30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
LUKE 19 1-10 SEEKING TO SAVE THE LOST 13 Surrendering to the lordship of Christ
📖 Luke 19:1-10
27Nov2020 - *Surrendering to the lordship of Christ* - _Luke 19:1-10_ - SEEKING TO SAVE THE LOST 13 – Bible reading: _John 3:3-7_
Zacchaeus had opened his heart to the Lord. A miracle was taking place in his life. The ache of his heart, the gnawing pain that would never go away, the thirst that he was never able to quench, was now being quenched and healed. But this was just the beginning of the restoration of Zacchaeus into the habitat of God.
I would like to make an important distinction here. Many of us are satisfied with the wonderful experiences with God that we have had in our lives. Maybe it was healing, maybe it was a broken relationship that was repaired, maybe it was God’s amazing protection from a major catastrophe. Maybe even that we have prayed the sinner’s prayer and invited Jesus into our heart.
This is the first step for us to come back to the habitat of God. To come to the place of being born into the family of God, to become a citizen of His kingdom, there needs to be a surrender to the lordship of Christ over us.
This was what took place in the life of Zacchaeus. He surrendered to the lordship of Christ and Zacchaeus was born into the family God. Zacchaeus experienced salvation.
_Luke 19:8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "*Look, Lord*, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."_
We have conveniently consigned the salvation experience to the sinner’s prayer being prayed by a person. True, this is the first step. The person is now opening his or her heart to the Lord but we ourselves, and as we share the gospel with others, must move people to the place of surrender to the lordship of Christ. Remember, we as disciples are sent to into the world to go and make disciples, not well-wishers.
Very often we are satisfied that people have prayed the sinner's prayer, in a general manner, and have opened their heart to the Lord. Nonetheless, for the person to be saved that person must surrender to the lordship of Christ.
We have communicated to people that since a person has prayed the sinner’s prayer, in a broad sense, the person is now born into the family of God. This is not true. That person must surrender to the lordship of Christ over his or her life.
What does it mean to come under the lordship of Christ?
We must understand that all of us have been under different lords in our lives. It could be mammon, as it is often the case or any of several other gods that have been dictating our lives. When we come to Jesus, we repent of being under our different lords, confess as to what were the specific areas of rebellion that were holding sway over our hearts, and there surrender to the lordship of Christ.
A genuine turn around that is actionable must take place for the confirmation of lordship to Jesus over us, to be affirmed. Zacchaeus’s salvation experience is a beautiful example before us.
There is yet another common blunder that is made by the people of God. We have made the generically prayed sinner’s prayer, as the entry point for a person into the family of God and we tell ourselves and we tell people that discipleship to Jesus is a journey.
Recollect the story of the Rich Young Ruler, once again. His heart was warm toward Jesus. In every way, he seemed as though he was already a child of God but the Lord placed before him the need to surrender to the lordship of Christ. He had to demonstrate his surrender to the lordship of Christ in a specific actionable step. It was at this point that it became evident that he was not willing to come under the lordship of Christ.
What was the result? The Rich Young Ruler forfeited eternal life.
Surrendering to the lordship of Christ over us is the place where we are truly born into the family of God.
Dear friend, are you born into the family of God? Have you surrendered to the lordship of Christ over you? Are you fooling yourself that since you are involved in several Christian activities, you are a child of God?
_Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (23) And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'_
As we share the gospel with others, we must lead people through this two-step process.
The first is to see that they have opened their heart to the Lord. The second is to lead them to surrender to the lordship of Christ, specifically, in areas of their life, where they have been rebelling against God. It is only then that they are born into the family of God and can now live their life in the habitat of God.
Yes, discipleship is a life long journey but a person must begin at the place where they are conscious of the areas of rebellion and surrender those to the lordship of Christ. This is when they are saved.
Zacchaeus is showing us the steps for salvation.
*Thought to ponder*
```We have too many, amongst us, who imagine that they are born again, because of certain heavenly encounters that they have had but have never surrendered to the lordship of Christ over their life.```