No. 346 - Our Acceptance Involves Surrender
Responding to God's Gift of Salvation
Our Acceptance Involves Surrender
Matthew 16:24
“Then Jesus
said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'"
Starting
Prayer
Dear Lord, as I meditate on what it means to follow
You, please give me the wisdom to understand the depth of surrender that You
ask of me. Help me to fully accept Your will in my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Background
Matthew 16 is a significant chapter in the Gospel,
where Jesus reveals key truths about His mission and what it means to follow
Him. In this chapter, Jesus predicts His suffering and death, teaching His
disciples about the cost of discipleship. Matthew 16:24 focuses on the call to
deny oneself, take up one’s cross, and follow Jesus. This verse
sets the tone for the week’s theme, emphasising that accepting God’s gift of
salvation requires total surrender of our lives to Christ.
Be Encouraged
Surrendering
to Christ means giving up control and allowing Him to lead our lives. It’s not
an easy decision, as it requires us to put Jesus above everything else,
including our own desires and ambitions. Jesus made it clear that following Him
means denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). This involves
a willingness to let go of anything that hinders our relationship with Him,
even if it means losing friends, family ties, or financial security. The
apostle Paul understood this well when he said he had "suffered the loss
of all things" to "win Christ" (Philippians 3:8). Surrender is
not just a one-time decision; it’s a daily choice to follow Christ, no matter
the cost.
When we fully
surrender to Jesus, we find that what we gain is far greater than what we give
up. Salvation is a priceless gift, and the eternal rewards of following Christ
far outweigh any sacrifices we make in this life (Romans 8:18). Jesus
encourages us to count the cost of discipleship, but He also assures us that
the value of eternal life makes our part in salvation seem very small (Luke
14:25-33). The question we must ask ourselves is not how much we are giving up,
but how much we are willing to surrender to the One who gave everything for us.
True surrender to Jesus means trusting Him completely with our lives and
following Him wherever He leads.
Application
The call to
surrender is a call to put Christ first in everything. As you reflect on
today’s meditation, consider the areas of your life that you may be holding
back from God. Jesus said, "He who
loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew
10:37). True discipleship requires that we love Jesus more than anything else.
Take time today to recommit your life to Him, trusting that His plans for you
are far better than anything you could imagine.
Invitation
If you have
not yet committed your life to Christ, I invite you to take that step today.
Visit any nearby Church of Christ, where you can learn more about how to obey
the gospel and surrender your life to Jesus. Through faith (Hebrews 11:6),
repentance from sin (Acts 2:38; 17:30-31), and baptism for the forgiveness of
all past sins and your salvation (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38), you can receive the
gift of salvation. The Lord will add you to His church, where you can continue
to grow in your faith and follow His commandments (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:47).
Do not delay—accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour today and experience the
peace and joy that come from living a life surrendered to Him. Share this
message with your loved ones so they too can know the blessing of following
Christ.
Concluding Prayer
Father, I thank You for the gift of
salvation and for the reminder that following Jesus means surrendering my all.
Help me to trust in Your will and to follow You daily, even when it’s
difficult. Thank You for the assurance that what I gain in Christ is far
greater than anything I could lose. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
May the Lord
bless your day.
Theodore J. Quist
Evangelist
Church of
Christ
Abokobi -
Accra
Ghana
Comments