THE ABIDING IN JESUS SERIES- DAY TWO

Surrender to the Savior

On my last writing, I posed the question, “ How does one go about abiding in the Lord” and how do we accomplish staying connected to “The Vine” in the tumultuous days in which we live? However, the better question to begin with is how do we know that we are indeed a “part of the Vine”

In scripture, we find my favorite story of the little man known as Zacchaeus in Luke 19, verses 1-11. Here, we see the total transformation of this tax collector as Jesus calls him down from his lofty perch and makes him his host for the evening meal. The Pharisees and others grumble in contention that Jesus would have anything to do with such a sinner…. and Christ’s simple response, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he is also a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost!” But notice in the verses just before Christ’s declaration of his life’s mission, Zacchaeus says, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will repay it fourfold.” It is in this declaration of this little man that we see a new heart born, filled with the love of God. It is that transformation that seals the deal and ushers Zacchaeus into a new relationship with the Lord of heaven and earth.

And the same must be true for you and me; before we can seek …before we can be offered  salvation…we must SURRENDER TO THE SAVIOR!!!! If we TRULY want to abide in the Son, we must first surrender our will to him…life can no longer revolve around what you or I want …it must revolve, evolve and involve the statement that Christ made on the doorstep of the home of this horrid little man that everyone despised…. WE MUST SURRENDER TO HIM so that we can seek and save those that are lost through the power, guidance and conviction of the Holy Spirit!

Zacchaeus provides the perfect role model as he demonstrated submission to Jesus; he gave half of his wealth to the poor and sought to right the wrongs of his past. In other words, he repented and sought to live a new and better life. The same holds true for you and me. If we confess to belong to Jesus and truly seek to abide in Him, we cannot cling to our “old” ways, habits, shortcomings and idiosyncrasies…we must repent and refurbish the old life with the new indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is vital to anyone that wants to abide in Jesus.

So, today cast aside all the things that would keep you from complete surrender to Christ and begin ANEW in the freshness of the Savior…. listen for His voice, sing a new song, read His word and know that wherever you go, HE GOES…. so choose wisely!

Jesus came to seek and to save and if you will surrender your will to Him in a new and resolute way, you will be taking the first step to a new realm of personal intimacy with Jesus…. the life lived in abiding joy, peace and eternal fulfillment. Come back tomorrow as we continue to learn how to draw close to Him…

Living in surrender…seeking the lost for the Savior,

WPQ

 

Poem for the Day:

You may attempt to persuade another

To change their point of view;

But nothing speaks more plainly than

What Christ has done in you.

So if another’s lifestyle

You are hoping to rearrange....

You must testify how the Father’s love

Can make an everlasting change.

So seek to live a godly life;

Be a Beacon in the darkest night.

For those who call Jesus... LORD,

Will be His Salt & Light!

 

WPQ© March 2018