We often sing the beautiful gospel song, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all, All to Thee my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.”
The Lord gladly accepts our promise to Him, and when He comes to us to claim what we have promised, how many change their minds and are willing to give only a small part of what they have? Ananias and Sapphira did this. They promised to give all, but then changed their minds to give less.
It is beautiful music to the ears of the Lord when someone tells Him, Lord, to Thee I surrender all. Take my time, my money, my talents, my strength, my heart, my love, my all I give. And adding to it, “worldly pleasures all forsaken, take me Jesus, take me now. “
Have you ever thought about what it costs to be saved?
“If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26–28, 33
The rich young man came to Jesus and went away sorrowful and disappointed. To him, a full surrender was too high a price to pay.
Jesus did many miracles, healing the sick, forgiving sins. He did this mostly to those people who had nothing—the man lying beside the pool of Bethesda, crippled for 38 years; the dying thief on the cross; lepers living outside the city as outcasts of society. Blind Bartimaeus who could only cry out, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. But if someone had something to give, they had to make a full surrender first. Peter, John, and James left their fishing boats and nets. Matthew left the customs booth. Paul left all behind.
“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” Matthew 19:29
It is a joy to have relatives, and family, to have a father, mother, children, brothers, sisters, wife, and husband. But if we lose this joy, the company of Christ will give us a hundred times greater joy. Money, houses, and land gives us security, comfort, and happiness; but if we lose them, the company of Jesus will give us hundred times more security, comfort, and happiness.
Maybe now we understand the words of Paul, “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” 2 Corinthians 6:10
Paul had no earthly goods, yet he was very happy and rejoicing as one who possessed all things.
Does this now mean that we will sell our homes and furniture and give all the money to the poor and go on Welfare (government assistance)? No, but it does mean that our house is given to Jesus as a place for visitors and the homeless, and our table is for the hungry.
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.” Matthew 25:35–36
Full surrender also means our time, 24 hours of the day, seven days a week, ready to work for Jesus.
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:8. He did not know where he needed to go, and what he needed to do, but he was ready for anything. Also today, God is calling, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” He is not sending us alone, He said, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20
Never will you go alone to a Bible study; no, Jesus promised to go with you. Never will you go alone to do canvassing; no, angels will be your companions.
But if we go to worldly entertainments or sporting events we must consider the influence on our character
“In the night season I was a witness to the performance that was carried on on the school grounds. The students who engaged in the grotesque mimicry that was seen, acted out the mind of the enemy, some in a very unbecoming manner. A view of things was presented before me in which the students were playing games of tennis and cricket. Then I was given instruction regarding the character of these amusements. They were presented to me as a species of idolatry, like the idols of the nations.
“There were more than visible spectators on the ground. Satan and his angels were there, making impressions on human minds. Angels of God, who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, were also present, not to approve, but to disapprove. They were ashamed that such an exhibition should be given by the professed children of God. The forces of the enemy gained a decided victory, and God was dishonored. He who gave His life to refine, ennoble, and sanctify human beings was grieved at the performance.” –Counsels to Parents, Teachers and Students, p. 350
“Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.
“The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342
If you waste time in selfish pleasure, you are not making a full surrender. God has given you talents that He expects you to use to His honour, to do missionary work, to save souls. Are the use of our talents up to our own discretion, or are we to ask God how to use them, and when?
Can we neglect attending the meetings of the church and still believe we have made a full surrender? If there is still one thing lacking, then our surrender is not complete, and this one thing will stop the hand of God from blessing us, and close the windows of heaven from us.
The only right thing to do is to make a full surrender to God of all our talents. Every word that we speak, let it be with grace. Every countenance, let it be softened with love. Every minute, let it be service to God. Full surrender will not allow us to be offended; we still love them that offend us. Full surrender means to pray, “not my will, but Thy will be done.”
Many have made a partial surrender, but he that has made a full surrender, he will receive one hundred fold in this life and also everlasting life. Amen.
Timo Martin