<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Amazing Facts

Joe Crews

Surrender of Self

Our Constitution guarantees certain inalienable rights to every citizen with liberty to choose. Americans enjoy the fullest freedom of any people in the world, but what do we choose? I'll be back in a moment with the amazing facts about free will and danger. Hello, this is Joe Cruz and the amazing facts, broadcast facts which affect you. You know, some people are amazed by the unqualified promises contained in the Bible. They can't seem to believe that God really means what he says in the scripture. Is there some hidden reservation perhaps or some secret meaning and the assurances of God? Some people are really frightened by the book of Romans. Do you know why? Because it describes the perfect work that God wants to do in sanctifying his people from their sins, and many people are afraid of that word perfect. They're afraid God will ask them to do something that they really don't want to do are more than they're willing to do, but let's get this straight right now. Friends, God will do nothing for us that we're not willing for him to do for us. Now, here's where the great problem arises. Of course, many people have never been reconciled to having themselves removed from the enjoyment of their sins, and that's a fact. They're not willing to give up the pleasures of the flesh and the world. Let me ask you something right here. Are you prepared to take all the results of a complete surrender of your will to God? Are you resigned to the stripping away of all your darling indulgences and the mortifying of every fleshly evil in your experience? Let me tell you something, friends. The only reason we're not perfectly loosed from all arby setting sins is because we don't want to give them up or else we don't think that it can be done in our case. Now, if you're not willing, of course that's your problem, but seeing it done is God's part alone. You must be willing, but you can never be able to do it for yourself. Of course, I want us to consider in today's broadcast these two great mental blocks that have stolen away the victory from so many of God's people. We must be willing before God can forgive us or before he can sanctify us either. You see, self is the greatest enemy we face. Our own will is the only natural weapon we have to fight against the devil with. In fact, it's the only weapon God has placed in us by creation, by which we can overcome Satan. Listen, once we settle it with the old man of self who's always trying to rule over us, our victory is assured. I'll say something else. Also, friends, the only ultimate sin in the eyes of God is, and the only final factor that'll cause God to cast away a soul is to deliberately say no to God and to his will. In other words, everything depends on the decision of your will. You're not what you feel. You're not what you may do or be in a single act of your life. You can't always control your emotions, but you can control the will. You are what you will to be. Feelings have nothing to do with the truth of God. It's not your feelings or your emotions that make you a child of God, but the doing of God's will. Now, perhaps you didn't feel well this morning when you woke up. If you should be very honest, perhaps many would say, well, you're right. I wasn't feeling very well at all. But does this change the fact that God loves you and that he died for you? Some can feel good during certain revival meetings. The songs and the sermons seem to fill them with joyful emotions and a lot of peace. But listen, those who are saved will live every day, not by emotion or feeling, but by the reveal will of God. Now, it's inevitable that your will and God's will should come into collision. You must either let him have his way or else take your own course and follow your own will. This is the only reason for a person losing out or holding back. He just wants to do his own way instead of God's. Oh, yes, people may give you many excuses for their reluctance, reluctance to follow Christ. They may tell you they have doubts about the Bible or they don't want to give up certain things in their life, but really friends. The fact is that God wants something that self is not willing to surrender. Multitudes are outside the will of God and out of the church today because they're not willing to give up something that they love more than they love God. Thousands inside the church are unhappy because something in the life has been fighting against the will of God for years. What I'm trying to say is this. To be a Christian requires surrender. I think of Paul as an example of submission and resignation to the perfect will of God. You remember when he was going to Jerusalem sailing by Shep and stopping at certain ports along the way to meet his friends? Of course, there was grave danger waiting for him as he attended that feast in Jerusalem and Paul knew it and so did his friends, and they tried to persuade him or dissuade him at every port. In fact, at Mati, the elders met him on the sands of the shore and wept and prayed with him about that journey to Jerusalem, and then he came to COOs and roads and tire and once more men and women pleaded with him to turn back and Paul had to face that question, should he be persuaded by man or should he follow the will of God in his life? He persevered and continued to set his face toward Jerusalem, and when people saw his courage and his determination, according to Acts 24, verse 14, they ceased saying the will of the Lord be done. They bowed their heads to the plan of God and in that defeat they found victory. Now concerning God friends, surrender is always the moment of greatest victory. Do you remember the time when your desire and God's will met in fearful conflict? Do you recall the struggle of your soul when the self life was trying to overcome your will? You resisted, of course, a fearful battle took place. You agonized with God. You prayed over that terrible struggle of will. You wrestled with God, but finally you surrendered and great peace came in. The battle was over. The victory was yours simply because you had surrendered your will and become willing for God to give the victory. You see, friends, you didn't get the victory by struggle. You didn't drive back the devil because you were stronger than he was. Your battle was with self, and when you became willing, God gave you the victory. Do you remember the text in one Corinthians 1557, but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and then that other text the words of Jesus when he said, how often would