Surrender, especially in American culture, is rarely seen as something positive. Instead, it's seen as giving up or losing. But as a Christian, surrender doesn't mean losing, but trusting that when you finally give it all to God, He has something better in store for you; His Salvation! After you receive Salvation by accepting Jesus as your Savior, your next step is Baptism.
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
Baptism is a believer's decision to signify their union with Jesus Christ in his life, death, burial, and resurrection. One publicly chooses to show an outward display of an inward change. Salvation is a personal choice to give your life to Christ. In Acts 2:38, Jesus says, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
If you have made the decision to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior, baptism is a next step Jesus calls believers to take to communicate to the world your heartfelt commitment to following him!
WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING BACK?
So often, we say with our lips that we surrender all to God, but we don't always turn over everything in our lives to Him. Take children, for instance. Do you remember having that one toy as a child, or perhaps it was a blanket of some sort that you adored and revered? Everywhere you went, it had to go with you. You couldn't sleep without it, and God forbid if it went missing or was misplaced, you became unnerved, and your anxiety rose; fear and panic swept in! Your parents tried to convince you as you grew up that it was time to give it up. But maybe you couldn't come to grips with letting it go! You would tell your parents, "I will give you all of this, but not this one thing!"
So, what is it? What is that one thing in your life that's holding you back from surrendering everything to God?
DON'T HOLD BACK; SURRENDER IT ALL
Maybe you’re holding back from surrendering your entertainment choices. You've kept your eyes and ears unbaptized, so you can watch and listen to whatever you want! And you know it's not edifying, but it's entertaining. Maybe it's your career. You give 100% of your time to work but only part-time to Jesus. You want to grow with Christ, but don't spend time in His Word or prayer because work always comes first. Or, maybe it's your appetite. Your casual beer drinking or two has blossomed into 4 or 5. So you turn to all sorts of self-comforts: food, alcohol, and even shopping. But when our appetites become addictions, that's when you know you're holding back your best from Jesus.
Don't hold back! Give everything to Jesus. Surrender it all. He calls us to be disciples, and if we are to be disciples of His, then we must follow what He says in Matthew 16:24: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Jesus wants you on His team! You won't regret surrendering it all to HIM!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
For additional related content from Liquid Church, check out the resources below:
- To Learn more about BAPTISM, click here.
- To Check out Baptism FAQS, click here.