Commitment or Surrender?

In a sermon I recently heard, the difference between "commitment" and "surrender" was a point of emphasis.  In warfare conditions of surrender are negotiated, but not so in a life which is surrendered to Jesus Christ as LORD.  Since our lives have been purchased with the shed blood of Christ, we are not our own.  As Jesus laid down His will before the Father, we are to voluntarily lay our lives down before our Saviour.  The comment by the preacher was if all we do is "commit" our lives to Christ, we seek to dictate our own terms or will even withdraw our commitment when it pleases us.

In light of this thought, the Oxford definition of "commitment" is interesting.  It means, "The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.; a pledge or undertaking; an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action."  Men are fickle and often do not keep their commitments.  We make promises we do not or cannot keep, and do not like our freedom to do as we choose restricted.  A commitment can become a hindrance from what we want to do rather than being liberating.  It is a burden to be borne rather than a privilege.  In all our commitments we retain our sovereignty over our own will rather than surrendering our lives to the will of God.

Contrast the previous definitions with that of "surrender:"  "stop resisting to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority; give in to; give up or hand over (a person, right, or possession), typically on compulsion or demand."  Christ makes many demands of His disciples, and on the strength of our commitment we are unable to fulfil any of them.  We might as well claim we can do the work of God in our own strength!  We are called to stop resisting or grieving the Holy Spirit through rebellion and disobedience, repent, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.  If we stop short of full surrender, we attempt to remain in charge of our lives.  If we are Christ's disciples, we must lay down our will so we can embrace and be empowered by God to do His.

Many Christians "recommit" their lives to Jesus many times because they have not fully surrendered to Him.  Surrender is not a one-time decision, but one confirmed daily by obedience to God's Word as we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily (die to self), and follow Jesus.  Praise the LORD this is His will, and when we surrender ourselves to Him He will accomplish it.  Answer this question honestly:  are you totally surrendered to God?  Until then we resemble a child falling asleep on a merry-go-round - movement but no real progression.

Do Not Be Deceived

All human beings are susceptible to all manner of deception.  It is one thing to be intentionally deceived by another person, but far worse is when we are deluded by self.  This sort of deception we often do not recognise.  We are most blind to the deceptions which lurk in our hearts, and since no man can know the depravity of his own heart we are susceptible to it.

In addition to revealing God to us, the Bible is a primary means of warning against and identifying common deceptions for us.  The clear implication of God’s warnings against deceptions is we indeed can be deceived.  It is important for us to examine our hearts, admitting we too can be deceived.  If we do not heed God’s Word we blindly head to ruin.  Because God knows the thoughts and intent of our hearts, loves us and is the source of all wisdom, He faithfully reveals our common faults and the path of righteousness.

Deceptions take place in our minds and hearts.  The way we naturally think appeals to the flesh, and the scripture rightly applied by the Holy Spirit changes the way we think.  So what are common deceptions the Bible says we must be aware of?

We can be deceived to turn aside to idolatry.  Deuteronomy 11:16-17 states, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, [17] lest the LORD'S anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.”  I believe it was Calvin who quipped the hearts of men are idol factories, and even a cursory glance at our lives reveals our affections and faith is often misplaced.  We must be watchful and take heed to guard our hearts and minds from idolatry and not assume we are loyal only to God.

We can be deceived to follow false saviours.  Luke 21:8 reads, “And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them.”  The Son of God Jesus Christ is the Messiah, and He is the only one Christians ought to follow.  It is natural for us to follow after men, to look to them for guidance and leading rather than God.  The world offers many false saviours and vain men are glad to draw followers unto themselves.  We can be deceived by liars, thinking their way is right when it is not Christ's way.  Many have turned aside after deceivers, but may we not be among them.

We can be deceived to think the unrighteous will go to heaven.  1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, [10] nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”  Those who are born again have crucified the lusts of the flesh.  If we are truly transformed within by the power of the Holy Spirit, the evidence of this will be clearly seen.  The Gospel of grace is no excuse to continue in sin, for there is no salvation without repentance.  Those who believe they are saved when their lives are defined by habitual sin are deceived.  We may give a "free pass" for others for their sin, but God will not.  God's judgment concerning sin and how we live matters!

We can be deceived to think we are impervious to evil influence.  1 Corinthians 15:33 reads, “Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."  Sin is a pollutant which defiles our minds, hearts, and wounds our souls.  It destroys a godly witness and renders us spiritually dull and listless.  We are deceived if we think we can expose ourselves to filth or dabble in disobedience without serious consequences.  There may be men compared to “Teflon” because nothing seems to stick to them, but spiritually we are all dry sponges which unthinkingly absorb whatever liquid that contacts us.  God is able to preserve us from all evil, yet when we intentionally dip our minds and hearts in filth the fountain of Living Water within us is defiled.

We can be deceived to believe sinful choices will not bear evil fruit.  Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  The type of a seed sown will be clearly evident after it sprouts, grows to maturity, and bears fruit.  If we sow to the flesh we will of the flesh reap corruption.  We can be deceived to think it is what we believe with our minds and profess with our mouths is of primary importance, but God examines the inner man:  our motives, thoughts, and obedience.  He knows if we are proud, arrogant, and rebellious, and a polished image before men does not mean righteousness before God.  We can trick men, but we cannot fool God:  what we sow we will reap.

