The title to the Bible study is lifted from a song that we often sing, I surrender all, and even though we have sung it on numerous occasions, the time has come for us to take a deeper look at what surrender really means. Here is the meaning of the word:
Sur·ren·der: To cease resistance to an enemy or an opponent and submit to their authority.
According to the historical records surrender usually occurs because of some form of confrontation, or to avoid some confrontation. On sixth, August 1945, at 8:15 am local time, the United States detonated an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima.
Several hours later, Harry S. Truman again called for Japan's surrender, warning them to "expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth."
On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped the second atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki. And then on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito gave a recorded radio address across the Empire of Japan announcing the surrender of Japan to the Allies.
Again, O.J Simpson led the police on the wild 90- minute chase through L.A county as he tried to flee. There were news helicopters flying everywhere with the authorities in hot pursuit as they tried to get the runaway white Bronco, with its passengers to stop.
After Simpson arrived at his home there was a long standoff between himself and the cops, then, after he realized that he was boxed in, and there was no way of escape, he finally surrendered between 8:45 and 9:00 pm on June 17 1994 and he was taken into custody.
Again, the Confederate General Robert E. Lee saw fit to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. This then brought the civil war in Virginia to an end, because General Robert Lee and his men saw that they were outnumbered and cornered.
Thus, according to the characteristics of history, in most cases, surrender comes after confrontation or to avoid a confrontation. Also, the Scriptural records detail examples of surrender, when on occasions nations surrendered to other nations, when there was no other viable way out.
In some instances, those vulnerable nations or cities were besieged, their food supply was cut off, and if there was absolutely no way out and they remained hedged in on all sides for a while, then they would surrender to the invaders, as is manifested in the following example. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 24: 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
Surrender also occurs in the spiritual realm too, if a person desires to be saved, and at times it can also involve some sort of a confrontation with The Lord Jesus, before surrender occurs. Therefore, when we sing the song, “I surrender all” we should do so with the understanding.
When Jesus said to Peter, “When you are converted, strengthen thy brethren” Peter became offended that Jesus would express any doubts in regard to his faithfulness. And thus, Peter strongly remonstrated against the assessments Christ gave of him. Let’s read:
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fails not, and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren.
He then went into self-defense mode as he tried to show Jesus that He was wrong in His conclusion, for if this were true, then Christ was saying that there were latent tendencies in Peter’s character of which he knew nothing, which would be fanned into life at the opportune moment, by the prince of darkness.
This Peter could not brook, and it triggered a back and forth between himself and Christ, until Jesus had to let things come to a head. Even Jesus’ prayer for Peter could not stop the prophecy of Peter’s fall from occurring, because the human will would not surrender until there was a confrontation.
For Peter to swallow that thought, that he was not converted, even though he had been ordained, and sent out by Jesus to preach, and even though many sick were healed on their first missionary journey, was something he just couldn’t fathom. And now he finds himself having to defend his reputation by stern rebuttals to Christ’s assessments. Let’s read:
Luke 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Matthew 26: 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All you shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
33 Peter answered and said unto him, though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
And so said so done, for it was after Peter resorted to violence by confronting the high priest’s servant, only after he had cussed out the maid in public that he realized his wretchedness, and it was then that he surrendered, for the sacred record says that he went out and wept bitterly. Let’s read:
Matthew 26:69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, you also were with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
73 And after a while came unto him, they that stood by and said to Peter, surely you also are one of them for thy speech betrays.
74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
[The Desire of Ages pp 712] While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter’s lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Savior turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple.
At the same time Peter’s eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no anger there. The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like an arrow. Conscience was aroused. Memory was active.
He remembered his grief when the Savior told him in the upper chamber that he would deny his Lord thrice that same night. Peter had just declared that he knew not Jesus, but he now realized with bitter grief how well Jesus knew him, and how accurately He had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown even to himself.
Again, you have surrender taking place at the river of Jabbok where there was a confrontation between Jesus and Jacob. It is not often that you read in the Bible where Jesus would leave heaven, and travel all the way to earth, to have a confrontation with some individual. There must be a valid reason why Christ found it necessary to do this.
Jacob seemed to be hedged in with much difficulties on every side. It had become necessary for him to leave Laban who had deceived him twice, and also defrauded him ten times. And now, at the command of God he’s on His way back home when he gets bad news that his brother Esau is on his way, coming to meet him with four hundred soldiers in tow.
