Identifying Areas for Greater Surrender to God

Surrender to God involves presenting oneself to Him as a living sacrifice, a concept rooted in biblical teachings such as Romans 12:1, where the apostle Paul exhorts believers to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God ^[11]. This act of surrender is foundational to the Christian life, encompassing both the inward disposition and outward actions.

The biblical basis for surrender to God is multifaceted. It includes obedience to God's commands, as seen in Deuteronomy 13:4 and Jeremiah 7:23, where obeying God's voice is paramount ^[4]. The Psalms also emphasize the importance of sacrifice and thanksgiving as expressions of surrender and worship, with Psalms 50:14 and 50:23 highlighting the sacrifice of thanksgiving as a means to glorify God ^{[1, 2]}.

Historically, Christian traditions have understood surrender to God in various ways. The Puritan tradition, represented by Matthew Henry, emphasizes the need to surrender both body and soul to God, seeing this as the foundation for all duty and obedience ^[11]. Similarly, Reformed theologians like Charles Hodge stress the importance of a constant reference to God's will in daily life, submitting to His chastisements, and being grateful for His mercies ^[10].

In the Catholic tradition, Thomas Aquinas discusses obedience as a virtue, arguing that it derives its greatness from adhering to God rather than merely contemning earthly things ^[8]. The Patristic tradition, as seen in Augustine's writings, also underscores the significance of visible and invisible sacrifices as signs of worship and surrender to the one true God ^[9].

Areas where believers are called to greater surrender include submission to God's sovereignty in times of loss or chastisement. Job's responses to his sufferings serve as an example, demonstrating resignation to God's will despite immense personal loss ^[3]. The New Testament reinforces this with Hebrews 12:9 encouraging believers to submit to the Father's discipline, trusting in His goodness.

The practice of surrender is also linked to the sacraments, such as the Lord's Supper. According to Charles Hodge, worthy participation in the Lord's Supper requires self-examination, including assessing one's knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and new obedience ^[6]. This self-examination is a means of identifying areas where greater surrender is needed.

Furthermore, the concept of glorifying God is closely tied to surrender. Doing all to the glory of God, as discussed by Calvin, involves recognizing God's hand in all circumstances and submitting to His will ^[7]. This includes praising God and relying on His promises as means of glorifying Him ^[5].

Eastern Orthodox thought, as represented by John of Damascus, views surrender in the context of God's blessings and chastisements, understanding that sometimes believers are allowed to fall into certain faults to correct worse ones, highlighting the complexity of surrender in the face of divine providence ^[12].

Ultimately, identifying areas for greater surrender to God involves a deepening understanding of God's will and a willingness to submit to it. This is a lifelong process, marked by self-examination, obedience, and trust in God's goodness, even in the face of adversity.

The call to surrender is not limited to personal piety but extends to all aspects of life, including how one views and responds to the world. As seen in the Psalms and the writings of the early Church Fathers, surrender involves a holistic approach to life, integrating worship, obedience, and trust in God's sovereignty.