I have gathered you as a mother hen gathers are chicks and ye would not now notice those words, you would not. Your will did not yield. Now listen, it may sound foolish, but it's very true. Nevertheless, before you can have, you must give away. Before you can be full, you must be empty before you can live, you must die. It will seem like defeat, but actually it's glorious victory. Instead, I'm sure no one ever felt so defeated, so depressed, so beaten and cheated as 11 men did on that Friday night long ago. You see, Jesus had promised them the world they were going to rule a kingdom. Some were going to sit on the right and some on the left. Life would be marvelous for them. They were important now and they were gonna serve in God's glorious kingdom over this earth and then suddenly Christ is arrested, tortured and crucified. Oh, we will never feel as they felt then. No, not even crippling disease or financial failure or the desertion of friends or the death of loved ones are injustice of life. These things could never bring us as low as the cross brought those disciples of Jesus, the world had simply come to an end for them, but was it defeat friends? No. Indeed it was the most glorious victory that could ever be known. But now let's come back to this question of your sin and mine. We have to admit of course, that we're defeated from the start. The devil is stronger than we are and habits seem to bind us with chains in both heart and mind. We struggle and just exhaust ourselves and then somebody comes along and says, try harder, but friends are harder. We try the deeper we seem to sink into the Myers thin. Listen, there is no use in going to India's missionaries if that's the only message we have to carry them. Try harder. Those Hindu people know that better than we do and they're carrying it out better than we do. Also, most of them anyway, they're trying even more than we are. Do you know why trying will not break the chain of sin? Because sin is not just an act of the body. It's deeply embedded in the mind and in the subconscious. You know what I'm talking about. I'm sure you do because you've struggled with memories of sin and weakness. You've tried desperately to forget scenes of unfaithfulness in your past, but all your effort has ended with fatigue and utter failure. Do you know why? Because no man has the power to keep his mind under control. The thoughts and the imaginations of the heart are rooted in the very nature of man and that nature is carnal until Christ has end wealth of soul. I heard of an Indian, Indian sadu, our holy man who came into a village one day and claimed that he could make gold. He had a great water cauldron and brought out there and gathered the people to watch him. He began to stir the water and utter his sacred munros or prayers while he did it, and in the process of stirring, he slipped some nuggets of gold into the water. After it was finished, he poured off the water and lo and behold, there were the gold nuggets that he claimed he had created. The headman of that village was very enthusiastic about it and wanted to buy the secret for 500 rupees. At last. The holy man agreed to sell it to him, but he had this word of caution before taking his leave of the headman. He said, now here's the secret. You must never forget. You must concentrate on the gold and never once. Think of the red face monkey. If once you think of the red face monkey, the goal will never come. Well, of course you can imagine that the goal never came because the harder the man tried to forget that monkey, the more it seemed to fill his mind, spoiling his chances for the gold. Oh yes, your mind or inner self will defeat you every time. Now, it's always easier to deal with external actions and it is with internal dispositions. I think all of us can agree with that. Men may act correctly on the outside, but inwardly they may be at war with their own outward conduct. Now, Jesus says that such wars must ceased. There must be no conflict here. Our internal desires must be reconciled with our outward life and conduct. It's easy, of course, for the external things to be adjusted and the person may feel that he's arrived because he's been able to control his external actions. But friends, this could lead to to a great deal of self-righteousness. A man may drive 25 miles per hour in a restricted speed zone and yet be seething with the rebellion and anger inside. In other words, he may look very composed and law abiding on the outside, but on the inside he may be a a great sea of rebellion. You see, self is behind the angry battle that takes place there. The stubborn will has never yielded to the idea of obedience And it won't change the disposition of the soul. You see that stubborn will continues to fight and the greatest desperate need of Christians lies right there within the realm of that will. We can try to our last breath, but it will not change that disposition. We can't alter and adjust our attitude until the will is resigned to that change. By trying so hard, we can slow down to the 25 mile per per hour in the speed's zone, but all the trying in the world will not sweeten the heart and make it submissive to do that thing. The Bible says if you be willing and obedience, you shall eat the good of the land, Isaiah one 18 and 19. So there must be willingness as well as obedience. No friends we're lost. If we must depend only on trying harder and struggling longer, time will only make a young center into an old center. Finally, we must give up and admit our failure and confess that we can't do it alone, and when we do that, it's the beginning of victory. In John 15, five, we read, for without me, ye can do nothing. But then again in Philippians four 13, it says, I can do all things through Christ, which strengthen me. You've been listening to a Joe Cruz Classic produced by Amazing Facts Ministries. If you enjoyed today's presentation, you'll want our free companion booklet called It's Still There. You'll enjoy this easy to understand scripture packed lesson on God's offers of peace, freedom, joy, and everlasting life in a place far better than this world. Ask for this free offer when you call us toll free at eight seventy seven Joe Cruz. That's 8 77 Joe Cruz and ask for the free booklet called It's Still There. It's a great follow up to today's presentation. Oh, and by the way, you can find out more about amazing facts and discover more free Bible study resources at our website@amazingfax.org. Until next time, remember this amazing fact. Jesus loves you.

Back to Menu

Surrender of Self

Sponsor

Recorded

Sound Doctrine