How would you define a Christian that is “surrendered”?

A friend of mine asked me this question. 
 

How would you define a Christian that is “surrendered”?

Surrender: Definition 1b in Webster’s Dictionary is: to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another.

Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 9 how he has surrendered his rights for the sake of the gospel.  He says he is free to live, eat, drink, work in certain ways, but because of his love for the gospel he surrenders those rights.  “Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.” (9:12) 

Why would he do this?  Verse 23: “I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”  He surrenders because he loves the Lord Jesus and he wants others to love Christ as well.  When we truly love Christ Jesus we change the way we live.  We give up selfish desires for His sake, and we long to share this love with others that they may share in this joy. 

A surrendered life is one that gives up the pursuing of selfish desires that we may know Christ more.  A surrendered life spends time with the one you are surrendered to without making excuses.  It is easy to have many other things to do other than spend it with our Lord.  Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, would get up at 2:00AM and spend an hour praying.  He did it because it was the only time that he could truly be alone with his savior.  A surrendered life is one that will give up the good for the best.

A surrendered life is one that stops making excuses for sin.  Our sin grieves the Holy Spirit and separates us from God.  Yet we often ignore the conviction God gives us because we desire the pleasure obtained in sin.  A surrendered life says, “enough!”  I will obey my God because I love Him.  I will resist the Devil and draw near to God.

A surrendered life can only come when we realize how great a gift God has given us.  Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  The focus here is the mercy of God.  While we were still an enemy, rejecting God, He chose to reach down and change our heart.  We did not in any way deserve His mercy, but He chose to give it to us that He may be glorified.  Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”  To truly surrender we must truly understand our sinfulness and unworthiness.  Continuing in Romans 12, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  A surrendered life understands our unworthiness, has gratitude for God’s mercy, sacrifices selfish desires, and lets God transform us by being renewed through His Word.  In fact a surrendered person is one who loves the Word of God.  The Word is always on his heart.  He reads it, studies it, meditates upon it, and hides it in his heart.  The more he does this the more surrendered to Christ he becomes. 

 

I pray I will surrender to Christ more every day.  Will you join me and surrender as well?