Principle 3 - I MAKE A DECISION TO TURN MY LIFE AND MY WILL FROM THE THINGS OF THE PAST AND INVITE JESUS TO BE LORD, SAVIOR, AND MANAGER OF MY LIFE.
In Principle 1, we admitted and accepted that our life was unmanageable. In Principle 2, we came to believe that Jesus was God Incarnate. Now it’s time to do something about that belief and that is, to turn our life and our will over to Him completely. We are tired of playing God, and we have decided to let our Creator, who is Jesus Christ, become LORD of our life. We humbly ask Him to forgive our sins, come into our hearts, and be the LORD and Manager of our lives. We realize now that we need a Savior and need His help from this day forward to live and do His will, instead of our own. The study of this principle will help us to discover the foundation of this truth for our lives.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
As we examine this important process, the evidence of our surrender is our willingness to go to the LORD. We don’t turn to other things; this time we turn to Him. Remember, the life of Jesus was a life of attraction—not promotion. The benefits He showers upon us after our surrender are nothing short of phenomenal. He tells us that His way of life is not a burden to follow or imitate and that we will find rest for our souls. What a promise! Lastly, in Matthew 11, we see that a fruitful walk in the LORD is sweat-free and simple. The formula is this: God’s Love + Grace + Mercy = Forgiveness and Abundant Life.
Proverbs 16:1-3 The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.
More evidence of our free will is listed in this verse. God states that we are free to plan our way, but our answers are from Him. It tells us that until we are delivered from ourselves, all our ways seem right in our own eyes, in our own understanding. The LORD has to weigh our spirit; He has to search us and be allowed to lead and convict us. He is the only one who can make us committed, steadfast, consistent, and sufficient. Only then can we operate in the mind of Christ, and our mind is renewed and transformed daily. (Proverbs 16:1-3, Ephesians 2:10)
After our minds are renewed and transformed, we are then enabled to perform the will of God in and through our daily walks. The following verse illustrates this truth for us.
2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
This verse states that there is an appointed time for salvation. It is hard to understand because, according to this verse, it is appropriated by both God and our free will. God uses all things to help us obtain the understanding of our need for salvation, including all our iniquities, transgressions, and sins. At the fruition of this period of time, the need of salvation is recognized. Our will is surrendered and yielded to Him, and the new birth in Christ takes place within us.
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
Jesus tells us that belief in Him affects our consciences and our actions to the point that we are able to entrust Him with our lives. Faith in Him changes our knowledge and understanding of Him. Faith suddenly helps us to see and understand the things that are unseen and helps us to let go of the things we see and value. We now have a change in the perspective of our reality, the values of our treasures, and those things we count as important.
Romans 10:9-10 … that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The results of this new perspective and foundation of faith are heard in the confession of our mouths and change of our speech. The meaning of confession simply means that we agree with God about any subject, that He is right. With the change of our hearts, we are now able to believe in the need of salvation. Because of this change, we begin to have a desire to preach and tell others about it.