A Life of Surrender to God
What does it mean to surrender one’s life to God? A dictionary definition of surrender is “to give oneself up into the power of another”. For Christians surrender is the first act of those coming to salvation and is a continual habit of those walking with Christ. To spiritually surrender means to let go of control and trust God.
The mind of flesh feels like it is losing if it surrenders but the truth is that we surrender to a life of righteousness, peace, and joy when we surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s look at some of the lives surrendered to God in the Bible.
I. A Life of Surrender in the Old Testament
Adam and Eve chose against a life of surrender to God when they chose to heed the voice of the evil one who brought doubt and deception and chose to disobey God’s command. As a result their children were born with a sinful nature and the first murder occurred.
Violence so filled the earth that the Lord God sent the flood to destroy human kind, saving only eight persons alive, Noah and his family, along with two of every kind of living thing, male and female, so they could reproduce and fill the earth with life once again. Noah surrendered his will to the will of God in the face of unbelief and contempt from the people of his day.
Then righteous Job was sifted by the devil, suffering the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health. Job refused to curse God and die and as a result his faith in God grew and he was given more children, wealth, and health than he had before.
God chose Abram (Abraham) from Ur of the Chaldeans (modern day Iraq) to leave his home and country and begin a new nation of people who would reflect God and His ways to all the nations of the earth. Abraham surrendered to the will of God by being willing to offer his son and heir as a sacrifice at the command of God. Abraham trusted that God was able even to raise the dead back to life.
Then God raised up Moses to deliver the Jewish people from bondage to Pharaoh and a life of slavery in Egypt. With fear and trembling Moses stepped into a life of surrender to God. It was to Moses God gave his self-revelation as recorded in Exodus 34:6, “The LORD, the LORD God merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth…”
Daniel, beloved of God, lived a life of prayer and surrender to the will of God even from his youth. Daniel chose to trust God and was willing to die for his faith. He remains an example for us today of a person who drew strength from God in the place of daily prayer and communion with Him.
II. A Life of Surrender in the New Testament
John the Baptist lived a simple life-style of devotion to God and fulfilled the call of God on his life by preparing the way for Jesus. He was a voice that the whole nation was drawn to. Jesus described John as the greatest man who had ever lived up to that time and also spoke of John as a burning and shining lamp. John was willing to decrease (e.g. in popularity) that Jesus might increase.
Mary, the mother of Jesus surrendered entirely to the plan of God for her life and though she did not fully comprehend she surrendered to the will of God. When the angel told Mary that with God nothing will be impossible she replied, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Mary of Bethany showed us surrender to God when she sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach rather than being busy with housework. Jesus commended her for choosing the best thing. Mary willingly surrendered her wealth and bought costly perfume to anoint Jesus for His burial. Mary was listening to God and acted on what she heard.
Peter left his job and gave up everything to follow Jesus. He said that there was nowhere else to go because Jesus had the words of life. When Peter failed in his devotion to Jesus he still surrendered to Jesus’ forgiveness and re-commissioning and ended up being martyred for the Gospel and left us with writings that encourage us today.
John the apostle, was exiled on the island of Patmos for his testimony about Jesus and gave us his Gospel, letters, and the book of Revelation.
Paul the apostle suffered much and gladly for the Gospel. His chief desire all his born- again days was to know Jesus and to make Him known. “…I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ…” (Philippians 3:8-9)
III. A Life of Perfect Surrender: Jesus
Jesus, our example, lived a life of total surrender to the will of His Father. “Most assuredly I say to you , the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son does in like manner.” (John 5:19) The ultimate example of Jesus’ life of surrender to God is in the Garden of Gesthemane when Jesus was facing His crucifixion. “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 36:29)
IV. Jesus Calls Us Today to a Life of Surrender
A life of surrender to God, though radical, is the normal Christian life. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23). The apostle John recorded Jesus’ words about full surrender in John 5:19, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me…without Me you can do nothing.”
Encouragement for the Journey
We experience an initial surrender at the moment of salvation and after that is the daily fight of faith that lasts our entire lifetime. The world, the flesh, and the devil seek to draw us away from loving communion with God and obedience to His commands into a life of self-will that leads to destruction. James advises us, “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) We can submit to God because we know He is good and He is for us.
The work of surrender is also the work of faith. It is believing in the God of Israel, the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ whom He sent to be the propitiation for our sins. The work of surrender is trusting in what Christ has done rather than in what we have done or not done. Our born-again spirits delight to surrender and obey because we know that God’s way is the best way for us. His will is pleasing, perfect, and acceptable. When we surrender to God we lose only a life of sin and we gain a life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Galations 2:20 sums up our life of surrender to God.
“I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Practice to Follow Jesus’ Example
Pray a prayer of surrender.
Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Speak edification, comfort, and exhortation. Speak the truth in love.
Demonstrate love for God and others, including enemies, by doing good.
There are many prayers of surrender. One I have used over the years is as follows:
God, I offer myself to You to build with me and to do with me as You will. Relieve me of the bondage of self that I may better do Your will. Take away my difficulties that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Your power, Your love, and Your way of life. May I do Your will always. Amen.
