Post by Shepherd on Nov 1, 2008 9:50:26 GMT -6
56 UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER (Great)
JAMES 4:7b..”Submit yourselves unto God.”
This advice should not need much pressing. It is what angels do, what kings and prophets have done, what the best of men delight in—there is therefore no dishonor nor sorrow in so doing.
All nature is submissive to His laws; suns and stars yield to His command, we shall be but in harmony with the universe in willingly bowing to His way.
You must do it whether you are willing to do so or not. Who can stand out against the Lord?
Submit yourselves unto God is a precept which to thoughtful men is a plain dictate of reason, and it needs few arguments to support it.
Yet because of our foolishness the text enforces it by a Therefore, which is to be found in the previous verse.
“He risisteth the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore unto God.” His wrath and His mercy both argue for submission. He aims all His arrows at the lofty, and turns the edge of His sword against the stubborn; but the moment He sees signs of submission His pity comes to the front, and through the merits of His Son His abounding mercy forgives the fault.
Is not this an excellent reason for submission?
I. TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
He is your God, your Father, your friend, yield yourselves to Him. What does this counsel mean
It means, first, exercise humility. The right position of a Christian is to walk with lowly humility before God, and with meekness towards his fellow Christians.
Let us next observe that our text bears second meaning, namely, that of submission to the Divine will—that of course would strike you in the wording of the verse. Be willing to accept whatever God appoints. It is a happy thing when the mind is brought to submit to all the chastisements of God, and to acquiesce in all the trials of His providence. Knowing as we do that all these things work together for our good, and that we never endure a smart more than our heavenly Father knows to be needful, we are bound to submit ourselves cheerfully to all that He appoints. Though no trial for the present is joyous, but grievous, yet ought we to resign ourselves to it because of its after results.
It means also obedience. Do not merely passively lie back and yield to the necessities of the position, but gird up the loins of your mind, and manifest a voluntary and active submission to your great Lord. It is not ours to question, that were to become masters; but ours it is to obey without questioning, even as soldiers do. Submission to our Lord and Savior will be manifested, by ready obedience; delays are essentially insubordination.
Submit yourselves unto God, by yielding your hearts to the motions of the Divine Spirit; by being impressible, sensitive, and easily affected. The Spirit of God has hard work with many Christians to lead them in the right way; they are as the horse and the mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle. Oh, to be rendered sensitive by the Spirit of God, and we can be made so by submitting ourselves entirely by His will.
II. I desire now to address myself to those who are not saved, but has a desire to be.
You tell me that you have been anxious about your soul for sometime, but have made no headway. It is very possible that the reason is this, that you have not submitted yourself to God; you are trying to do when the best thing would be to cease from yourself and drop into the hand of the Savior who is able to save you, though you cannot save yourself.
Well, first, submit thyself, if thou would be saved, to the word of God. Believe it to be true. Believing it to be true, yield thyself to its forces.
Yield thyself, next to your conscience. If conscience upbraid thee, feel its upbraiding and heed its rebuke. It is your best friend; faithful are its friendly wounds, but the kisses of a flattering enemy are deceitful.
God also sends many messengers. To some of you He has sent the tenderest of monitors. Hearken to their admonitions and regard their kind warnings for they mean good to your soul. Remember, God has other messengers whom He will send if these loving one do not suffice. He will soon send the a sterner summons. Be not so foolish as to provoke Him so to do..
Moreover, submit yourselves to God, since He has, perhaps, already sent His messengers in sterner shapes to you. It was but a few days ago that you lost your old friend. Is there no voice from the new-made grave to you? Methinks your friend in his sudden end was a warning to you to be ready for the like departure. You have also yourself suffered from premonitory symptoms of sickness; perhaps you have actually been sick, and been made to lie where your only prospect was eternity; a dread eternity, how surely yours. I charge you, hear the voice of these providence; listen to these solemn calls.
Above all, I pray you submit yourselves, if you are conscious of such things to the whispers of God’s Holy Ghost. Submit yourselves to God. If you ask me again, “In what respect am I to submit myself.”
I answer first submit yourself by confessing your sin. Condemn yourself and you shall not be condemned. Confess the indictment to be true, for true it is, and to deny it is to seal your doom. Next honor the law which condemns you. The law is holy, and just, and good.
Next own the justice of the penalty. Confess with thy heart, if my soul were sent to hell it is no more than I deserve , It will go well with you when you make a full capitulation, and unconditional surrender. You will find grace in the sight of the Lord if you will do this.
Furthermore, submit yourself to God’s way of saving you. Now God’s way of saving you is by His grace, not by your merits; by the blood of Jesus, not by your tears and suffering. He bids you trust His son Jesus; will you do so or not. If you will not, there is no hope for you; if you will, you are saved the moment that you believe and repent---saved from the guilt of sin by trusting Jesus.
You must also surrender yourself at discretion to His method of operation upon you. He tells us plainly, If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved.
