Obedience by Faith ESCAPE FROM SURRENDER
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. Rom. 10:3.
A strong-willed person can use giving up his wrong deeds as an escape from true surrender, giving up on himself. Even the strong-willed person must come to the realization that although he might be able to give up the external wrong actions, within he is still the same. Only God can deal with the problem of sin on the inside.
Perhaps some speaker tells our young people that the devil has something to do with rock music, and they get rid of their rock records. But those who have given up their rock music for any reason other than a love for Jesus, and letting Jesus come into their lives, have not really given up their rock music. When the unclean spirit is pushed out by the person, and the place is left swept and garnished, seven other spirits will come and take its place. Sin is never really pushed out by the person. Sin is always crowded out by the Lord Jesus coming in. And whenever a person tries to push out sin by his own backbone and willpower, he is going to end up in a worse condition than before. He may or may not go back to rock music. But he may go into deep pride because of his accomplishments. And pride is the worst of all sins.
So, you see, the question of surrender can be very tricky if we think that it has to do primarily with giving up things. Surrender is giving up ourselves, and accepting Jesus' own words in John 15:5, "Without me ye can do nothing." This is not talking about the things that God has given everyone the ability to do as long as He keeps their hearts beating. Without Jesus, you can still take out your garbage. Without a relationship with God, you can still make a million, it has been proved. Without God, you can be a sharp businessman or a mathematician or a doctor. Without God, you can even curse God. Because of His love for people, and His respect for their power of choice, He will even keep the heart beating in the chest of the man who curses Him. But without God, even the strongest person in the world cannot produce the fruits of righteousness. That's what John 15:5 is talking about. Without Him, there is no such thing as genuine obedience.
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. Rom. 10:3.
A strong-willed person can use giving up his wrong deeds as an escape from true surrender, giving up on himself. Even the strong-willed person must come to the realization that although he might be able to give up the external wrong actions, within he is still the same. Only God can deal with the problem of sin on the inside.
Perhaps some speaker tells our young people that the devil has something to do with rock music, and they get rid of their rock records. But those who have given up their rock music for any reason other than a love for Jesus, and letting Jesus come into their lives, have not really given up their rock music. When the unclean spirit is pushed out by the person, and the place is left swept and garnished, seven other spirits will come and take its place. Sin is never really pushed out by the person. Sin is always crowded out by the Lord Jesus coming in. And whenever a person tries to push out sin by his own backbone and willpower, he is going to end up in a worse condition than before. He may or may not go back to rock music. But he may go into deep pride because of his accomplishments. And pride is the worst of all sins.
So, you see, the question of surrender can be very tricky if we think that it has to do primarily with giving up things. Surrender is giving up ourselves, and accepting Jesus' own words in John 15:5, "Without me ye can do nothing." This is not talking about the things that God has given everyone the ability to do as long as He keeps their hearts beating. Without Jesus, you can still take out your garbage. Without a relationship with God, you can still make a million, it has been proved. Without God, you can be a sharp businessman or a mathematician or a doctor. Without God, you can even curse God. Because of His love for people, and His respect for their power of choice, He will even keep the heart beating in the chest of the man who curses Him. But without God, even the strongest person in the world cannot produce the fruits of righteousness. That's what John 15:5 is talking about. Without Him, there is no such thing as genuine obedience.
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