Total Surrender

Peter began to say to Him, ’See, we have left all and followed You’ —Mark 10:28

Our Lord replies to this statement of Peter by saying that this surrender is “for My sake and the gospel’s” (10:29). It was not for the purpose of what the disciples themselves would get out of it. Beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits that may result. For example, “I’m going to give myself to God because I want to be delivered from sin, because I want to be made holy.” Being delivered from sin and being made holy are the result of being right with God, but surrender resulting from this kind of thinking is certainly not the true nature of Christianity. Our motive for surrender should not be for any personal gain at all. We have become so self-centered that we go to God only for something from Him, and not for God Himself. It is like saying, “No, Lord, I don’t want you; I want myself. But I do want You to clean me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to be on display in Your showcase so I can say, ’This is what God has done for me.’ ” Gaining heaven, being delivered from sin, and being made useful to God are things that should never even be a consideration in real surrender. Genuine total surrender is a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Christ Himself.

Where does Jesus Christ figure in when we have a concern about our natural relationships? Most of us will desert Him with this excuse—”Yes, Lord, I heard you call me, but my family needs me and I have my own interests. I just can’t go any further” (see Luke 9:57-62). “Then,” Jesus says, “you ’cannot be My disciple’ ” (see Luke 14:26-33).

True surrender will always go beyond natural devotion. If we will only give up, God will surrender Himself to embrace all those around us and will meet their needs, which were created by our surrender. Beware of stopping anywhere short of total surrender to God. Most of us have only a vision of what this really means, but have never truly experienced it.

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撇棄一切

彼得就對他說：看哪，我們已經撇下所有的跟從你了……（可十28）

主的回答是說為他而撇下，而不是為了門徒自己能換得什麼。當心別把商業貿易的精神參入[撇下]裡去——[我把自己給神，因為我要脫離罪，因為我要成聖。]這些都是與神和好的結果，卻不是基督教信仰裡的精神。 [撇下]根本不是為任何東西。我們已經變得太商業化了，到神面前只是為得那一點什麼，而不是為他本身。這好像是說：[主啊，我不要你，我要自己；我要自己潔淨，充滿聖靈；我要登上你得櫥窗說：『看神為我做的一切。 』]若我們為神撇下，為的是要得更多的，那末，我們的撇下便沒有聖靈，只是可憐的商業自利。我們得上天堂，罪得赦免，合神使用，這些在真正的[撇下]裡， 絕不是原因。真正的撇下，乃是個人專誠的揀選耶穌基督自己。

當我們面對人際關係的屏障，耶穌的地位何在？我們多半遺棄他說：[不錯，主，我聽見你的呼召；但我母親阻著去路，還有我的妻子，我的喜好，我無法前行。 ]耶穌說：[這樣，你不能作我的門徒。 ]

撇下的考驗總是與親情有切膚之痛。越過它，神會盡所有去懷抱你撇下時所傷害的人。要當心撇下不可中途而廢。我們多半只在異像中認識什麼叫做撇下。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你使我的悟性，與你聖靈的教導一同發出光輝。