Surrender: Victory In Retreat

SURRENDER – Victory in retreat

“Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self.” - C.S. Lewis

Surrender is the act of giving up or yielding oneself or the possession of something to the power of another (Meriam-Webster dictionary).

It is both the result and the cause of true humility.

We’ll call it “The upward cycle”:

Humility  surrender  humility  surrender

“True humility comes when before God we see ourselves as nothing, have put aside self and let God be all. The soul that has done this and can say, “I have lost myself in finding you,” no longer compares itself with others. It has given up forever any thought of self in God’s presence; it meets its fellow man as one who is nothing and seeks nothing for itself; who is a servant of God and for his sake is a servant of all.” Andrew Murray

It means giving up, admitting defeat, submitting, yielding, relinquishing control, handing over, parting with and conceding.

You will not experience the abundant life God offers or accomplish the purpose He has planned for you without living a life of surrender.

The Christian life is a surrendered life.

Mk.12:30 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Put His good first in all your:

Heart – emotions and desires

Soul – image, attitudes and character

Mind – thoughts and intellect

Strength – Energy and labor

John 3:30 – “He must become greater, I must become less.”

Nothing can remain un-surrendered (Phil.2:21 – Everyone…)

Compartmentalization

Allowing God control of only a few parts (ex. Sunday morning).

Natural to human nature

Essence of religion

“Of all bad men religious bad men are worst.” C.S. Lewis

We should have no compartmentalized areas of control.

Entertainment

Free time

Avg. Christian spends < 10 minutes with God daily.

Relationships

Future

A surrendered person has no rights.

You are not God’s greatest gift to humanity.

Rom.12:3 – “For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

He does not need you, your gifts or your abilities.

“Your calling must precede your gifting.” – Ravi Zacharius

1 Cor.1:26-31.

God used Peter; look how “gifted” he was.

Phil.2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

In grace, he chooses to use you when you love Him and focus on glorifying Him in humility.

Your image does not matter.

James 4:4 – “…Friendship with the world is hatred toward God.”

Your will does not matter.

You can not demand your way.

Your point of view does not matter.

You gave up control of those to another.

What areas must be surrendered?

Everything!

Nothing can be preserved or spared.

A slave for God has no rights!

How to surrender.

Legalism is wrong …BUT…the Christian life does require dying.

Lk.9:23 – “Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Gal.2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The cross is the instrument of your death.

It will take those around you to be truly crucified.

Eph.4:2 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

“The daily cross, something which is to be the instrument of disgrace and execution is whatever gives occasion for ever deeper test of self surrender.” L.E. Maxwell

“Dead men don’t feel anything.” My old friend Barry Swift

Sacrifice is not cheap.

2Sam.24:24 – “…I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

Sacrifice and surrender hurt.

“Many Christians fear and flee and seek deliverance from all that would humble them. At times they may pray for humility but in their heart of hearts they pray even more to be kept from the things that would bring them to that place.” Andrew Murray

Practice dying to self. (Jer.4:4)Things you can surrender:

TV and other entertainment

Food (through fasting)

Sleeping in, negotiating with the alarm

Free time

Video games

Girlfriends/boyfriends for a time

GPA

Summer break

Your image

Your gifts and talents

Your hopes, dreams and desires (even good ones)

The rest of your life

Surrender is unpleasant but remember:

Results of surrender.

You won’t get your way.