If you and I were forced to decide today how we would live the rest of our lives and our options were:

1. Surrender to Self: Live the remainder of your life on earth apart from God’s activity and authority in your life. This is to live life the best you can entirely on your own power, wisdom, ability and resources.

2. Surrender to Jesus: Live the remainder of your life entirely surrendered to Jesus activity and authority in your life. This is to live life allowing Jesus to entirely call the shots on everything which means you live according to His power, wisdom, ability and resources.

*What if either way you would end up in Heaven when you die? What if that wasn’t the question? How then would you live here on earth? (I am not making any kind of theological statement here. I’m just trying to get us to focus on what it means to surrender to Jesus here and now)

…thanks be to God…
Surrender should be thought of as stepping through a door of invitation (not a work that earns favor) God graciously opens for us. Let all thanks be to God!

…though you were slaves of sin…
It’s important to realize the stark, bleak nature of what life apart from Jesus really is. It is nothing less than a life of slavery to sin.

…you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching…
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

To be obedient from the heart speaks of obeying Jesus eagerly and sincerely.
…to that form of teaching… refers to the message and teaching of Jesus, the Gospel.

…to which you were committed….
Their eager, sincere obedience arose out of their being committed to the message of Jesus.

Committed: Paradedome - to give oneself over into the hands of another or to give one’s self over into another’s power or use. It describes the act of surrendering.

…and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
The phrase slaves to righteousness points to the amazing freedom we experience in the Kingdom of God when we allow Jesus to rescue us from a life of slavery to sin.

Trying to obey Jesus apart from an inner condition of surrender to Jesus is useless and nothing more than another form of self-reliance.

When we surrender to Jesus we will find our hearts are in the journey and obedience to Jesus becomes an increasingly natural response to His leadership and authority in our lives.

G2 Action Step:
Pick a day this week you will devote the entire day to surrendering to Jesus in one specific way in which you don’t currently.
Examples:
● Expressing gratitude in place of complaining/grumbling
● Forgiving others quickly and entirely of any and all offenses. Take these moments to reflect on our own faults/sinfulness.
● Listen well to others and respond accordingly.
● Spend the day placing a high value on noticing and being with children any chance you get with the attitude they can teach us how to better live in God’s Kingdom.
● Bless others sacrificially and, when possible, secretly.
● Have a conversation with any people you sense are far from God but the conversation has to be focused on getting to know them and their story, not on fixing them or telling them your story (unless asked and then be brief and turn it back to them).
● Set aside three times when you can be quiet and alone with God for more than 10 minutes each time. Listen more than talk. Focus on His literal presence with you. Rest in Him.
● Before you spend any money on anything during the day, take a moment to remind yourself to rely on Jesus for your hope, peace, joy and security…not money.

These are just examples. You can do anything that is an expression of surrender (trust in action) to Jesus. Pick something that keeps you focused on surrender to Jesus or brings you back several times to this thought.

*For extra credit :-), at the end of the day take some time to write down what that experience was like. You can write down anything. What frustrated you? What brought you joy? Did you notice God or sense His presence in clearer, more immediate ways or not?

**For double extra credit :-), text or email me and l, an elder or deacon will spend the day praying for you as you practice surrender.