Total Surrender Part 2
In the time and season we are in, we cannot afford not to be
totally surrendered to God. It’s not by our power that we surrender, not by
might, but by the Spirit of God. Our work is to have a will, His is to
accomplish the purpose (Philippians 2:12-13). Total surrender calls for you to
know that it’s not by your strength, but by His strength.
Total surrender is not only by mere talking, but by action. Faith is by works, not by words only. Faith without works is dead. It's not only by talking. People who only talk and do not do anything are like a bell that is ringing, just making noise, without achieving anything.
After surrendering and committing to surrender, then take a step and by relying on God's Spirit act like you have surrendered. If it is lying, commit to surrender to God to speak the truth and by God's strength stop lying knowing that everything matters, there is neither small lie nor big lie -- it's all wrong. Surrender the tongue. If you have surrendered, take a step and by faith quit that relationship that leads you to sin when the Lord leads so, in order to live a holy life. Let the Spirit of the Lord help us to live lives that are well pleasing to God.
Total surrender means you surrender your heart, mind, body and everything else, such that everyone else knows that you are truly a Christian. Let us not be found in the company of those who shame the church of Christ, but rather those who do not compromise. In total surrender there is no compromise, both in words and in actions.
A brother or sister who is totally surrendered to God is so preoccupied with God's opinion and will. Let us always think about God's thoughts regarding our dressing, walking, talking, dancing etc. Anyone who is totally surrendered both in action and words is noticeable by all, who see how concerned they are with what God thinks about everything, in their lives. If it does not please the Lord, do not associate with it. Do not just say that you are surrendered to God, let your actions prove it.
The first time you may not have known, but when God makes you understand His will and convicts you then leave it. A totally surrendered person does not have focus on self, but on God.
Galatians 2:20 (AMP)
I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
When we fail to give ourselves totally to God, we usually miss out on God's expectations. When God allows you to know Him, die and be raised in Christ, He expects you to say that "Jesus you are the one who reigns in me," and when you do not then you will miss out on God's expectations and come short of God's complete plans. When you have died and have been raised in Christ, do not take back anything; let Him have all. Total surrender is reliance, trust and adherence towards Christ.
Paul was a man who was totally surrendered, and lived that kind of life, which is why he was able to say with confidence that it was not him who lived, but Christ who lived in him. When you are totally surrendered to God, it does not mean that you will always live lavishly; it means that whatever you go through you will go with a revelation that will enable you to give thanks in all circumstances. Because you are totally surrendered, God will protect and preserve you as He knows you are His.
Benefits of total surrender
There are benefits of total surrender to God, which is brought by character and behavior.
1. You will always have a heart that is out-flowing with praises to the Lord.
In our daily walks of life, what kinds of songs come out our hearts? One of the fruits of those who are totally surrendered to God is a heart full of praise. If your heart is not out-flowing with praises but rather other types of music, it is time to surrender. With a heart full of praise, you do not have time to worry about the economy or other earthly things; this is a product of a totally surrendered person. God speaks through songs to that person who is totally surrendered to Him, so that you can use the song to prophesy to whatever is coming. He places the song in the heart to speak to you in all situations, to confirm and assure your heart. What is normally in your heart?
Colossians 3:16-17 (AMP)
Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.
When the Bible says "let", it means that we have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to give the word of God a place to stay in our hearts and minds. Allow what Jesus says to get a place in your heart. Many refuse to allow God's word to have a place in their hearts and minds, or expect the church or the pastor to do it for them. Only allowing the word of God to have a place in your heart helps you to surrender and remain remain surrendered.
Challenge yourself: whenever you find that whatever is coming from your heart is not praise, make a choice to change and allow the word of God to abide in your heart. Some diseases people have are due to sick hearts, as they are constantly troubled and have dryness the heart. This also can be contagious, and can only removed when we allow the word of God to abide in our hearts and fill us with praise.
John 4:14
...but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The water Jesus gave the Samaritan woman made her not thirst anymore, but totally surrender not even to think about what people may say but went on to brag about the one Man who changed her.
Surrendered people have abundance of life in them.
