Full Surrender

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things" (Romans 8:32)


More people miss the baptism with the Holy Spirit at the point of an unconditional surrender of the will to God, and more people enter into it at this point, than at almost any other. There are many who go a long ways in the matter of sacrificing for Christ, going even so far as to become foreign missionaries, who still stop short of full surrender to God and so stop short of the blessing. There is absolutely no use of your praying for the baptism with the Spirit if you will not surrender your will to God, holding absolutely nothing back.


In the Old Testament days, it was when the burnt offering - whole, no part held back - was lain on the altar that "fire came out from the presence of the Lord" (Lev. 9:24) and accepted the gift. And it is when we bring ourselves, a whole offering, to the Lord and lay ourselves thus upon the altar that fire comes and God accepts the gift.


Many are afraid to make a full surrender to God because they fear God's will. They are afraid God's will may be something dreadful, some hard thing. Remember who God is: He is infinite love, and absolute surrender to God is simply absolute surrender to infinite love! Is there anything dreaded in that? And God is our Father. God's love is not only wiser than that of any earthly father, but more tender than any earthly mother. "No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (Psalm 84:11). There is nothing to be feared in God's will. God's will will always prove in the final outcome the best and sweetest thing in all God's universe. Lay  your will down and look to your Father to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.


Loving Father, how can we look at the Cross of Jesus and still hold a reservation of fear in our heart about Your will for our lives? I would knee at the foot of His Cross until all the reservations melt away. Holy Spirit, meet me at the Cross today. Amen


~R. A. Torrey~