He finds himself between a rock and a hard place, with only bad choices before him, and as far as he could see, it is just a matter of time before there is some form of confrontation. The only problem is that this time, the confrontation would be coming from the most unlikely source.
Esau was not the problem, for God would restrain him from doing Jacob any harm. Similarly, the time of Jacob’s trouble in the future is not about satan, is not about the beast, nor is it about 666. The living righteous would have already been sealed, so there is nothing that men, or demons could do to change that fact. We will explain later. Let’s read:
As Jacob is left all alone in the darkness, by the river Jabbok, someone suddenly lays their hands on him, thus triggering a confrontation. Jacob does not yet know who it is, and so, he does what we as humans will most likely do in such a situation.
He springs into survival mode, because whoever the assailant may be, Jacob is not going down without a fight. And thus, the two of them duke it out all night until, just before daybreak, Jesus uses supernatural power to bring him to surrender. Therefore, before we proceed let us recap briefly, the meaning of the word surrender:
Sur·ren·der: To cease resistance to an enemy or an opponent and submit to their authority.
Now, God is not our enemy by any means, but there are times when because of deep seated sins, grave errors, or instances when we may have done wrong without realizing the seriousness of what was done, He has to confront us to save us.
Jacob’s sin of deception, in gaining the birthright by fraud, showed a profound lack of faith in God, and it led him to tell lies about God. Not only was this very serious in nature, but The Holy Spirit was also put in a very awkward position, of having to bless a man who had just told a series of lies. Let’s read:
Genesis 27:18 And he came unto his father, and said, my father: and he said, here am I; who art you, my son?
19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as you asked me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
20 And Isaac said unto his son, how is it that you have found it so quickly, my son? And he said, because the Lord thy God brought it to me.
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 180>181] He had sinned against his father, his brother, his own soul, and against God. Trembling with astonishment and distress, the blind old father learned the deception that had been practiced upon him.
While the words of blessing were upon his lips, he had felt the Spirit of inspiration upon him; and now, knowing all the circumstances, he ratified the benediction unwittingly pronounced upon Jacob: “I have blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed.”
Therefore, the gravity of his deed was now brought vividly before Jacob during this confrontation with Christ. He was forgiven, but the enormity of his sins, and the enormity of God’s grace towards him would lead him to understand what “I surrender all really means.” Let’s read:
Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
28 And he said, thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
[G.C pp 616] As the day begins to break the stranger puts forth his superhuman power; at his touch the strong man seems paralyzed and he falls, a helpless, weeping suppliant, upon the neck of his mysterious antagonist.
Jacob knows now that it is the angel of the covenant with whom he has been in conflict. Long has he endured perplexity, remorse, and trouble for his sin; now he must have the assurance that it is pardoned.
So, there are some questions persons will need to is address and answer: How does the Christian in our day surrender? What would it take for us to realize the sinfulness of our nature, and what does it take for us to realize the enormity of God’s grace? Would it require some form of confrontation? Will we, like Peter get deeply offended by Christ’s assessments of our spiritual condition?
For scriptural answers we must turn to the narrative of the uplifted serpent, whom Moses was instructed by God to erect, after many persons were bitten for the sin of complaining. As he lifted it up, The Lord told the people what they needed to do and anyone who followed the instruction would be healed. Let’s read:
Numbers 21:8 And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
The instruction is as simple as it gets, for all that was required of the people was to look, and they would live. Now, the natural thing to do if you were bitten would be to do something about it, and that’s okay, if what you do is what God says to do.
The Lord did not then ask the people for any help in the healing process, He didn’t require them to make to make assessments of the wounds, and they were not to attempt other healing, or remedial processes on their own, for all those would fail signally.
All He asked them to do was to look and by so doing they would signal their trust in Him. Thus, if you had to surrender your all in this situation, it would mean simply looking, and not attempting to do anything of your own or on your own to neutralize the sting of the serpent.
This is where many Christians often stumble in the process of surrendering, for it can be tough at times to believe that the healing, the cleansing, and the work of restoration is God’s work alone.
Thus, many individuals who were bitten refused to look, because they stumbled on the simplicity of the means whereby healing was to be realized. Even as the song says: “Just one look, that’s all it took” many lost their lives unnecessarily, by looking to self-help ways and means that were never recommended nor ordained of God.
