January 28, 2025, the 28th day of 2025
Complete and Unconditional Surrender
There are way too many people out there professinf Christianity, while never becoming a new creation in Christ. It makes ... View MoreJanuary 28, 2025, the 28th day of 2025
Complete and Unconditional Surrender
There are way too many people out there professinf Christianity, while never becoming a new creation in Christ. It makes a bad impression on true Christians who get lumped in with them.
The problem comes when someone thinks they are saved when they are not.
Expectimg God's blessings without any real commitment on their part, they have often repeated a simple prayer, with no real comprehension of what it means. They were not serious, so Jesus cannot take it seriously.
Through preaching, a Christian concert, camp or program they have taken an emotional step. They may have felt some conviction. They may have felt sorry for their sins.
But they have not fully and completely surrendered to Jesus. So they remain unsaved, unchanged, with only the emotional high for a time to sustain them. And sometimes a church or Christians ready to encourage them in their new walk.
But they never got on the right path. They never became a new creation in Christ. They have no eternal life. They are still spiritually dead in their trespasses and sin.
Part of the problem is that the most evangelistic groups emphasize grace and the free gift of salvation, without emphasizing that we are surrendering our lives completely and utterly to Jesus.
This has led many into a false sense of security, while also not giving them the presence of Jesus in them and all that that entails.
Saying that Jesus is our Lord, goes beyond mee words. It has to come from a full and complete surrender to the One we are calling Lord.
It means we are leaving behind our allegiance to this world and Kingdom of Darkness that rules in so many spheres.
It means that we not only feel sorry for our sins, but we repent and turn from them.
And as in any true surrender, nothing can be held back. It is not a cease fire, but an unconditional surrender when we surrender to Jesus as our Lord and Master, our King.
It means we have left the Kingdom of Darkness behind. We have renounced it. And we are totally committed to going forward in the Kingdom of Light--the Kingdom of God.
If we think that the Creator God of the Universe--of the Heavenly places and all the places and spaces we don't even have names for--will be satisfied with a half-hearted "sorry" or even heartfelt tears of repentance that falls short of complete surrender, we have been misled.
When we have been bought with the shed blood of Jesus, He owns us. Not understanding this has led many into false conversions. They will not stand because their prayer was not based on the whole truth.
This is especially a shock for those who want a place in Heaven, but do not want to change their lives--who don't realize that not only is our life no longer our own, but also our body.
"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."
I Corinthians 6:18-20
Without being God's fully and completely, we are not saved. There is no middle ground, no partial surrender, no keeping back anything.
False conversion is easy, and every false convert is a success for Satan, the "father of lies" And as long as they are allowed to claim the name of Christ, while not being His, they endanger not only their own soul, but the reputation of true Christians.
Most false converts are unaware. If they are feeling like they are not saved, they are usually told to have faith in their prayer of salvation.
They may have been baptized. They may have made a public confession. But their heart still is unchanged. They do not understand that Jesus is the One trying to open their eyes to their condition.
Jesus is the truth. He does not want us living a lie. He does not want us to be deceived or to deceive others.
Many false converts are trying to live up to what they think God expects from them. Seeking righteousness is usually a step that leads to salvation in the unsaved.
But in a false convert, they will usually fail in their attempt because they will never feel it is good enough to please God, because it never can be outside of the power of the Holy Spirit granted in the new creation birth.
Some may try harder and frustration will come when they fail. Some wll just give up.
The danger comes because they won't seek to be saved, if they already think they are. They may think this is all salvation is and it is what everyone else experiences, but does not admit.
False converts do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, so they don't get the peace, security or the prodding that true Christians have.
They cannot draw on the strength of Jesus to sustain them.
They are not a new creation in Christ, but they believe they are, so they may feel Christianity has failed them, or it was all just hype.
Anyone truly saved knows better than this. But only those who have surrendered their all, can claim this.
But do not despair if you find yourself in this situation. All it takes is doing it right this time!
Jesus has been working on you to awaken you to the truth. Turn to Him! Repent, and do a full and unconditional surrender of yourself to Jesus as your Lord, your Master and your King!
Stay strong! A full and unconditional surrender is required to be saved!
NAN
