Full Surrender

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [Mark 10.17]

Ah, the question of the ages!

And, what better person to ask this question than Jesus Christ!

Likewise, what better person to answer this question than Jesus Christ!

Mark, Matthew and Luke all record this young man's encounter with Jesus signifying its importance. And, for the record, each account is very similar to the other - there is little variation. Therefore, from a historical document perspective, this 'harmony' is highly indicative of accuracy.

So..., what was Jesus' answer? From the three Gospel accounts of this same event, let me sum it up: Jesus told him to 1) keep the commandments, 2) get rid of all his worldly possessions, and 3) follow Him (Jesus).

No, Jesus did not take the man down the Romans Road and Jesus did not discuss the Four Spiritual Laws.

What?

Oh, the can of worms I am about to open! No, not really, because the Romans Road and the Four Spiritual Laws AND what Jesus answered the young man all condense into one common response: full surrender.

Granted, modern Christianity's Romans Road or Four Spiritual Laws approach tend to sound just a little less demanding (more "grace"-ful) than Jesus' response to this young man, but that is why we need to find the foundation of what we believe in what Jesus said and then understand everything else from there. 

Grace is only as reliable as its source. We must understand grace in the words of Him Who gave it. Paul didn't give grace - God did. Jesus brought it, defined it, and implemented it through His death on the Cross. Jesus is the authority on grace. This is not to take away from Paul's response to the subject, but merely to establish that Jesus is the foundation - the solid foundation upon which to build! Every apostle built upon the foundation of Jesus including the apostle Paul. Those who wrote letters (epistles) all solidly confirm this in their respective writings.

With this established then, WE MUST NOT DISCOUNT JESUS' WORDS ABOUT WHAT OUR LIVES SHOULD LOOK LIKE! We must remain mindful that Jesus said on more than one occasion that FEW ever find the Kingdom of God! This, coupled with Jesus' response to the young man discussed above, gives us a clear indication that ours is no lackadaisical decision to make!

No one really likes to discuss it, but Jesus Himself said:

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [Matthew 10.28]

Full surrender is the only entrance to God's Kingdom. Grace was never intended to cover anything but our full surrender. If we stop and think just a moment about it, faith IS full surrender. Anything less than full surrender then, IS NOT FAITH and therefore is not pleasing to God.

The young man of Mark 10.17 above turned away. Good as he was, wasn't good enough. "Good enough" is neither good nor enough. Full surrender - forsaking all and following Christ is not the goal, it is the standard. Imagine Jesus' pleasure with His sometimes knucklehead disciples who had, in spite of their shortcomings, indeed forsaken all and followed Him. We see this in His loving prayer in John 17.

Full surrender is the standard.

Father, help us to fully surrender - to forsake all and follow Christ with out lives, family, time, possessions, - everything.