Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Jesus Christ - (Matt.16:24)
This is the requirement of the Lord. It is plain and simple, yet it separates those who believe, from those who do not. It separates the world and its thinking, from God! Surrender. There is the moment of surrender and there is the practice of surrender. One is the point of recognizing that you cannot do anything about your spiritual situation by yourself and the other is a moment-by-moment and life-long process. Paul stated it this way, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Rom 12:1 )." The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar! We have to re-surrender our life over and over again, to maintain the mind of Christ and the humility of having God's will be done in our lives. When this decision is made, understand, IT WILL BE TESTED! It will often mean doing the opposite of what you feel like doing. Again, Paul states, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5).
Many, when they become Christians, portray the air of "perfect me." They speak of following the Lord, and portray an august air of superiority, wearing the term Christian as a badge. They portray the air of "I am above that," "I am disciplined in my life - I have but few flaws." Yet, anyone who is honest with themselves, understands that we are, by nature, self-centered beings, far from perfect. When hurt by someone, our natural inclination is to hurt back. It is natural to hoard money instead of generously sharing it, to defend ourselves when criticized, to hide our mistakes instead of confessing them, and to try to impress others by our lives.
- Job's true moment of surrender, occurs not in the beginning of the book, but in the end - in Job 42:5 "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you..."
- Paul’s moment of surrender occurs on a trip to Damascus to persecute Christians - Acts 9:18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized...
- For others, less drastic methods are needed to get their attention. Regardless, surrendering is never just a one-time event. Paul stated, "I die daily" (1 Cor.15:31).
You can usually figure out what will please God by doing the opposite of your natural inclination.
It is time to surrender — to God’s grace, love, and wisdom. What characteristics about yourself will you have to adapt in order to do “inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seemingly impossible tasks” because of your surrender? Have you "made a contract" with God lately, in either being baptized (Rom.6:1-4), or in continually being the living sacrifice on a daily basis for the one who has saved you from your sins (Rom.12:1,2)? It is time to overcome your pride, ambition, and selfishness and surrender your life to Christ.
Jim
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