God’s Word doesn’t leave us guessing as to what our response should be to the crucifixion and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ?

The only question is WHY do you and I resist surrendering to God?

Is it because we associate surrendering with losing?  I once stopped a little league baseball game after two innings and admitted defeat because the team I was coaching was losing by more than twenty runs. I stopped the game to spare our young boys further humiliation. Some parents saw me as a quitter and a loser.

Is it because we have memories of watching the kid in the school being tormented by the bullies in the schoolyard. We remember how the kid was held down on the ground until he cried, “Uncle!” How he was constantly made fun of and called a loser.

How different is that from Jesus’ passion experience. Tormented and besieged by his accusers, nailed to a cross and still being jeered at and mocked by the crowd of witnesses, tagged as phony, and a loser.

Is this why you and I resist surrendering to God because we afraid that we might seen as loser?

Is the reason we resist surrendering to God due to the fact that culture says we don’t have it?  Popular opinion today says, “It doesn’t matter what you believe.”  What scares me, as it should scare you, is that people who call themselves Christian hold this opinion.

Recent poll results mentioned in an article in Discipleship Journal indicated that there is a dramatic chasm between Christian devotion and Christian thinking.  It indicated that a vast majority of people who identify themselves as Christians maintain a secular life and a worldview.

What does this mean?  It means that while we have warm feelings for Jesus, we think and live more like pagans and nonbelievers than believers.

Specifically Christians embrace the ideas that:

God is tolerant.

Humanity is basically good.

Humanity can and must earn God’s favor.

These ideas are WRONG, WRONG, and WRONG!!!

First, God IS NOT tolerant. We must cast off this God forsaken image of God as a Santa Claus prototype. God is not a heavy set bearded grandfather look-a-like with a merry old soul.  God is certainly not tolerant, especially today since tolerant seems to be synonymous with permissive.  What God is, is HOLY.  God is a HOLY God who desires HOLINESS from you and me. 

Second, Humanity is NOT basically good.

Do I need to say anything more? We are all in need of being transformed by the constant renewing of our hearts and minds in the Word of God.

Thirdly, Humanity CAN NOT and DOESN’T NEED to earn God ‘s favor.

You and I can do absolutely nothing to earn God’s favor. Our only hope is to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus’ death and resurrection is our atonement. Our only hope of experiencing and claiming the power of Jesus’ resurrection is to SURRENDER.

In her book My Heart’s Cry, Anne Graham Lotz magnificently tells the scriptural story found in John 12:1-9 of Mary pouring out her jar of very expensive aromatic oils and anointing and messaging Jesus’ feet and wiping them with her hair. By this profound act of loving devotion Mary is pouring out her hopes for the future, her financial security, her reputation, herself. She is surrendering.

What is in your jar? What is your most precious possession? Are you willing to pour it out in an act of loving devotion to Jesus? Are you willing to surrender it all to Him as He surrendered it all for you?

Surrender evokes negative feelings and thoughts in today’s culture, but surrendering to Christ is your victory. Surrendering is the heart of worship lifestyle. To surrender to Jesus is like a parent asking their child to jump off the edge of the pool into their waiting arms. It is an invitation to trust. It is an invitation to surrender his fears.

Life is a struggle, but as Rick Warren points out in his book The Purpose Driven Life, what most people don’t realize is that our struggle is really with God.  Our struggle is with God because what we want is complete control of our lives.  We may call Jesus, Lord yet at the same time we want the freedom to live, as we want.  When God’s Word or Will contradicts our wants, our desires, our life choices we say, “No, Lord.” You can’t do that. You can’t call Jesus, Lord and refuse to obey Him.

Easter is your invitation to surrender to Jesus, so you may experience the victorious life.

Jesus poured out his life; He surrendered His life for you. What are you willing to pour out or surrender for Him?  Your pride?  Your reputation?  Your future?  Your goals?  Your fears?  Your will?  Your confusion?  Your broken heart?  Your negative attitude?  Your life choices?  Your grief?  Your doubts?  Your grievances?  Your past hurts?

The more you realize how much God loves you the easier it is to surrender. The more you realize that Jesus died and rose from the dead for you the more you should want to surrender. Surrendering doesn’t weaken you it strengthens you. Surrendering your life to Jesus Christ blesses you with peace, freedom, power and victory.