Message for April 22, 2023

Message topic: How to surrender to God?

Scripture text: Ephesians 5:1-8

What does it mean to surrender to God? Surrender is a generic term that refers to loosing or giving up in a battle: when we surrender to God, we choose to end the conflict between selfish, sinful man and God. We submit our will to God, which shows that we love God.

Surrendering allows us to have a relationship with Him. we can become more filled with and directed by the Holy Spirit as we surrender more of ourselves to Him, as in Ephesians 5:18, which says, be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.

What are the things which we must surrender to God so as to become obedient to the call of His saving grace through Christ Jesus the only hope for man’s redemption back to God.

One of the personal instructions given to Saul when he had a talk with God during his encounter on the road to persecute the Christians in Damascus was, go to people every where and tell them who Jesus Christ is and that He is alive, and His teaching is still the same even after His death and ascension to heaven.

Whan he went to the people of Ephesus, a Gentile nation, he had these words of instructions for them: you should become followers of God, as dear children and be reconciled to God.

You should walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

To be an obedient follower of Christ Jesus he said, there are some things that you will have to surrender, such as fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, should not be found among you: there should no filthiness, no foolish talking or jesting, which are not convenient: but it is better to give thanks to God.

For this we know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no man deceive you with vein words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

When the disciples decided to follow Jesus, they had to surrender their former way of life and be willing to follow his teachings, that is why He said to them, you will take up your cross and follow me.

When the disciples left everything and followed Jesus, they surrendered to God all they had to give up control of their plans, dreams and families to follow the son of God; they reshaped their identities to align with Jesus call and new purpose.

Surrendering to God is a living sacrifice demonstrating our availability to God and our complete trust in and obedience to him in whatever he commands

Surrendering to God entails giving up our plans, trusting God to have His way in all aspect of our lives, and allowing Him to direct our steps and decisions. As Christians, we surrender our will to God’s plan and follow Him.

As we surrender to God, we admit that what we possess is His. He is the source of all goodness. As stewards of God’s property, we are responsible for caring for what He has given us. Still by surrendering to God, we acknowledge that he is ultimately in control of everything, including our current circumstances, so we can live our lives without worrying.

When we surrender to God, it will allow us to let go of everything preventing us from experiencing God’s finest in our daily lives, and by letting these things go, God blesses our souls, and we obtain something more significant and more secure than control.

We have been using the word surrender, but do we really understand what is surrender? According to Merriam Webster, surrender is defined as yielding to the possession or power of another, delivering over, agreeing to give up battling another, and giving oneself up to the control or influence of another.

We surrender when we stop resisting an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority, we agree to stop fighting, because we know we won’t win or succeed against them. Surrendering to God works the same way.

What does surrender means in the bible?

Proverbs 3: 5-6 contains one of the best verses for clarity describing the main idea of surrendering to God: with all your heart, trust in the Lord, and don’t rely on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.

Submit, obey, and yield are words similar to the word surrender, in the bible, submit means to submit to one’s control, and to accept and yield to one’s superiority or the will of another.

Spiritual surrender is an act of faith, keeping hope alive by choosing defeat over death, it is the first act for those coming to salvation, and a continual habit of those walking with Christ. To spiritually surrender means to let go of control and trust God.

When you surrender to Christ it is a decisive blow to our flesh. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but that is not the end of the verse: when you surrender to Christ, you receive new hope and new life, when Christ through the Holy Spirit comes to live in you.

You must give up or surrender your old self, but when you do, sin’s power over you is broken, and knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

When you surrender to Christ, you are not surrendering your God-given identity and uniqueness, you are not giving up as a defeated hero, but as a refugee from this world, escaping a life of slavery, starvation, and abuse.

We should not be partially surrender to God, but do as the song writer says: all to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give, I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live, as we surrender all to God through Christ Jesus our Savior.

Let’s you and I ask our- selves, have we surrender our all to God in obedience to his will?