Obedience by Faith SURRENDER OF SELF, NOT THINGS
Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Rom. 9:33.
If we are sinners, and cannot produce genuine obedience apart from God, then all we can do regarding ourselves is to surrender ourselves--give up on the idea that we can ever produce genuine obedience.
The word surrender doesn't show up in the Bible. The closest thing is the word submit, found in Romans 9:30 to 10:4. "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? (Or why?) "Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone." The stumblingstone is Jesus.
"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." They're ignorant about something. What is it that they're ignorant about? "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for every one that believeth."
Well, someone says, what kind of righteousness is this talking about? Imputed? Or imparted? It makes no difference! There is no such thing as righteousness apart from Jesus. Whether it's imputed or imparted is beside the point. The person who stumbles and does not know righteousness in either sense is the one who is trying to do it himself. Notice that they have not submitted themselves--it isn't talking about surrendering things, but surrendering self.
The strong-willed person who quits his smoking, drinking, and dancing, apart from Christ, may become a "good" church member. But who really did it? He did. And thus even his good behavior is still sin, because he is living apart from Christ. The only kind of obedience we can ever produce on our own is merely outward. And it isn't real. True obedience comes only from Christ, through the relationship with Him.
Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Rom. 9:33.
If we are sinners, and cannot produce genuine obedience apart from God, then all we can do regarding ourselves is to surrender ourselves--give up on the idea that we can ever produce genuine obedience.
The word surrender doesn't show up in the Bible. The closest thing is the word submit, found in Romans 9:30 to 10:4. "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? (Or why?) "Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone." The stumblingstone is Jesus.
"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." They're ignorant about something. What is it that they're ignorant about? "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for every one that believeth."
Well, someone says, what kind of righteousness is this talking about? Imputed? Or imparted? It makes no difference! There is no such thing as righteousness apart from Jesus. Whether it's imputed or imparted is beside the point. The person who stumbles and does not know righteousness in either sense is the one who is trying to do it himself. Notice that they have not submitted themselves--it isn't talking about surrendering things, but surrendering self.
The strong-willed person who quits his smoking, drinking, and dancing, apart from Christ, may become a "good" church member. But who really did it? He did. And thus even his good behavior is still sin, because he is living apart from Christ. The only kind of obedience we can ever produce on our own is merely outward. And it isn't real. True obedience comes only from Christ, through the relationship with Him.
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