Lord I believe. (James)
JAMES 4:7b..”Submit yourselves unto God.”
This advice should not need much pressing. It is what angels do, what kings and prophets have done, what the best of men delight in—there is therefore no dishonor nor sorrow in so doing.
All nature is submissive to His laws; suns and stars yield to His command, we shall be but in harmony with the universe in willingly bowing to His way.
You must do it whether you are willing to do so or not. Who can stand out against the Lord?
Submit yourselves unto God is a precept which to thoughtful men is a plain dictate of reason, and it needs few arguments to support it.
Yet because of our foolishness the text enforces it by a Therefore, which is to be found in the previous verse.
“He risisteth the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore unto God.” His wrath and His mercy both argue for submission. He aims all His arrows at the lofty, and turns the edge of His sword against the stubborn; but the moment He sees signs of submission His pity comes to the front, and through the merits of His Son His abounding mercy forgives the fault.
Is not this an excellent reason for submission?
I. TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
He is your God, your Father, your friend, yield yourselves to Him. What does this counsel mean
It means, first, exercise humility. The right position of a Christian is to walk with lowly humility before God, and with meekness towards his fellow Christians.
Let us next observe that our text bears second meaning, namely, that of submission to the Divine will—that of course would strike you in the wording of the verse. Be willing to accept whatever God appoints. It is a happy thing when the mind is brought to submit to all the chastisements of God, and to acquiesce in all the trials of His providence. Knowing as we do that all these things work together for our good, and that we never endure a smart more than our heavenly Father knows to be needful, we are bound to submit ourselves cheerfully to all that He appoints. Though no trial for the present is joyous, but grievous, yet ought we to resign ourselves to it because of its after results.
It means also obedience. Do not merely passively lie back and yield to the necessities of the position, but gird up the loins of your mind, and manifest a voluntary and active submission to your great Lord. It is not ours to question, that were to become masters; but ours it is to obey without questioning, even as soldiers do. Submission to our Lord and Savior will be manifested, by ready obedience; delays are essentially insubordination.
Submit yourselves unto God, by yielding your hearts to the motions of the Divine Spirit; by being impressible, sensitive, and easily affected. The Spirit of God has hard work with many Christians to lead them in the right way; they are as the horse and the mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle. Oh, to be rendered sensitive by the Spirit of God, and we can be made so by submitting ourselves entirely by His will.
II. I desire now to address myself to those who are not saved, but has a desire to be.
You tell me that you have been anxious about your soul for sometime, but have made no headway. It is very possible that the reason is this, that you have not submitted yourself to God; you are trying to do when the best thing would be to cease from yourself and drop into the hand of the Savior who is able to save you, though you cannot save yourself.
Well, first, submit thyself, if thou would be saved, to the word of God. Believe it to be true. Believing it to be true, yield thyself to its forces.
Yield thyself, next to your conscience. If conscience upbraid thee, feel its upbraiding and heed its rebuke. It is your best friend; faithful are its friendly wounds, but the kisses of a flattering enemy are deceitful.
God also sends many messengers. To some of you He has sent the tenderest of monitors. Hearken to their admonitions and regard their kind warnings for they mean good to your soul. Remember, God has other messengers whom He will send if these loving one do not suffice. He will soon send the a sterner summons. Be not so foolish as to provoke Him so to do..
Moreover, submit yourselves to God, since He has, perhaps, already sent His messengers in sterner shapes to you. It was but a few days ago that you lost your old friend. Is there no voice from the new-made grave to you? Methinks your friend in his sudden end was a warning to you to be ready for the like departure. You have also yourself suffered from premonitory symptoms of sickness; perhaps you have actually been sick, and been made to lie where your only prospect was eternity; a dread eternity, how surely yours. I charge you, hear the voice of these providence; listen to these solemn calls.
Above all, I pray you submit yourselves, if you are conscious of such things to the whispers of God’s Holy Ghost. Submit yourselves to God. If you ask me again, “In what respect am I to submit myself.”
I answer first submit yourself by confessing your sin. Condemn yourself and you shall not be condemned. Confess the indictment to be true, for true it is, and to deny it is to seal your doom. Next honor the law which condemns you. The law is holy, and just, and good.
Next own the justice of the penalty. Confess with thy heart, if my soul were sent to hell it is no more than I deserve , It will go well with you when you make a full capitulation, and unconditional surrender. You will find grace in the sight of the Lord if you will do this.
Furthermore, submit yourself to God’s way of saving you. Now God’s way of saving you is by His grace, not by your merits; by the blood of Jesus, not by your tears and suffering. He bids you trust His son Jesus; will you do so or not. If you will not, there is no hope for you; if you will, you are saved the moment that you believe and repent---saved from the guilt of sin by trusting Jesus.
You must also surrender yourself at discretion to His method of operation upon you. He tells us plainly, If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved.
Lord I believe. (James)
