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November 3, 2024
- By Ed Powell
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"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
We are challenged in our spiritual journey to surrender to the lordship of Christ. Some may presume this is what takes place when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are made "new creatures in Christ" and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but this is actually the start of our journey. Many erroneously think that having received Christ as their Savior, they no longer need to seek Him. Such a passive spiritual condition has no growth in grace.
"Surrender" is a step of faith when we enthrone Christ as the Lord of our life. We recognize our inability "to be or to do" anything glorifying to the Lord. HE must live His life through us if we are to be effective, fruitful, and impact others with His love. This does not come automatically in a "neat package" with our salvation. The surrender of our heart must accompany obedience in our life.
The old "Adamic nature," is motivated by SELF...selfish interests, concerns, gratification, and other self-directed activity and thoughts...which still reside within us, and seek to appeal to our fleshly desires. This must be put to death, as Paul exhorts every believer. Christ must be the priority of our life and supersede all other concerns when we turn over the reins of our life to HIS control.
Surrender of our heart and obedience in our life should go hand-in-hand, but often they do not. We may take a step of surrender, but "hold on" to the desire to do "what we want to do." Obedience must be the great desire of our heart and life, before every other consideration.
Paul says the most reasonable thing we can do, is to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy, and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship." The incomprehensible love of God, His mercy and grace manifested to us...should propel us forward in every encounter, and compel us to take up our cross daily and follow Him.
Well might we ask ourselves, "What is the most important thing in our life? What or who controls our life? What are we living for? In what are we investing our time and energy to accomplish? When our journey is over, how has our life been spent? What part did Jesus Christ have in all the activities of our life? Was Jesus Christ simply an appendix to our daily life, or the ONE who was the authority and sovereign of our life?" These are penetrating questions we all need to confront and answer honestly.
You see, the "surrender" of our will only finds its significance and fulfillment when it is accompanied by "obedience" of our heart and life to His will. Surrender has no meaning if we resist in following in obedience. It is like "knowing about Christ" compared to "knowing Him experientially" through a personal encounter...having intimate fellowship with Him...and walking daily in His glorious companionship.
Surrender finds its delight, joy, hope, and peace when accompanied by obedience. This is the object of Christ being the Lord of our lives...that we may be "conformed to the image of His Son." May it be the longing of our hearts and the joy of our life, as we walk in simple child-like faith. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith"...with surrendered hearts and a walk in obedience to His will.
© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.
This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?date=2024-11-03&print=1
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