“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23)
All to Jesus I surrender....
We cannot talk of surrendering our lives to Christ if we have not surrendered everything – to the minute detail. In the battle front a soldier has a slim chance of survival if prior to being taken captive he does not show signs of total surrender. To this effect, he must lift both hands way up in the air or go on bended knees, even prostrate (lie flat on the ground) as in a no-resistance stance to say he has given himself up. Whether he survives in that position is another matter; but at the slightest suspicious move or sign of resistance observed by the enemy whilst surrendering, he would be dead meat.
I can recall having sung the hymn ‘I surrender all’ in church several times over and each time it is a if someone nudges me as if to say ‘have you really?’ Oftentimes, we sing this hymn in total abandon and walk away feeling justified, without asking ourselves questions. What is there to surrender? To what extent must I surrender? Well, the hymn writer penned: ‘I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee (you) my blessed Saviour I surrender all.’
Just in case you are asking yourself questions like ‘Why must I surrender?’ ‘What must I surrender and how?’ this article will seek to throw some light on what in your mind appears to be gray areas.
The joy of full salvation
We surrender our entire being – soul, mind and body - to our Saviour Jesus Christ because He is the One who bore our sins on the cross and delivered us from the hands of the enemy and from eternal damnation. He is no ordinary Saviour because He laid down his life for His friends, unconditionally. “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay done His life for His friends.” (John 15:13) Our sin debt had to be paid in full and our Redeemer went headlong to Calvary to bear the shame on our behalf. For this reason, we have to surrender ‘all’ to Him, holding nothing back. He must have complete control over our lives or we shall have no part in Him. When Jesus wanted to wash Peter’s feet, he openly refused. “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” (John 13:6-9) In essence, Jesus is either Lord of all or the Lord of none.
We have been bought with a price, much more than silver and gold, and therefore belong to Him. We ought to surrender our lives willingly as a result. Any compartment that He does not have total control over or have access to – our thoughts, plans and projects - is partial surrender; that must be handed over. We must lay down our lives clearly on the table in total surrender and for all to see. Only when we make such a commitment are we really ready for our walk with God.
When we consider that nothing is hidden from Him, that He knows everything about us. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7), then it becomes easy making the commitment. We serve a God who is Omnipresent. He abides everywhere. However, if He is not invited He would not interfere. Our success is guaranteed when we fully surrender to Him. He is our ‘all in all.’ Our Lord Jesus said: “Without me you can do nothing!” meaning we cannot realise much without His endorsement, His backing.
We must surrender our lives to Him because He is “the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) He has conquered the grave and sin and can see us through it all. We need not be afraid. “In my father’s house are many mansions...” He assures us a place in heaven.
Surrendering to God is a commitment we make to walk with God all the way. He told father Abraham “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1b) There is no obligation, but we make an undertaking that from henceforth our Lord Jesus will direct our lives. We take a conscious step forward to break with our past stubbornness and disobedience and cling to God for direction and counsel. We submit every aspect of our being to Him from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. It is what the Word says that we should do. It is what the Holy Spirit says we should do, that we would do. The person to gain in all this is not God but ourselves.
We must cease to live an independent lifestyle to begin living for God. Satan will no longer dictate what we do and how we do it, for his motives are impure. “He came to kill, steal and destroy.” (John 10:10) Jesus promises the abundant kind of life. It is a safe way to live, no life insurance can beat the one God offers – the product is comprehensive, all-inclusive.