Victory of Surrender

Gal.2:20

 

Do you remember in your youth going up to your friends or family and saying, “will you promise to do me a favor?” The quick response was usually “What is it?” They never were surrendered completely to you. They always needed to know what the favor involved so they could count their cost, before making the promise. God is saying, “Will you do my will?” and we respond, “What is it, Lord?” Tell me so I can decide if I like it. Most of us go through life unsatisfied because we head off to do our will, never knowing what God’s will is, and stop briefly to ask him to bless our mess. “The real secret of an unsatisfied life lies too often in an unsurrendered will” J. Hudson Taylor.

[Gal.2:20] This is an example of a completely surrendered life. Christ living in you and you living for him.

[Luke 22:42] “…not my will, but thine, be done.”

When Queen Victoria reigned in England, she occasionally would visit some of the humble cottages of her subjects. One time she entered the home of a widow and stayed to enjoy a brief period of Christian fellowship.

Later on, the poor woman was taunted by her worldly neighbors. “Granny,” they said, “who’s the most honored guest you’ve ever entertained in your home?” They expected her to say it was Jesus, for despite their constant ridicule of her Christian witness, they recognized her deep spirituality. But to their surprise she answered, “The most honored guest I’ve entertained is Her Majesty the Queen.”

“Did you say the Queen? Ah, we caught you this time! How about this Jesus you’re always talking about? Isn’t He your most honored guest?” Her answer was definite and scriptural, “NO, indeed! He’s not a guest. HE LIVES HERE!” Her hecklers were put to silence.

We all live our lives trying to negotiate a conditional surrender.

Centuries ago, when missionaries went amongst the barbaric tribes of western Europe and converted whole nations, baptisms of thousands of people at one time was a common occurrence.

One thing the missionaries found was that many of these barbarians insisted on keeping their right hand out of the baptismal water when they were plunged beneath its surface. They were willing to become Christians in every aspect except one—they wanted their strong right arm left free to kill enemies and to use as they please.

 

Conditions of Surrender (The things we choose to not surrender)

Pleasure – Your Sin    [Rom.6:13,19] Yield

[Heb.11:24-25] Obedience is proof of surrender

Surrender your pleasures and receive righteousness and holiness – Victory

Property – Your Stuff [2Cor.9:6-8]    Give

[2Cor.8:8] Giving is proof of surrender

Surrender your property and receive all sufficiency- Victory

Pride – Your Stature   [Phil.2:3-11]    Humbled

[1 Pet.5:5-6] Humility is proof of surrender

Surrender your pride and receive God’s Grace – Victory

Person – Your Service [Rom.12:1-2] Reasonable and a prerequisite to knowing God’s will

[Rom.6:16-17] Who you serve is proof of surrender

Surrender your person and receive Knowledge of God’s Will

General William Booth was once asked to reveal the secret of his success. After some hesitation, tears came to his eyes, and he said, “I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I have, men with greater opportunities. But from the day that I got the poor of London on my heart and caught a vision of what Jesus could do with them, on that day I made up my mind that God should have all of William Booth there was.”

It was this which led Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, the questioner, to remark, “I learned from William Booth that the greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.”

 

A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D. L. Moody to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign.

Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: “Why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?”

There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: “No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D.L. Moody.”

If you surrender you win, not loose! The Victory of Surrender

God wants all of you, surrender all, and enjoy the Victory!