Sources

Psalms “Psalms 50:14 (BSB) — Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.”
Psalms “Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.” -- Psalms 50:23”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Resignation — Christ set and example of -- Mt 26:39-44; Joh 12:27; 18:11. Commanded -- Ps 37:7; 46:10. Should be exhibited in Submission to the will of God. -- 2Sa 15:26; Ps 42:5,11; Mt 6:10. Submission to the sovereignty of God in his purposes. -- Ro 9:20,21. The prospect of death. -- Ac 21:13; 2Co 4:16-5:1. Loss of goods. -- Job 1:15,16,21. Loss of children. -- Job 1:18,19,21. Chastisements. -- Heb 12:9. Bodily suffering. -- Job 2:8-10. The wicked are devoid of -- Pr 19:3. Exhortation to -- Ps 37:1-11. Motives to God's greatness. -- Ps 46:10. God's love. -- Heb 12:”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Obedience to God — Commanded -- De 13:4. Without faith, is impossible -- Heb 11:6. Includes Obeying his voice. -- Ex 19:5; Jer 7:23. Obeying his law. -- De 11:27; Isa 42:24. Obeying Christ. -- Ex 23:21; 2Co 10:5. Obeying the gospel. -- Ro 1:5; 6:17; 10:16,17. Keeping his commandments. -- Ec 12:13. Submission to higher powers. -- Ro 13:1. Better than sacrifice -- 1Sa 15:22. Justification obtained by that of Christ -- Ro 5:19. Christ, an example of -- Mt 3:15; Joh 15:20; Php 2:5-8; Heb 5:8. Angles engaged in -- Ps 103:20. A characteristic of saints -- 1Pe 1:14. Saints ”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glorifying God — Commanded -- 1Ch 16:28; Ps 22:23; Isa 42:12. Due to him -- 1Ch 16:29. For his Holiness. -- Ps 99:9; Re 15:4. Mercy and truth. -- Ps 115:1; Ro 15:9. Faithfulness and truth. -- Isa 25:1. Wondrous works. -- Mt 15:31; Ac 4:21. Judgments. -- Isa 25:3; Eze 28:22; Re 14:7. Deliverance. -- Ps 50:15. Grace to others. -- Ac 11:18; 2Co 9:13; Ga 1:24. Obligation of saints to -- 1Co 6:20. Is acceptable through Christ -- Php 1:11; 1Pe 4:11. Christ, an example of -- Joh 17:4. Accomplished by Relying on his promises. -- Ro 4:20. Praising him. -- Ps 50:23. Doing all ”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 68: this sacrament demands should exist in the heart, without producing supreme love and gratitude to Christ, and the fixed purpose to forsake all sin and to live devoted to his service. Our Church, therefore, teaches that it is required of them who would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves, of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon Him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience. It is, however, not to be inferred from this that a man must be assured that he is a true believe”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 6.12: body. Although therefore we see the nation diminished in numbers, and some of its members cut off, yet some present will be offered by it to the Lord. To the place of the name. This mode of expression is customary with the prophets. When they speak of the worship of God they describe it by outward acts, such as altars, sacrifices, washings, and such like; and, indeed, the worship of God being within the soul, there is no way in which it can be described but by outward signs, by which men declare that they worship and adore God. But he chiefly”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Obedience, Art. 3: Article: Whether obedience is the greatest of the virtues? I answer that, Just as sin consists in man contemning God and adhering to mutable things, so the merit of a virtuous act consists in man contemning created goods and adhering to God as his end. Now the end is greater than that which is directed to the end. Therefore if a man contemns created goods in order that he may adhere to God, his virtue derives greater praise from his adhering to God than from his contemning earthly things. And so”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 19.--ON THE REASONABLENESS OF OFFERING, AS THE TRUE RELIGION TEACHES, A VISIBLE SACRIFICE TO THE ONE TRUE AND INVISIBLE GOD. (part 1): As to those who think that these visible sacrifices are suitably offered to other gods, but that invisible sacrifices, the graces of purity of mind and holiness of will, should be offered, as greater and better, to the invisible God, Himself greater and better than alI others, they must be oblivious that these visible sacrifices are signs of the invisible, as the words we utter are the signs of th”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 42: a constant reference to his will in the conduct of our inward and outward life; recognizing continually his hand in everything that befalls us, submitting to all his chastisements and grateful for all his mercies. The second or negative aspect of the command is the condemnation of the failure to recognize Jehovah as the true God; failing to believe in his existence and attributes, in his government and authority; failing to confess him before men; and failing to render him the inward reverence and the outward homage which are his due, tha”
Romans (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Romans 12:1: We may observe here, according to the scheme mentioned in the contents, the apostle's exhortations, I. Concerning our duty to God, We see what is godliness. 1. It is to surrender ourselves to God, and so to lay a good foundation. We must first give our own selves unto the Lord, Co2 8:5. This is here pressed as the spring of all duty and obedience, Rom 12:1, Rom 12:2. Man consists of body and soul, Gen 2:7; Ecc 12:7. (1.) The body must be presented to him, Rom 12:1. The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body, Co1 6:13, Co1 6:14. The exhortation is here int”
CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 44: blessings, as in the case of the martyrs. Another is allowed to fall at times into some act of baseness in order that another worse fault may be thus corrected, as for instance when God allows a man who takes pride in his virtue and righteousness to fall away into fornication in order that he may be brought through this fall into the perception of his own weakness and be humbled and approach and make confession to the Lord. Moreover, it is to be observed 1902 1902 Nemes., ch. 37. that the choice of what is to be done is i”

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