Commitment or Surrender?

Dr. Jerry Williamson is a dear friend and an abiding Christian. He has been pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hillsboro in Coconut Creek, Florida for over 50 years. He is a man surrendered to Jesus. Jesus is formed in my friend Jerry.

Recently over lunch Jerry told me how he learned the difference between commitment and surrender. A question from Romanian pastor Joseph Tson was the tool God used to make the choice very clear.

Pastor Tson asked Jerry whether we needed commitment to Jesus or surrender to Jesus. Pastor Tson had suffered greatly at the hands of the communists. He told Jerry that Americans did not yet realize that commitment to Jesus can never be enough. Only surrender to Jesus could ever stand up to man's brutality and hate. Joseph said commitment can be undone because we control it. Surrender cannot be undone because Jesus controls from that point on.

Millions of dollars are spent annually in churches to lead people into some level of commitment to Jesus and the church. Many times the commitment churches seek is the support of an agenda set for the church. The church agenda is in Jesus’ name and is certainly a very good thing, but when the agenda does not require surrender to Jesus for the plan to succeed it is not enough.

Commitment is good enough for mobilization. Commitment can certainly move a group in the right direction. Even so, it is not good enough to create true discipleship and sustained love in a world like ours.

During our recent trip to the USA I noticed that many American Christians are struggling with a sense that the "normal" church life is not enough. Many are even leaving their local church looking for what they call "authentic Christianity." I believe many of these believers are sensing that there is a difference between commitment to Jesus and surrender to Jesus. I believe the only way we can actually help people truly stay in the local church and be the church is teach them to be surrendered Christians in a surrendered church. Surrendered Christians will make the best church members and surrendered churches can face anything. As pastors and leaders lead their people beyond commitment to Jesus and into surrender to Jesus the church will be the church.

Make no mistake, surrendering to Jesus is profoundly different than advancing the cause of Jesus by way of an excellent church program.

Jesus knows the difference between commitment and surrender. He worked with His first disciples every day until they finally moved from defending His cause to surrendering to Him. Jesus' penetrating words to Peter in John 21 "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?" are words calling for surrender not commitment. Jesus sought Peter’s surrender and He seeks our surrender.

Just like a branch surrenders to the Vine, so, too, each of us must move beyond church commitment as discipleship to surrender to Jesus as discipleship.

Surrender now. Form a prayer as simple as “Jesus, I am only and forever yours.” He asks all and He gives all.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5