Surrender To The Lord

So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. – Acts 9:28

Yesterday, we started talking about what happens when you experience true conversion by the power of Christ. The first thing that happens is you see the light of truth. If you missed yesterday’s devotion about that, I would encourage you to go back and read it. Today, we’re going to continue the conversation and talk about another thing that happens with conversion, and that is the fact that you surrender to the Lord of heaven.  

Nothing magical has to happen for you to experience conversion. You can have mystical ecstasies, wonderful dreams, and mind-blowing experiences of all sorts. Those things may be a part of your conversion, or they may not, but it doesn’t matter. Having them doesn’t mean you’ve been converted and not having them doesn’t mean you haven’t been, because conversion is neither a feeling nor even just a subjective experience. 

True conversion is literally a turning around. It is a change of direction. Indeed, it is a moral and spiritual reversal. It is not what you say with your words, but rather what you show with your life. We know Paul was truly converted on that Damascus Road, not because of the light that he saw or the voice that he heard, but of the transformation in his life.

You are not converted just because you believe Jesus lived or was a great spiritual leader or prophet or great moral example. Hindus and Muslims believe that. A Christian, a real Christian, a true Christian is someone who has totally surrendered to Jesus as Lord. At the end of the day, conversion is not just a decision. It is not just a commitment, but a surrender to the Lordship of Christ.

Dear Lord, I want to live my life fully surrendered to you. I don’t want to hold anything back, and I don’t want to live a life that looks different from the words I say. I want my life to be a picture of consistency so that there is no doubt who I’m living for. Lord, give me the strength and the humility to live with that kind of surrender to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.