Lesson 9: A life of absolute surrender, part 1
Romans 12:1-2 - I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Absolute surrender is a great and solemn thought, and I believe we do not understand its meaning. Yet the little branch preaches it.
“Have you anything to do, little branch, besides bearing grapes? "
"No, nothing."
"Are you fit for nothing?" Fit for nothing! The Bible says that a bit of vine cannot even be used as a pen; it is fit for nothing but to be burned.
"What do you understand, little branch, about your relation to the vine? "
"My relation is just this: I am completely given up to the vine, and the vine can give me as much or as little sap as it chooses. Here I am at its disposal and the vine can do with me what it likes."
Oh, friends, we want this absolute surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. The more I speak, the more I feel that this is one of the most difficult points to make clear, and one of the most important and needful points, to explain—what this absolute surrender is. It is often an easy thing for a man or several men to come out and offer themselves up to God for entire consecration, and to say, “Lord, it is my desire to give up myself entirely to You." That is of great value, and often brings very rich blessing. But the one question I ought to study quietly is: What is meant by absolute surrender?
It means that just as literally as Christ was given up entirely to God, I am given up entirely to Christ. Is that too strong? Some think so. Some think that never can be; that just as entirely and absolutely as Christ gave up His life to do nothing but seek the Father's pleasure, and depend on the Father absolutely and entirely; I am to do nothing but seek the pleasure of Christ. But that is actually true. Christ Jesus came to breathe His Spirit into us, to make us find our very highest happiness in living entirely for God, just as He did. Oh, beloved brethren, if that is the case, then I ought to say: “Yes, as true as it is of that little branch of the vine, so true, by God's grace, I would have it be of me. I would live day by day that Christ may be able to do with me what He will."
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I give You my life, and everything I have; I want to be Yours completely. I want to depend on You rather than on myself for all You want me to be.