To fully understand the concept of surrendering all, we must take a deeper dive into the issue, because the natural thing for the Christian to do is to focus heavily on what we must do. Even though it is a fact that cooperation is needed on our part, we need to understand that there is no cooperation without us looking.
The following narrative points out in the clearest terms what God does, and what we need to do in the surrendering process, and if we were to grasp the truth in the matter, we would realize that God has indeed made the process of surrender simple.
As we read, look for those things God will be doing and the things the recipient of the healing must do. What God does, and what the recipients of healing must do will be highlighted, and if we were to adopt the instruction given, we’ll discover that it is indeed possible to surrender all. Let’s read:
Zechariah 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
Most, if not all of satan’s accusations against Joshua and the Jews he represented were true even though he would exaggerate them in the grossest light, for he would not waste his time and God’s in bringing a false report.
It is noteworthy that Joshua does not even attempt to answer the charges brought against him, because he knows they are for the most part true. This is the sort of reckoning that we must address, because in our busy schedules, we may not realize how far we might have fallen, or how far your steps might have slipped.
Thus, God goes to work doing what He does best, as He embarks upon the work of healing and cleansing. He will also instruct Joshua and his people as to the part they are to play. Let’s follow it closely, for it will clear up some concerns many Christians have with the issue of surrender.
Zechariah 3:4 And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, let them set a fair miter upon his head. So, they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.
6 And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying,
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; if you will walk in my ways and if thou will keep my charge, then you shall also judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you places to walk among these that stand by.
The change of garments, the taking away of filthy raiment, and the removal of iniquity, all represent the righteousness of Jesus Christ that’s imputed and imparted to the believer, representing the healing we read of earlier, when persons were bitten by the serpents.
Then, the instructions: “If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge” represent the choice we make in cooperating with the work Jesus is doing in our hearts. But as far as actual healing and restoration goes, that work is God’s work alone, and He tells us how it is to be accomplished. Let’s read:
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spoke unto me saying, this is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Frustrations often come about as a result of trying to do God’s work for Him. When folks attempt to do God’s work, they might, at times meet with some semblance of success and this is because they know what is the right thing to do. But surrendering your all to Christ goes much deeper than merely knowing and doing the right thing.
When the Christian does that which is right from a mere knowledge of what is right, he will have some good days, but he will also have a lot of frustrating days, when he comes up short. And, furthermore, when he does have some good days, he will be in grave danger of feeling good about himself.
Peter had some good days, and yet, it was when he was feeling good, and confident that Jesus warned him that satan desired to shred him like wheat. The prophet Isaiah also had many good days, until God revealed to him that he was a man of unclean lips.
Some Christians may mistake good behavior for the righteousness God alone can offer. A well-behaved person isn’t necessarily a Christian, for there are a lot of decent, well-dressed devils, walking around nowadays.
Thus, it has to be forever settled in the Christian’s mind that no amount of doing, on your own, would bring about a change in the heart. Young people in our churches often get frustrated with the Christian way, by trying to do the right things they have read of in the Bible, on their own.
Then, as time progresses, and fallen nature begins to chomp at the bits, they often let loose, and they often party harder than persons who were brought up in a non-believing household. That is what you get when you promise God to do the right thing.
It’s not your promise, it’s God’s promise to you that would keep you from falling. Therefore, much more emphasis should be placed on what God does than what we do. Back then, the Hebrews promised God that all that God said, they will do, and be obedient. That is, until their fallen human nature let loose in the party, at the foot of mount Sinai.
If you saw them that day, you wouldn’t believe they were the same folks you saw so reverent in church last week. Thus, the Bible makes a clear statement on any attempts to change, and heal ourselves from the stings of the serpent. Basically, in a nutshell, not happening on our own. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
The real you, and the real me mostly comes to the surface in spontaneous situations, not in those well scripted moments when we say, and do right things which we have read in the Bible. The real you is not the person who has carefully thought about what to say. It is the person that becomes manifest in words and actions that are mostly reflex.
The real Peter was the person that surfaced on the spur of the moment, when things spiraled out of control suddenly. That is what Christ was warning Peter about, for satan was going for the jugular, by fanning the real Peter into life, by tempting him on reflex actions, which he wouldn’t have time to think through properly.
