THE LIFE YIELDED — HOW? (2)

Through yielding to Christ, we have acknowledged that we are not our own and we have transferred the ownership of our life from self to Christ. Henceforth, the life is no longer ours. A re-surrender implies that the transfer had not been honestly made.

Of course, one does not know all that is involved in this initial act of surrender or all that it will require of one. When you begin to live only and wholly for God, there will be constant revelations of portions of the life still virtually held by self as its own possession. The heart will be made conscious of unwillingness to relinquish certain rights and privileges so long enjoyed. What, then, must one do as these revelations come? Does one need to make a surrender of the life over again? No, that was done once and for all. Simply say, “Lord, this thing which I am still claiming and holding as my own was part of that whole which I yielded to Thee. It, too, belonged in that initial surrender. I thank Thee for Thy faithfulness in showing me that it is unyielded and just now I give it into Thy possession and place it under Thy control.”

There is an initial act of yielding that is to be followed by a continuous attitude so that as we come to know God and His will better through daily communion we yield instantly to Him any unyielded place or thing. Someone has tersely said, “Surrender is a crisis that develops into a process.”

May I use a very homely illustration? A man and woman through mutual faith and love yield themselves to each other in marriage. Neither of them knows then all that is involved in this surrender to each other. The wife knew that her time must be given to making the home, but she had not realized how little opportunity would be left for the things she had formerly done. She rebels and uses her time for things that necessitate neglecting home duties. Misunderstanding and estrangement follow. Or the husband knew that money would be required to care for his wife and supply the needs of the home, but he did not know what extravagant tastes she had or what a poor manager she was. So, he has to use money he wished to spend on his business or his own pleasure. He rebels, and trouble ensues. What do this husband and wife do? Do they remarry each time such a misunderstanding or disagreement comes? Even the idea is absurd. If they are sensible and truly love each other, they will acknowledge that there was more in the marriage vows than they realized at the time; each will recognize that all, not a part, was given in the mutual surrender, and each will be willing to yield unselfishly and gladly to whatever makes for mutual interest and welfare. A happy and harmonious married life demands not only an initial act of yielding but also a continuous attitude of yielding.

We who have loved the Lord and believed in Him are united to Him. “Ye also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead.” (Romans 7:4) But not one of us ever knew when he entered into oneness with Christ all that would be involved in such a union. But as we live with Him, we learn more of His desires, His will, His purposes, His plans, and we see many things in our lives contrary to these. This does not, however, necessitate another surrender but only an instantaneous yielding of the thing to Him.

From the human standpoint, the first condition for a life lived on the highest plane is the definite, voluntary, final yielding of the life to Christ as Lord. The primary requirement for the fullness of the Holy Spirit has been met. “When we surrender our sins and believe, we receive the Holy Spirit; when we surrender our lives and believe, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The receiving of the Spirit is God’s answer to repentance and faith; the fullness of the Spirit is God’s answer to surrender and faith. At conversion the Spirit enters; at surrender the Spirit, already entered, takes full possession. The supreme human condition of the fulness of the Spirit is a life wholly surrendered to God to do His will” (J. H. McConkey, The Threefold Secret of the Holy Spirit, p. 43).

I once visited a college to conduct evangelistic meetings. I was entertained in a home in which the guest room was over the kitchen and was approached by an outside stairway. Very soon my trunk arrived. I was alone in the house. As it was raining very hard, I decided to have the trunk put downstairs. I started to open one door but could not — it was locked. I went to another door, as there were three in a row, and put my hand on the knob to open it, but could not — it, too, was locked. I tried the third door but with no better success — it also was locked.

Suddenly seized with a strange sense of aloneness, I rushed upstairs to the little back-room guest chamber — the only place in the house I was expected to use. To be a bit more conscious of the warm, living, loving presence of my Christ, I knelt by the bedside to pray. Instantly He spoke to me, saying, “Do you not know that is the way thousands of people treat Me? They invite Me into their lives, then put Me away in a little hack guest chamber, and expect Me to stay there. But I long to enter into every room of their lives and share all their experiences.”

Source: “Life on the Highest Plane” by Ruth Paxson

Holy God, you have purchased us with the great price of Your Son’s precious blood. Yes, we have experienced the initial surrender to You. But as we come to know You more, we continually learn to surrender more areas of our lives. Teach us to yield instantly to You any unyielded area, whether a place or a thing.