So how did you go?  When we fall prey to deception we must repent before God, for He is a redeemer and restorer of souls.  And if all seems well it is good for us to admit our tendency to all these deceptions so we might be on guard against them in the future, being watchful concerning ourselves whilst looking out for one another.

The LORD Our Shade

"The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night."

Psalm 121:5-6

How good it is to know God protects and provides for our needs!  Day or night we need never fear, for God is faithful.  A great illustration of this scripture is seen in the life of Hagar when she was sent out by Abraham.  In response to God's direction, Hagar and Ishmael her son were sent out from Abraham with bread and a skin of water.  They wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba, which means "well of an oath."  Before long they were stricken with thirst, for the water in the skin was used up.  Hagar desperately placed her son in the shade of a shrub to protect him from the searing heat.  Hagar hopelessly retreated to a distance where she could not hear his cries.  She reached the point that all she could do is weep, and in that moment God spoke.

Genesis 21:17-19 reads, "And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. ¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation." ¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink."  In her distress Hagar moved away from Ishmael, but God drew near and heard the cries of the lad.  Isn't this remarkable?  He will not forsake any who cry out to Him.  The angel of God asked, "What ails you, Hagar?"  I suppose from the perspective of the world there was plenty to cry about:  she had been kicked out of her home, did not know where she was, where she should go, the water had been spent, her son was dying, and she could not save him.  She asserted in a previous wilderness experience God is the One who sees but God also revealed himself as the One who hears and is "your shade at your right hand."  With such a God was there any legitimate cause for despair?

God opened Hagar's eyes to see a well of water she had not seen before.  It is fitting this occurred in Beersheeba, for God showed her a well and gave her a promise:  God would save her son and make of him a great nation.  Until it was divinely revealed Hagar didn't notice the well which held life-sustaining water, and often it is our unbelief, grief, and forgetfulness of God which blinds us to the Living Water offered freely by Jesus Christ.  He supplies more than water to quench the thirst of our bodies but supplies Living Water to satisfy our souls forever.  God has made a covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ which provides us forgiveness and eternal life through the Gospel.  No matter what we face in this life we do not need to fear, for God is our keeper, our shade at our right hand, our refuge, and Saviour who loves us and supplies our every need by His grace.

God was faithful to keep His promise to Ishmael, for God was with him as he grew.  During our earthly pilgrimage there will be wilderness experiences and dry times, but it is good for us to discover God is our only genuine source of help, hope, and life.  We often look for shelter under wilting shrubs when God stands ready to help and deliver, our shade at our right hand.  Much of our pain comes from focusing on ourselves, circumstances beyond our control, and feeling others have it better than us.  Hebrews 13:5-6 provides us an exhortation and promise:  "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ⁶ So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"  Fear and death have been swallowed up with victory, and praise the LORD for His promise.  He is our keeper and shade at our right hand.  The death of our bodies will not annul His promise but bring it to completion in eternal glory.

God Created Man

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 1:27-28

In my lifetime I have observed an erosion of what once was called “morality” according to biblical principles.  This gradual movement has gathered speed to the point it could be likened to a destructive avalanche, leveling all which once stood upright in its path.  This opposition of God, His Word, and ways has often been too subtle to notice in real-time but the effects are widespread and pronounced.  When seeds of wickedness are sown, those doing the planting deny anything bad will happen.  Eventually the corrupt and ugly fruit is displayed for all to see.

Man has rebelled against the order and laws established by God from the beginning – even concerning something simple like eating.  The appetites of the flesh were not satisfied by forbidden fruit, and sex is an area man delights to deviate.  Not content with the divinely ordained confines of marriage, people committed fornication and adultery.  Homosexuality and bisexuality have become increasingly common and widely celebrated.  People were not content with deviant sexual practices, but now the biblical definition of gender itself faces sceptical scrutiny and overthrow.  God created people male and female from the beginning, yet man thinks he knows better than God who created him.

The wisdom of God to create men and women male and female is plainly reflected in the terminology we use in hardware.  A plumber uses the term “male” and “female” to describe the type of fitting needed to connect pipes.  Just like two bolts alone or two nuts by themselves are incapable of fastening materials together, two male couplings do not fit together properly according to the design.  In the same way, God made people male and female to be fruitful and multiply, to reproduce according to their kind in the confines of the marriage relationship.  Attacks on gender are an assault primarily on God’s order, and this assault is nothing new.

Believers are called to hold fast to the scriptures, to uphold the righteous judgments of God no matter how thick the fiery darts fly.  In these darkening days we must grip the shield of faith and Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) like never before.  Enemies of God and His truth will attempt to chip away at the foundations, but we can stand firmly upon them without fear of man.  We ought not apologise that God in His wisdom created men and women as distinct.  Our gender is a gift given to us freely by God, and we ought to rejoice in all God has provided by His grace.  Men and women of God are born and made, and it is God who makes them.