How is it possible to keep your way pure? There is one way only, by living according to the Word of God! And might we include every other virtue with purity? And might we agree that living according to His Word requires discerning God’s will, which oftentimes extends beyond knowing the written Scriptures to guidance from the Holy Spirit into all truth? An intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit will enable you to hear God’s voice and know His heart. And might we also agree that this sometimes requires the wise counsel of godly people?
It is common for every Christian to experience the surrendered life some of the time, however we are called to live a life of complete unconditional surrender all of the time. To submit in total surrender is neither easy nor natural; it is rather an art-form practiced by disciples. You can taste real freedom in a moment of unconditional surrender: “Not my will Father, but Your will be done!” True freedom is experienced only when you willingly submit that you have no options. If God’s way is the only way, then you are truly free! In other words, “Where the Spirit of the Lord reigns, there is freedom.”
The process of coming to this inevitable conclusion shares a common pattern within all humans. First there is resistance. You will argue with God and defend your rights to question His ways and justify yourself. Then you will come face-to-face with a divine confrontation; you will be chastised and challenged by God. If you can withstand the discipline and pass the test, God will concede that you have the right to defend yourself and claim your own righteousness. But, you won’t stand; you won’t succeed! After certain failure, you will ultimately acknowledge that true freedom is found only in total submission to God. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” This is a process in which every Christian must engage—it’s the art-form practiced to achieve complete and unconditional surrender. Consider Abraham’s submissive response to Yahweh as a perfect example, “Here I am,” in the moment he was asked to sacrifice his only son. Your surrender too will be consummated only when you cease to resist God and abandon control of your own life entirely. In other words, acceptable surrender requires total submission to God’s will.
There will be many things that you must concede along the way, if you are to lay claim to this achievement. Today we begin our journey into the depths of that ocean of concessions. Let’s start with this word of prayer… “Deep inside me I am very sad. So, I will turn to You, my God; from where I am I will pray to you. I hear Your voice like a waterfall; like the sound of thunder. The water pours over me like wave upon wave—so strong that it knocks me down to the ground. Each day, the Lord shows me that He loves me and that he is faithful. Each night He gives me a song to sing, as I pray to the God who lives forever. I know God is my rock, but I often feel like I need to ask Him, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I be so sad? How much longer must I continue to weep, as my enemies do cruel things to me?’ It’s as if they are permitted to stand over me and laugh as they freely snap my bones like dry twigs. They mock me with blasphemous words, ‘Where is your God?’ they taunt. So, I ask myself over and over again, ‘Why am I so sad and upset?’ But then I ultimately submit, as I am reminded that I must wait patiently for God to help me. I know I will praise my God once again, because He always shows up to rescue me.” Psalms 42:7-11
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