Surrender

You might say you want to steer your own ship and go wherever you want. Yes, it is good to be independent, but what about your relationship with God? Does God want us to give up our will and go where he wants us to go, or does God want to guide our will by a free will response to God's attributes and goodness in a love relationship? He doesn’t want to take away our will, but guide us to fullness in God’s image in union with Him, and he does this gently and lovingly. As Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We can learn to walk and work with him. He guides us to the best possible life here and into eternity.

God has given us the ability to go against his will, but not to determine the consequences. Do you want to be your own God? This is Satan’s desire, and this desire is the root of all sin. Of course, this desire has its roots in pride and envy. It is a rebellion against God and his goodness.

To become a Christian, you must commit yourself and surrender yourself to God. This is the way for the best of life, which essentially is in God himself. When Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, he wanted to challenge God’s character and paint God as petty and selfish, controlling and someone who didn’t want people to have fun or have freedom. Evil was presented as appealing. For many, it is fun to do evil. However, Satan is actually what he presents God as. The devil is petty, egotistic, controlling and enslaving. He wants you to experience hell here and in eternity because evil loves company.

Can I trust God? When you grow to the point as a Christian where you expect no benefits, then you will absolutely trust God. Yes, there are many benefits to being in a relationship with God, but loving God for himself is a sign of maturity. In surrender to God, we find true freedom. He is the lord. Is he Lord of your life?

The Christian who has received a new nature in Christ can live to this nature or, in a sense, save his corrupted nature to live to that nature. This doesn’t make sense, but the temptation is always there. There is the temptation to go back to the old ways without God. This is called the flesh. As God’s word says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:25; see also Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20). To live in the old corrupted nature is easy, but it is totally unnatural for the new person in Christ. (1 Corinthians 5:17) If we go this way, we will lose true life.

It is the great reversal, as in many things of the spiritual life. Jesus says, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Save ourselves from what? Well, Jesus said his way is not the easy way; it takes courage and resolve. We can spend our life seeking our own pleasure, comfort and security, and Jesus is saying if we do this, we will lose the best life in God. Learning the way of God’s love (agape) is much better, and we can be transformed to live in love God’s way and from this center find fullness.

We are also free to sin in this life, but if we follow this way we will lose all, or much of that God has for us. We can surrender to sin and Satan and eventually deal with the consequences, or we can surrender to God and enter into his goodness and live a life of love and blessing. The bottom line: Who do you want to surrender to, Satan or God? As Bob Dylan said in his song, “You gotta serve somebody.” It is either the devil or the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody.”

Do you want to save your life primarily for yourself, or do you want to give your life primarily to God? There is the way of foolishness or the way of wisdom, but you gotta choose. If you choose God, he will empower you and assist you to overcome obstacles, challenges and sin, and you will experience true freedom.

The Bible says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Do you trust God and what he says? Do you trust that God is absolutely good? If you do pick up the cross and follow the Jesus way. Be what the new nature in Christ calls you to be.