SURRENDER – WHOSE IS YOUR LIFE?
“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin,but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans 6:13)
God has ownership rights to the life of every Christian. He purchased us to Himself through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7). In terms of the slavery practices in the days of the Apostle Paul, a purchased slave became property and lived at the bidding of the owner. Referring to this practice, the Apostle makes an application to the responsibility of Christians to realize that they do not have the right of self-determination. Life’s decisions are to be made under the direction of the Master.
“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin,but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans 6:13)
God has ownership rights to the life of every Christian. He purchased us to Himself through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7). In terms of the slavery practices in the days of the Apostle Paul, a purchased slave became property and lived at the bidding of the owner. Referring to this practice, the Apostle makes an application to the responsibility of Christians to realize that they do not have the right of self-determination. Life’s decisions are to be made under the direction of the Master.
In our theme verse the term members applies to the portions of the body which can be used in service to the Master. In the secular use of the term instruments it was often found in a military context and translated as weapons or armor. A spiritual application of it is found in 2 Corinthians 10:4 where the weapons of spiritual warfare are declared to be different and more highly effective that the strongholds and defenses of evil.
In our Romans passage the time elements in the verbs are important. It says, in effect, “Do not keep presenting your members…., but once and for all present yourself to God.” The first verb indicates that presentation of the members to unrighteousness had been a pattern which must be changed. In the second, there is a call for a decisive action of surrendering ourselves to the Lord once and for all. This type of turnover cannot be done on an installment plan.
The terms used to bring an end to World War II were unconditional surrender. This meant that on the basis of signed documents, the Japanese were to live in submission to the occupying forces of the United States. Following the surrender there was to be a process of yielding to the conquering ones. In the Christian life, surrender is to be followed by daily yielding. Pastor (Bill) William A. Raws is the grandson of the founder of America's KESWICK. He went to be with Jesus in July 2008.
Dig This Quote: The Bible does not teach that a man is saved by a principle, but by the shedding of blood. Salvation is not through life lived, but through life poured out. It is not by the life of Jesus that we are redeemed; but by His life given up in the pain and suffering of a shameful death, of which death there is no sufficient symbol or method of expression other than that of the shedding of blood. Redemption is provided, not by the richness of His life provided, but by the suffering of His life poured out. G. Campbell Morgan
Determined Praying: Beware in your prayer above everything of limiting God, not only by unbelief but by fancying that you know what He can do. -- Andrew Murray
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