Surrender is a powerful transformational journey of trust, humility, and obedience. By following Christ’s example of complete surrender, we find freedom and joy.
Christ’s Surrender
In the garden of Gethsemane, Christ surrendered to God’s plan of redemption. His obedience defines self-giving love.
Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done. ~Luke 22:42 AMP
Jesus Christ emptied Himself on the Cross for us, which makes Him the purest example of humility and selflessness.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ~Philippians 2:5-8 NASB
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Christ’s Call to Surrender
Jesus modeled a surrendered life; yet He calls us to follow Him daily by yielding our will to Him.
If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. ~Luke 9:23 WEB
He promises to exchange our burdens, weariness, and anxiety for rest and peace.
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. ~Matthew 11:28 AMP
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. ~John 14:27 NASB
We are hidden with Christ.
If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. ~Colossians 3:1-3 AMPC
We are dependent on Him for life and fruitfulness.
For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]. ~Acts 17:28a AMP
I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ~John 15:5 WEB
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Paul’s Call to be a Living Sacrifice
Paul appeals to believers to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. This calls us to offer our entire being to God.
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.
And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. ~Romans 12:1-2 AMP
Paul lived by this principle: surrendering to Christ and making room for Christ to live through him. Paul shows how dying to self and letting the Holy Spirit live through us brings true freedom in Christ.
And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ~Romans 6:13 NASB
For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ~Romans 8:13 NASB
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5 Ways to Cultivate Surrender
We need to let go of the perception that we are in control.
As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all. ~Ecclesiastes 11:5 WEB
Come now, you who say ‘Today or tomorrow let’s go into this city and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.’ Yet you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. For you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.’ ~James 4:13-15 WEB
We need to give our hearts to God. When we yield every part of our lives to God, we discover joy.
Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare Your praise. For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. you have no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, You will not despise a broken and contrite heart. ~Psalm 51:15-17 WEB
Surrender is acknowledging that we are not in control. When we let go of control, it opens the door for God to reveal Himself to us.
And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it]. ~2 John 1:6 AMPC
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One: Recognize God’s Sovereignty
We can cultivate surrender by recognizing God’s sovereignty over heaven and earth.
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! ~Psalm 95:6 ESV
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB
Trust His timing, direction, and plan. Surrender aligns with God’s purposes.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
And when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way. Walk in it.’ ~Isaiah 30:21 WEB
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him also and He will do it. ~Psalm 37:5 AMP
We can cultivate surrender by recognizing God’s sovereignty, majesty, and authority.
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Two: Surrender Anxiety, Worry, and Fear
We can cultivate surrender by giving God our anxieties, worries, and fears.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your worries on Him, because He cares for you. ~1 Peter 5:6-7 WEB
Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. ~Philippians 4:6 AMP
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. ~1 John 4:18 WEB
And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. ~Galatians 5:24 AMPC
When we give God our anxiety and worry, He gives us His perfect and constant peace.
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. ~Isaiah 26:3 AMPC
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:7 WEB
We cultivate surrender by giving God our anxiety, worry, and fear and, in exchange, receiving His peace, which guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
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Three: Seek God’s Will
We cultivate surrender by seeking God’s will.
Let your Kingdom come. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ~Matthew 6:10 WEB
Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. Don’t quench the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 WEB
Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. ~Psalm 143:10 WEB
If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with Him in glory. ~Colossians 3:1-3 WEB
We can cultivate surrender by seeking God’s will, rejoicing, praying, giving thanks, holding firmly to what is good, refusing evil, setting our minds on things above, and remaining hidden in Christ.
Four: Trust God’s Character and Plan
We can cultivate surrender by trusting God.
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him [Christ], since He always lives to make intercession for them. ~Hebrews 7:25 NASB
I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. ~Galatians 2:20 AMPC
We can cultivate surrender by trusting God and allowing Him to direct our paths. We can trust that He will give us insight and understanding because Christ intercedes for us.
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Five: Cultivate Humility and Gratitude
We can cultivate surrender through humility and gratefulness.
Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]. ~James 4:10 AMP
Be filled with the Spirit. ~Ephesians 5:18b WEB
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ~Psalm 51:10 ESV
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. ~1 Peter 5:6-7 AMP
Humility is surrendering our lives to Christ.
For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]. ~Philippians 1:21 AMPC
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. ~2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV
For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord, If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ~Romans 14:8 WEB
Surrender allows the transformational power of God’s Spirit within us as He gives us a new heart and a new spirit.
I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. ~Exodus 36:26 WEB
But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].’ ~James 4:6 AMP
We cultivate surrender by recognizing God’s sovereignty; giving God our anxiety, worry, and fear; seeking God’s will; trusting God’s character and plan; and cultivating humility and gratitude.
We surrender our old life, which leads to death, for His gift of new life in Christ. We exchange chaos for peace, confusion for purpose, control for trust, and fear for faith and love.
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Prayer
Lord, thank you for the transformational power of surrender in Christ’s life, in Christ’s call to us, and Your call for us to be a living sacrifice.
Lord, we confess that You are sovereign and glorious! We give You our anxiety, worry, and fear, and receive Your love and peace in their place. We choose to seek Your will, and trust Your character, plans, and purposes. We humble ourselves before You, surrender our life to Christ, and receive Your gift of a new heart and a new spirit.
Lord, we know that it is “from You and through You and to You are all things. To You be the glory forever. Amen.”1
Question for Reflection
What would it look like, this week, to begin each day offering yourself as a “living sacrifice,” and what is one small act of obedience that reflects your heart of surrender to Him?
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References
1 Romans 11:36 NASB
Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV text edition: 2016. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995), copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.
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