and jealousy to distort our perspective of others and God. No one wants to be on their deathbed reflecting on the relationships they torched because of disagreements and a refusal to seek forgiveness. As Christians, we have the opportunity to delight in God’s Word and apply it to our brokenness. If we don’t seize the opportunity for God to disciple us through His Word, then by default, we will be discipled by the world around us.
The longest chapter in Scripture is Psalm 119, which features much we can learn about what it means to delight and meditate on God’s Word.
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word.” Psalm 119:9
“I have stored up your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
“Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.” Psalm 119:24
“And take not the Word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.” Psalm 119:43
“Remember your Word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.” Psalm 119:49
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your Word.” Psalm 119:67
“The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Psalm 119:72
“How sweet are your Words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
“Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts.” Psalm 119:134
“Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.” Psalm 119:135
After 175 verses, we get to the final verse, Psalm 119:76, which shares, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” Despite being the longest chapter in the Bible, it ends with a subtle warning about drifting like lost sheep.
It’s our prayer that our hearts be ignited by God’s Word and that we, as congregation and body, submit to the truth of Scripture.
TL;DR
Rooted in 2 Timothy 3:10–17, this post explores the importance of living under the authority of God’s Word.
Submission isn’t passive—it’s becoming like Jesus, who submitted to the Father.
Drifting spiritually requires no effort. Staying anchored takes intentionality.
Scripture is alive and transformative—it feeds, heals, and corrects us.
We are called not just to read Scripture but to delight in and meditate on it, letting it form our thoughts, habits, and hearts.
When we submit to the truth of Scripture, we resist cultural drift and grow into God’s purposes.
