Unconditional Surrender

When we think about unconditional surrender, it is usually associated with the ending of a war or conflict between two or more countries.

In our nation’s history, we have been engaged in disputes that culminated in war. The Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.

After fighting for some time against one another countries, or sides, realized the time has come to declare peace rather than continuing to fight against one another.

In most cases the two sides reach an agreement of that demands – not just an end to the fighting – but an unconditional surrender on the part of both sides.

For example, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee finally reached an agreement to end the Civil War; Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were instrumental in establishing peace after WWII.

How does establishing peace among nations apply to our lives today as we live as Christians?

We are in a battle constantly with Satan and the evil he promotes in this world.

His battle is against Jesus.

Jesus has established the terms of surrender. Actually, I believe we can truthfully say that there is only one term of surrender --- that term is: unconditional surrender to the Power of God.

And, because we have read the back of the Book, we know that without a

doubt, Satan loses --- Jesus wins unconditional surrender by Satan.

Satan is defeated. The war is over. Jesus Christ is victorious!

That seems to be the end of the story, but there is more we need to understand about this surrender.

1.   Why does Jesus have the right to demand unconditional surrender from us?

He has that right because of Who He Is.

          Matthew 28:18 tells us that He has all authority.

          Matthew 17:5 – we have word directly from God who said, “This is My Son, Listen to Him!’

          Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 1:17-18 – Jesus tells us He is the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning and the End; He is the First and the Last.

          Peter tells us that “angels, authorities and powers are made to be subjects to Him.”

2.   What does our unconditional surrender look like or include?

It is a surrender of our own will.

3.   How is this unconditional surrender accomplished?

4.   What is the outcome of unconditional surrender?

And what is more, He has the right do demand unconditional surrender from us because He has paid the price for us --- He has experienced death for each one of us – Hebrews 2:9

Let’s take a look at this unconditional Surrender. What does it involve? What does it require?

First, it is a surrender of our WILL.

Our will be surrendered when we can pray to God as is stated in what we refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer” --- “Your will be done.” Not “Your will be done, but I think I have better solution.”

David, in the Old Testament, was one whom God delighted in because he was a man that God was “a man after my own heart, who will do all of My will.”

Surrender to God’s will requires a renewing of our minds – Romans 12:2 – “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Secondly, it is a surrender of our TIME.

Romans 13:11 – “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now, salvation is nearer to us than when we believe.”

Speaking of time, so many people resist accepting salvation because they believe that they have so much time. They don’t want to waste that time being restricted in how they live their lives.

It is so sad, that that excuse is so off course. In reality, when we are in Christ, we are free-er that we could ever be when we were bound by Satan and his lies.

Again, as Paul wrote to the church in Rome – the hour of His coming is nearer that we believe.

Thirdly, it is a surrender of our TALENTS.

In our minds when we hear the word “talents” we immediately think of the ability to perform. It may be a talent for singing, dancing, acting, public speaking, and so on.

But, in the Biblical perspective, talents mean something quite different.

Here is a definition of a talent as used in Scripture: “A weight used both for ordinary commodities and for the precious metals, but of different standards in the respective cases; the value of the talent of gold was nearly $30,000; and the value of a talent of silver was about $1,950.

The account is told of a man who went on a journey and left two sacks of valuable wheat with his two neighbors. One neighbor put the wheat in his attic where the rats ate it. The other neighbor planted the wheat.

When the man returned he saw the field of waving grain.

One man wasted his talent while the other used his talent to produce more talents.

Surrender also includes friendship with the world.

Hear what John writes concerning friendship with the world  in 1 John 2:15:

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

James, in his letter, (4:4) calls anyone who loves the world, an adulteress, calling it hostility toward God. One who is friends of the world, is and enemy of God.

Here is where it gets more challenging for us -- when Jesus speaks in Matthew 10:34-38 – paraphrased: “If you love your father or mother more than Me, you are not worthy of Me.”

Now, obviously, Jesus is not teaching us to hate our parents.

But what He is teaching is that unless we have completely committed our life to Christ and paid a price, we cannot lean on or boast about our commitment to Him.

Paul gives us a very pointed view of what life changes at our surrender to Christ involves –

Philippians 3:7-11

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

What is it that prevents so many people from obeying the Gospel and surrendering their lives to Christ through the Biblical pattern?

Sin, selfishness, and outright stubbornness, prevents many people from surrendering to Christ.

Surrender -  the surrender of our flesh takes place in the act of baptism.

Here we bury the old man (that is sin).

When baptism is not seen as a requirement for salvation, the surrender is not complete.

To refuse baptism, or to just view baptism as a required ritual of a manmade church is ignoring its power and purpose of washing away of sin; To refuse or omit baptism, would be a refusal of complete submission to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

The surrender of self is found in unselfish service – service both to our Lord Jesus Christ, and also in unselfish service to all who know Him.