Surrendering to God
This morning I was looking at Luke 18 and God kept bringing the thought of biblical surrender to mind. Then when I read verses 18-27, it jumped off the page as the Holy Spirit began a sermon that preached to some situations that I have been going through this past week. I pray this is as much of an encouragement to you as it was to me.
In Luke 18, we find a very familiar interaction that Jesus has with a young man. This interaction is commonly called “The Rich Young Ruler.” This interaction is often used to demonstrate the faith needed for salvation. That an individual must put their full trust in God rather than their own works. This is an appropriate application of this interaction as Jesus goes on to explain in verse 24 by making the statement ”How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”
The application of surrendering to God and living by faith does not end with salvation, it is where a life a faith begins. Surrendering everything to God doesn’t just occur when we get saved. It is a vital part of the victorious Christian life.
1. Surrender Your Works to Christ (verse 21) The young man was very content with his works. No doubt he was careful to be helpful to others. No doubt he gave to the poor. No doubt he deliberately followed the law but his motivation was self. Earlier, in Luke 10, Jesus educates a lawyer on the importance of the two great commandments. Luke 10:27 ”And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
Often we can fall into the routine of having works that are done out of pride and selfish motives rather than serving God out of love and devotion to him or our neighbors. God deserves our service because he has given us eternal life, adoption, salvation, and so many other blessings. Often, believers may see their service as their personal work that produces personal results. However, service should always be giving to God because the results are His and not ours. The rich young ruler served himself and saw his results as his own. Therefore, when God directed him to do a work he didn’t like, he couldn’t bring himself to do it (verse 22-23) This lack of surrender demonstrated the true motivation of his works.
2. Surrender Your Fears to Christ (22-23) The young ruler found himself in a position in which Jesus had called him to do something that was beyond his comprehension. He was called to give something to Jesus that he coveted very much. His wealth was his status, his position, his comfort, and his confidence. When Jesus tells him to give it away, he can’t bring himself to do that. He lets the fear of the unknown keep him from obeying God. There are a large number of unknowns in the world today. People are worried about their health, politics, and finances. May I encourage you to give those fears to God? He has much greater treasures waiting for you.
3. Surrender Your Doubts to Christ (26-27) When the young man went away and Jesus spoke Luke 18:25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” The disciples responded by asking, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus reminds them “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” There are many instances in which believers let their circumstances or personal understanding of things create doubts in their lives. We must remember, that Jesus is not a mere man, but the creator God. We must remember that no situation is out of his control or problem that He has not already found a solution to. Don’t carry your doubts around with you, surrender those to Christ so that you can walk in the faith He has called you to.
The record of “The Rich Young Ruler” is one of great depth and insight. The commonality we find is that of surrender. Purpose to surrender your will to His in your life giving Him acces to every area of your life.