True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life, but surrender of our will, and once that is done surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person's will into surrender, and he never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to him. And once that battle has been fought, and it never needs to be fought again.
Surrender for deliverance, come to me, and I will give you rest. It is only after we have begun to experience what Salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever it is that causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will, come to me. And it is a voluntary coming.
Surrender of devotion, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself. The surrender here is of self to Jesus with his rest at the heart of my being. He says if you want to be my disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to me. And once this is done, the remainder of your life will aim at nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. (2nd. Corinthians 12:9) Whatever your circumstances may be Jesus is totally sufficient.
Surrender four death true surrender is a matter of being united with Jesus in the likeness of his death. (Romans 6:5) Until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to him. And after you surrender then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.
HUMILITY
Matthew 11: 29 learn from me, I am gentle and humble in heart.
Matthew 20; 27 -28 whoever wants to be first must be your servant, just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve.
We see humility in the life of Christ demonstrated in how he laid open his heart to us. Through his teachings we hear him speak of it, how he expects his disciples to be humble as he was. Let us carefully study the passages to see how often and how earnestly he taught it: it may help us to realize what he asks of us.
1. look at the start of his ministry. In the sermon on the Mount, he opens with the beatitudes: ' blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, but they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5: 3, 5). The first words of his proclamation of the Kingdom of heaven reveal the open gate through which we may enter. The earth is for the meek, who seek nothing for themselves. the blessings of heaven and earth are for the lowly. Humility is the secret of blessings for the heavenly and For The earthly life.
#2. “learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul” (Matthew 11: 29). Jesus offers himself as teacher. He tells us both what the spirit is and what we can learn and receive from him. Meekness and lowliness are the qualities he offers us; in them we will find perfect peace and rest. Humility is our Salvation.
3. The disciples had been disputing among themselves who would be the greatest in the Kingdom and had agreed to ask the master (Luke 9: 46; Matthew 18: 3). He placed a child in in their midst and said, “whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18: 4). “who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?.” the question is far reaching, what will be the chief distinction in the heavenly Kingdom? The glory of heaven, the mind of heaven, is humility. “he who is least among you, he is the greatest (Luke 9: 48).
4.the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus if they could see it on his right hand and on his left, the highest places in the Kingdom. Jesus said it is not his to give but the fathers, who would give it to those for whom it was prepared. They must not seek it or ask for it. Their thoughts must be of a Cup and the baptism of humility. And then he added, “whoever wants to be first must be your servant, just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20: 27, 28). Humility, is it is the mark of Christ, and will be the only standard of glory in heaven: the lowest is the nearest to God?
5.Speaking to the multitude and the disciples, of the Pharisees and their love for the Chiefs seats, Christ said once again (the greatest among you will be your servant) (Matthew 23: 11). Humiliation is the only ladder to honor in God's Kingdom.
6.On another occasion, in the House of a pharisee, he spoke the parable of a guest who would be invited to come up higher, and added, “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbled himself will be exalted” (Luke 14: 1-11). There is no other way. Self abasement alone will be exalted.
7.After the parable of the pharisee and the publican, Christ spoke again, “for everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18: 14). In the temple in the presence and worship of God, everything is worthless that is not provided but deep, true humility toward God and our neighbors.
8. After washing the disciple’s feet, Jesus said “now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet” (John 13: 14). The authority of command and example, every thought, either of obedience or conformity, makes humility the first and most essential element of discipleship.
9.At the Lords supper table, the disciples still disputed who should be the greatest. Jesus said, “the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves …. I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22: 26, 27). The path Jesus walked, which he opened for us, the power through which he wrought our Salvation and by which he saves us is his humility that makes us the servant of all.
How little this is preached. How seldom it is practiced. How faintly the lack of it is felt or confessed. I cannot say how few attain to some recognizable measure of likeness to Jesus in his humility. But fewer ever think of making it a distinct object of continual desire or prayer. How little the world has seen it. How scarcely it is seen in the inner circle of the church.
Whoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Oh, that God could convince us that Jesus means this! We all know what the character of a faithful servant or slave implies. Devotion to the master's interest, both from study and care to please him, delight in his prosperity and honor and happiness. There are servants on earth in whom these dispositions have been seen, and to whom the name of a servant has never been anything but glory. To how many of us it has been a new joy in the Christian life to know that we may yield ourselves as servants, a slave to God, and find that his service is our highest Liberty, the freedom from sin and self? We need to learn another lesson, that Jesus calls us to be servants of one another, and that we accept it heartily, this service will be the most blessed one, a new and Fuller deliverance from sin and self. At first it may appear hard; this is because of the pride that still counts itself something. If once we learn that to be nothing before God is the glory of the creature, the spirit of Jesus, the joy of heaven, we shall welcome with our whole heart the discipline we may have in serving even those who try to annoy us. When my own heart is set upon this true sanctification, we will study each word of Jesus on self abasement with new zeal, and no place will be too low no stooping too far, and no service is to low or too long if we may but share and prove the fellowship with him who said “I am among you as one who serves.
Here is the path to the higher life. It is the lowest path! This was what Jesus said to the disciples who were thinking being great in the Kingdom and of sitting on his right hand and his left hand. Ask not for exaltation. That is God's work. See that you humble yourselves and take no place before God or man but that of a servant. That is your work; let that be your one purpose in prayer. God is faithful. Just as water seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds the creature empty, his glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless. He that humbles himself, that must be our one aim, shall be exalted; that is God's aim. By his mighty power and in his great love he will do it.
People sometimes speak of humility and maintenance as something that would Rob us of what is Noble and bold. Oh, that all would realize that this is the nobility of the Kingdom of heaven, that this is the Royal spirit that the King of heaven displayed, that this is God like, to humble oneself and to become the servant of all! This is the path to the gladness and the glory of Christ present in US, of his power resting upon us.
Jesus, the meek and the lovely one, calls us to learn of him the path of God. Let us study the words we have been reading until our heart is filled with the thought; my one need is humility. And let us believe that what he shows he gives, and what he is, he imparts. As the meek and lowly one he will come into and dwell within the longing heart.