“Take up your cross.” “Deny your flesh.” “Crucify your sinful nature.” “Surrender your life to Christ.” “Submit to the will of God.”
In the “Christian culture” we hear phrases like these pretty often. We just nod along, clap and say “Yes!” But, what does it really mean? If we are supposed to do these things, what does that look like practically? Galatians 2:20 NLT “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Through my personal experience and revelation through the Word- I’ve come to the understanding that all of these sayings have the same underlying theme: Deny your flesh – Surrender ALL to Jesus. When I think on this, I go back to salvation. Believing in Jesus and asking Him to be Lord over your life. It’s easy to forget how DEEP this ask truly is. When we ASK Jesus to come into our hearts, be Lord over our life, etc. we have to realize what we are truly asking for. We are ASKING to become purified to look more like Christ.
Here’s what becoming more Christlike is like practically- pursuing a RELATIONSHIP with Him, surrendering sin and submitting to His will. Sin will dull the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life! The Holy Spirit is what pushes us to purity and closeness to the Father. Sometimes you might feel overwhelmed with all the “wrong” you have in your life. Feeling the need to clean it up in order to receive Gods love. Have grace for yourself, because God has eternal grace for you. Removing sin is a process that will go on and on, until we breathe our last breath. Don’t strive for perfection, just work towards closeness to Jesus. Reading your Bible, praying, praising Him, inviting Him into your day and surrendering sinful nature to Him.
One thing that I had to fully surrender to Jesus was my nicotine addiction. This was a painful BATTLE…. Daily, even hourly surrender. I was using nicotine as my source of security, comfort and temporary numbing agent. I was constantly having to submit my thoughts and desires to Gods will for my life. I knew He wanted me to be free from addiction and be fully dependent on Him. For me, this was not an overnight shift. It was a daily decision to surrender and I failed A LOT. I had to trust that the Lord saw my heart posture and had endless grace for me until the battle was over. Now I can confidently say I have come out on the other side! The Lord is now my source of comfort, peace and wisdom to make the right decisions. I know there will ALWAYS be something I can surrender to walk in more freedom.
The world likes to convince us that surrendering in any capacity is weak. We are taught to- fight for yourself, follow your heart, do what’s best for you, do what you feel like doing. Honestly, this is quite the opposite of what you are supposed to do with the Lord. Because He loves us so deeply, we can surrender our sin. Because He is trustworthy, we can surrender our plans. Because HE is strong, surrender leads us into freedom. Not all changes happen overnight, sometimes it won’t be easy, BUT it will ALWAYS be worth it. Stop living for yourself and live for Jesus. Stop satisfying your flesh and fuel your spirit!! James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Practical advice:
Find one thing you are struggling with right now, commit to surrender for the next 2 weeks. Here’s some examples: gossip, addiction, sexual sin, lying, witchcraft or ANYTHING that takes your mind/actions off of Christ.
- After the 2 weeks are up, reflect on how your relationship with Christ has shifted. Are you more dependent on Him? Do you trust Him more than you did? Did you feel His grace and love for you?
Prayer:
“Jesus, thank you for your unfailing grace, no matter how many times we mess up- you welcome us back into your open arms. Give us boldness to surrender. Increase our trust with you. We know that you honor our surrender, big or small. Remind us to try again when we fail. Give us strength in this mental and physical battle. Amen.”
Reflection/Question:
What is keeping you from surrender? How can you push through that practically?
Verses:
Romans 12:1 NLT
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done flor you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind he will find acceptable. This is the way to truly worship Him.”
Proverbs 3:6 NLT
“Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you what path to take.”
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
Galatians 2:20 NLT
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Definitions:
The Word- the Bible (The word of God.)
Salvation- the deliverance from sin and its consequences, beloved by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ.
Pursue- to follow (someone or something) / continue or proceed along a path or route.
Submitting- to accept or yield to Christs authority.
Heart posture- the underlying attitude, motive, and inner condition of a persons heart, rather than outward actions, words or physical posture.
Surrender- cease resistance and submit to authority.