A totally surrendered person is one who has encountered Jesus and whose heart bubbles with hope, life and encouragement.
Luke 6:43-45
For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
What you say usually comes from your heart. If you are totally surrendered, your heart springs out with life. If your mouth is always springing evil, your mouth is not a problem, but your heart is.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.
Everyone who is totally surrendered will have a heart that springs out with life; It all depends on what you allow to dwell in you.
2. People who are totally surrendered remain as disciples of Christ.
They have denied themselves everything for Christ.
Luke 14:26-33
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
To "hate" in this case is to give God first place/ priority over everything, it is in comparison with one's attitude towards God. To hate something in this case means that whatever you compare with God takes second place to Him. If you want to remain surrendered to Christ, do not prioritize anything above or even equal to God. A follower of Christ (disciple) must be fully given over to Him as a priority above all other things. Anything else that takes first place in your besides God, is an idol and it hinders your heart from following Christ. To be a disciple means to be a follower of Christ consistently (anytime, and anywhere). The disciples were called so because they left everything and followed Christ.
Matthew 4:18-22
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
The disciples responded to Jesus' call and He promised to make them what they were supposed to be -- no longer fishers of fish, but of men.
3. Total surrender will save your life
Luke 9:23-25
And He said to all, if any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also.
24 For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death]. 25 For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?
To deny yourself is to disown oneself, to forget, lose sight of oneself and one's own interest, refuse to give up and take up one's cross daily and follow Christ. Do you want to save your life, or lose it? If you want to save it, cleave steadfastly to Jesus, conform wholly to His example in living and if need be, die to self.
4. In total surrender you enjoy fullness of His blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
We deny ourselves blessings by not being fully submitted to the one He gave. If God gave us the Son, what can't He give?
Romans 8:31-32
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
If God surrendered Jesus for us, this means that if we surrender all to Him (Jesus) we will gain all what He had intended. Jesus showed total surrender by dying for us and today He is glorified above everything else. By being totally surrendered to Him we will also be elevated everyday to be partakers of His glory and blessings. This will enable us to experience completeness.
Colossians 2:10
...and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Jesus makes his own complete.
When we totally surrender, we can confidently ask to be glorified, as Jesus asked:
John 17:4-5
I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory with which I had with You before the world was.
By glorifying the Father in death, obedience and resurrection, Jesus was now asking the Father to glorify Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9
..."Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heartof man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
There is so much goodness/ fullness of GOd which we deny ourselves by not being fully surrendered.
5. As we remain surrendered, we recognize His power and this makes us even more humble.
This humility keeps us up, progressively. Humble yourself and He will lift you up.
Hindrances to total surrender
1. Focusing on our strength/ selves.
Peter was doing so well walking on water in Matthew 14:28, but when he looked to himself he started sinking. Depending on your self and leaning on your own understanding will move you away from surrendering to God.Keep your focus on God.
2. Relationships
The relationships you have will either cause you to remain surrendered or move you away from remaining in total surrender to God. Psalm 1 talks of relationships that cause us to remain planted in God and the things of God, and the vice versa is true; bad relationships will remove us from being planted in God and His things. Any relationship involving a friend or relative or colleague etc. who takes upper priority than God in form of time, money, body etc. is a hindrance to your being totally surrendered.
3. Distance from God and things of God
The more we abide in Jesus, the more we remain surrendered, and the vice versa is true (John 15:4-8).
4. Troubles and cares of this world
God tells us to b still and He is God (Psalm 46:10), yet many continue to allow their hearts to be troubled with what they can see, by what is in the world. Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled (John 14:1, 27).
5. Sinful life
Sin will keep you away from living in total surrender to God, as it pushes you to gratify the pleasures and desires of the flesh.
The choice is in your hands. Be informed of the benefits of remaining in total surrender to God, and I hope that you enjoy them as you live a surrendered life. Be warned of the thieves of a surrendered life, things that will hinder you to be totally surrendered, and walk cautiously while relying on God's strength and His Spirit to point out this hindrances as the arise in your walk with God.
Amen.
-- Pastor Mary Mugo
(15/09/13 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor)
Pastor Mary Mugo is the Administrative Pastor at Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.
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