Dear Ones:
Is it difficult to surrender one’s life to Christ? No. It is impossible…that is, without the grace and intervention of God. This is why Nicodemus was so astounded at the declaration by Jesus, that a man must be born again, born of the Spirit, to enter the kingdom of God. No amount of learning, even religious teaching, or any “resource,” capacity, or credentials of man, can get him into heaven. Only by an act of God can one come to Christ, and surrender to Him. What then does it mean to believe in Christ, to surrender to Him?
In one of Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymns, she writes:, “Take my life, and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee.” In one of the great French hymns, we read: “Accepte mon offrande, Bien-aime Fils de Dieu. Et que sur moi descende, la Flame du saint lieu.” The translation: “Accept my offering, beloved Son of God. And may there descend upon me the flame (the Holy Spirit) from the holy place.” In both of these hymns, the same concept is revealed to us, that of appealing to God to “take,” and “accept” me as I am. It is the appeal of the heart to BE Christ’s, and this forever. For this, there must be the true, and sincere cry of the heart to God. But also, the belief that the Lord Jesus is waiting to respond, and that He will. Paul wrote: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
The evidence of faith in Christ is the surrender of the heart and life to Him. In that surrender, there is the opening up of the heart to the sunshine of Christ’s light. There is the trusting Him to thoroughly forgive and cleanse from all sin. And there is the trusting in Him to literally, by the Spirit, come into the heart. (Rev. 3:20) Havergal and the French composer, were like so very many through the years, who have come just as they were to Christ. They were empty, lost, without resource. They only knew that their need could be met solely by God, and they were willing to call upon Him with their whole heart to that end.
You will remember in the gospels that there is the story of a woman who had been very ill, and had spent all of her money on physicians, but to no avail. She was at the end of “her” resources. There came a day when a crowd was surrounding Jesus, certainly a good many of them were touching Jesus. But this woman was particular. Because of what she had heard of Christ, perhaps even after hearing Him speak, she KNEW that if she could quietly slip through the crowd unnoticed, and just touch the hem of his garment, she would be healed. She did, and she was. Jesus’ response to her was this: “Daughter, thy faith hath made whole; go in peace, and be whole (healed ) of thy plague.” (Mark 5:34) Such is an example of a single heart, who in the midst of a crowd, meant to meet God, to touch the very hem of His garment. She, that day, surrendered all to Him, for all of her hope was in that moment of meeting.
Lord Jesus, Thou who dost take us as we are, wherever we may be, cleanse our hearts and fill us with Thy Spirit. Grant that this day, we may, in a very real way, touch the hem of Thy garment, perhaps for the first time. And may we hear Thy voice saying, “Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” In Thy name, Amen.
Love, Dad
EXPECTANT FAITH 