I Surrender All Series

I Surrender All

Purpose Driven Life #10

October 18, 2003

Cornwall/Montreal

This story was in many newspapers on March 9 of this year:

TERRIFIED Iraqi soldiers have crossed the Kuwait border and tried to surrender to British forces - because they thought the war had already started.

The motley band of a dozen troops waved the white flag as British paratroopers tested their weapons during a routine exercise.

The stunned Paras from 16 Air Assault Brigade were forced to tell the Iraqis they were not firing at them, and ordered them back to their home country telling them it was too early to surrender.

The drama unfolded last Monday as the Para battalion tested mortars and artillery weapons to make sure they were working properly.

The Iraqis found a way across the fortified border, which is sealed off with barbed-wire fencing, watchtowers and huge trenches.

The following surrender document brought WW2 to a conclusion, in Europe:

Instrument of Surrender

of

All German armed forces in HOLLAND, in

northwest Germany including all islands,

and in DENMARK.

1. The German Command agrees to the surrender of all armed forces in HOLLAND, in northwest GERMANY including the FRISIAN ISLANDS and HELIGOLAND and all islands, in SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, and in DENMARK, to the C.-in-C. 21 Army Group.

=This to include all naval ships in these areas=

These forces to lay down their arms and to surrender unconditionally.

2. All hostilities on land, on sea, or in the air by German forces in the above areas to cease at 0800 hrs. British Double Summer Time on Saturday 5 May 1945.

3. The German command to carry out at once, and without argument or comment, all further orders that will be issued by the Allied Powers on any subject.

4. Disobedience of orders, or failure to comply with them, will be regarded as a breach of these surrender terms and will be dealt with by the Allied Powers in accordance with the laws and usages of war.

5. This instrument of surrender is independent of, without prejudice to, and will be superseded by any general instrument of surrender imposed by or on behalf of the Allied Powers and applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole.

6. This instrument of surrender is written in English and in German.

The English version is the authentic text.

7. The decision of the Allied Powers will be final if any doubt or dispute arise as to the meaning or interpretation of the surrender terms.

Surrender isn’t a popular word in our vocabulary, likely because it implies loss and defeat to those who surrender. Certainly, it did in these two cases, although a case can be made for the reality that, eventually, the lives of many involved became better, or will become better.

However, we are called to surrender. This is the essence of beginning the Christian life and is the centre of our daily lives.

Ro.12.1- tells us that we are to present ourselves in sacrifice to God. We are told that this is reasonable to do, as well. We are to surrender to God, and this surrender becomes the central act of worship we engage in each day. As we look in biblical history, we understand that such sacrifice and surrender involves a lot of will and desire, as well as a lot of giving up.

Gen. 22- story of Abraham’s calling to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Let’s read through this. I want you to notice who had to sacrifice- who had to have willingness- who had to give up something. (Read). Without question, both parties had to give up something very great. Abraham had to give up- to surrender- to be willing to lose, with the promise of gain. So, the sacrificer has to surrender. (Later, in the history of the people of Israel, this involved surrendering an animal and the potential financial gain that would come from that animal, as only the best were acceptable to God.) Isaac had to give up- to surrender- to be willing to lose, too. So, the sacrifice has to surrender. The sacrifice has to resign itself to the fate to come and has to be willing. Animals sometimes seem to know they are about to be killed and sometimes fight viciously not to have that occur- so don’t think that animals are simply all passive- lambs tend to be, but bulls and goats, later used in many sacrifices, would not always be so placid. In sacrificing, both the one sacrificing and the one being sacrificed have to surrender.

If we think back, then, to the call to us in Ro.12.1, we are the one sacrificing and the one being sacrificed. On two fronts, we have to be willing, resigned, and accepting. We have to be willing to give up ourselves and, in a little different position, we have to be willing to be given up, in both cases, in faith, understanding that the one we are sacrificing to receives pleasure and will give benefit back to our lives. As we give up our lives, we actually gain them again and new.