Jesus said He will say to many, "I never knew you. Go away from me, you workers of iniquity." I mentioned this in a post one time. I said, it looks like you could spend your whole life totally dedicated to God and end up in hell. A guy responded, 'that's only if you try to serve God on your own terms, like Cain.' Another friend of mine has told me that I have to get saved on GOD'S terms, not mine. My terms vs. God's terms. So...what are God's terms? Well, I understand one of them to be "total surrender." But I look at "total surrender" negatively. Doesn't "total surrender" to God mean "being unbearably squashed" by God?
Doesn't "total surrender" equal "being unbearably squashed?"
- Thread starter Bob8102
- Start date
- Aug 14, 2019
- 9,081
- 8,284
- Country
- Australia
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Divorced
Absolutely not. We were created by God, for God, so that we could be family. God is not like human parents. He never makes mistakes. He knows exactly what is best for us. "Total surrender" = total freedom to be the person that you really want to be deep down. People "totally surrender" in all kinds of situations. Would you set about telling a surgeon how to operate on you? How about taking the controls of an A 380 as it was about to land?
Surrender is an attitude of heart. God leads us in our inner man, the spirit. God asks us to go by the inner witness, not just reason or logic. Sometimes God's will clashes with what we want. When we choose to go God's way, we will find out that God's ways are infinitely better. When we go our own way, we will find out why we should have chosen God's way! Most Christians learn by experience, often in mundane things. I bought a car years ago. It seemed perfect. It turned out to be an expensive lemon. The next time I had to buy a car, I prayed first. It was the same model as the lemon but it never let me down in the 5 years I owned it.
Upvote
0
- Mar 10, 2017
- 8,278
- 4,678
- 68
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Married
So just what are you putting your trust/faith in?
Are you trusting in your ability to impress God with your holiness, goodworks, religous livestyle or are you humble enough to say, I am sorry God, please forgive me and help me to serve/follow you.
Upvote
0
Gordon Wright
Newbie
It seems to me to be a straightforward rebuke of legalism and religious posturing. Don't try to name-drop or brown-nose God.
Upvote
0
Thanks for your responses. After I posted the above, I concentrated for a few hours on asking Jesus to help me surrender totally to him, now knowing that total surrender is NOT being unbearably squashed. After a few hours of trying my hardest to surrender to Him, I finally got the impression I had succeeded. I wrapped up those hours of struggle (during which I continually felt on the VERGE of truly surrendering/giving Him my life) with a simple statement quoted from a Bible tract: "Thank You for coming in to my life by faith." Then, I could continue with my day.
Because I have OCD, I know doubts will be relentless, as they have been for years of trying to give my life to Him. It's not just that OCD generates doubt/anxiety out of thin air. The OCDoubt typically coincides with me having the impression that I am not surrendered at a particular moment. That turns the "false" alarm into a REAL alarm. My faith waivers. I am trying to realize that though that is so, HE does not waiver; His hold on us does not loosen.
Because I have OCD, I know doubts will be relentless, as they have been for years of trying to give my life to Him. It's not just that OCD generates doubt/anxiety out of thin air. The OCDoubt typically coincides with me having the impression that I am not surrendered at a particular moment. That turns the "false" alarm into a REAL alarm. My faith waivers. I am trying to realize that though that is so, HE does not waiver; His hold on us does not loosen.
Upvote
0
Similar threads