To understand why God is speaking to us about the temptations that target reflex and involuntary words and actions we need to step inside of Jacob’s shoes for a moment. Here you are, facing that existential crisis of your life, and from all appearances it seems as if not only your life is in danger, but your wife and kids as well.
In sheer desperation you decide to fast and pray like you have never done before, and because you are currently homeless, you choose a quiet spot out in nature at night to pour out your supplications. Then, suddenly, without warning, someone lays his hands on you.
At that moment, your reflex action may not be what you have learned in Sabbath school all these years. I believe that you will most likely choke the assailant, because, without thorough conversion, your reflex actions will stem from mere fallen human nature.
That’s what Jacob did inadvertently, as he wrestled Christ, and they duked it out in the darkness, for as far as he is concerned, if he has to go down, he isn’t going down without a fight. Thus, he grabs Jesus, as both of them become locked in mortal combat.
On the flipside of this scenario, we have Christ, who is tempted suddenly by satan, to see what His reflex actions and words might produce. But much to his chagrin and dismay, only righteousness oozes out of Christ, because there is no trace of any sin, no latent tendencies that can be fanned into life.
In other words, you can hurl every hellish dart at the Lord, but you will only get the same reflex reactions and the very same words, as when He sat reverently in church on Sabbath morning, for He is clean to the core. Let’s read:
Matthew 26:67 Then they did spit in His face, and buffeted Him, and others smote Him with the palms of their hands.
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do…..
Let none be deceived about this, the real you, is not that scripted, reverent person you see in church on Sabbath mornings looking so holy and cute, when circumstances are favorable.
The real you, and the real me is manifested when those Hialeah drivers cut us off suddenly, and raise the middle finger in disgust, as we are on our way to work, or when someone with much less experience than you gets promoted instead of you, or someone steps ahead of you, as you were waiting in line for hours.
At such a time, whatsoever comes out of the mouth and the heart is the real you on the inside. If at this time, we find ourselves often hating pharaoh, that is the real you and me being manifested, and if so, we may just need to surrender all to Christ, because the royal way is to harbor favorable thoughts of those who may not be favorable. Let’s read:
[Testimonies Vol 5 pp 168] Charity “does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” The heart in which love rules will not be filled with passion or revenge, by injuries which pride and self-love would deem unbearable.
Love is unsuspecting, ever placing the most favorable construction upon the motives and acts of others. Love will never needlessly expose the faults of others. It does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but rather seeks to bring to mind some good qualities of the one defamed.
Let us just say here that none of us should wait until crunch time to find out who the real you and me is. Now is the time for us to allow Jesus to reveal any defects in our characters, so they can be corrected before 666 raises its head, which might be sooner rather than later, no one knows.
In surrendering all to Christ we are not to focus too heavily on the right things we should do. Those are important, but we are to look to Jesus always, and if He gives us His assessment of our true condition, we should not like Peter, become deeply offended, and say, that’s not me He is speaking of. Let’s read:
Revelation 3: 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness does not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Thus, surrendering all to Christ means accepting the assessment of our true condition first. This will pave the way for us to see our dire need of Christ, and it will cause us to see our utter inability to cleanse our own souls from the stains of sin. If Peter had taken the assessments of Christ seriously, he would not have fallen.
Surrendering all to Jesus also means accepting the gift of His righteousness, and not trying to micro- manage what He does in our lives. Leave God alone, and let Him do what He does best, for the work of changing hearts and minds is a supernatural work.
Surrendering all to Jesus also means that there will be choices and decisions for us to make. Self-denial is a must, in order to facilitate Christ’s work in our hearts, and thus, we must choose good over evil.
There are times when we may have to grit our teeth when exercising restraint. That is not works, it’s just your conscious choice to cooperate with God. That’s all! Let’s read:
Philippians 2: 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Therefore, in surrendering your all to Christ, we will not leave you with a long list of dos and don’ts, for that will put pressure on you to try and fix what you cannot fix. Instead, we will point you to the uplifted Savior, His righteousness and His total ability to save to the uttermost, them that believe in Him.
In closing, let us always remember that the plan of salvation originated with God. The plan is God’s, the work is His, the righteousness is His, and we are His. Let us not fret and worry ourselves out of His hands, for He has a perfect track record of accomplishing the impossible, according as He has promised. Let’s read:
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Jude 23: 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
God Bless!