Christ - our Foundation
To follow Jesus, for His sake (because we love Him), we must deny (ownership of) ourselves and relinquish control of our own lives, surrendering ourselves, our independence, and our every blessing to His Ownership and Lordship (Matthew 16:24). When we do this, although we are poor (owning nothing), we are able to possess and enjoy all things which God freely gives us, with thanksgiving (Matthew 5:3, Luke 6:20, Revelation 5:12). We must realise that we belong to God, as well as His grace within us, and every blessing of life. On the other hand, pride (trying to hold onto final control over our life, acting as our own owner), and covetousness (trying to claim ownership and take control of the blessings of life) cuts us off from God's blessing, for "God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). So we must release all control of self, of His life in us and of all things in our life to God, our Owner, and continually trust in Him as our Source (Saviour).
True faith consists of our surrender to Christ as our Owner and Lord (trusting ourselves to His ownership and control), and putting our trust in Him as our Saviour. The degree of our surrender determines the degree that we can trust in (receive, appropriate) His saving life.
We can only surrender to Christ as our Lord and put our trust in Him as our Saviour, to the degree that we believe in His offer to us through the Gospel to be our firm Foundation, our all-sufficient Source of life, love and salvation. Through the Gospel, God imparts the knowledge of Himself and His love that we need in order to be able to surrender our heart to Him and to put all our trust in Him, for our life now and for all eternity. Once we know and believe that He offers Himself to us to be our God, who promises to love us fully, faithfully, continually and eternally, we can trust in Him and give Him (the surrender of) our heart, but the choice is ours. The more assured we become of His love for us, the more we are able to surrender (give) our heart to Him, which is what He desires above all. The more fully persuaded we are of the power of His grace toward us to uphold us, satisfy us, protect us and provide for all our needs, the more we can trust in Him to uphold (save) us forever, and give Him our whole heart. The more we realise His infinite love for us and our total need for Him, the more we will naturally and willingly and completely give ourselves to Him in surrender and trust in Him with all our heart.
When we surrender to Him and trust in Him as the living Foundation for our being and whole life, our heart rests in Him, and as a result we enter into rest (we no longer have to try and hold ourselves up), and His love for us becomes manifested as His grace within us, being poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and filling our souls, like rivers of living water (Proverbs 21:1), so that He becomes our life and our full salvation.
True faith consists of our surrender to Christ as our Owner and Lord (trusting ourselves to His ownership and control), and putting our trust in Him as our Saviour. The degree of our surrender determines the degree that we can trust in (receive, appropriate) His saving life.
We can only surrender to Christ as our Lord and put our trust in Him as our Saviour, to the degree that we believe in His offer to us through the Gospel to be our firm Foundation, our all-sufficient Source of life, love and salvation. Through the Gospel, God imparts the knowledge of Himself and His love that we need in order to be able to surrender our heart to Him and to put all our trust in Him, for our life now and for all eternity. Once we know and believe that He offers Himself to us to be our God, who promises to love us fully, faithfully, continually and eternally, we can trust in Him and give Him (the surrender of) our heart, but the choice is ours. The more assured we become of His love for us, the more we are able to surrender (give) our heart to Him, which is what He desires above all. The more fully persuaded we are of the power of His grace toward us to uphold us, satisfy us, protect us and provide for all our needs, the more we can trust in Him to uphold (save) us forever, and give Him our whole heart. The more we realise His infinite love for us and our total need for Him, the more we will naturally and willingly and completely give ourselves to Him in surrender and trust in Him with all our heart.
When we surrender to Him and trust in Him as the living Foundation for our being and whole life, our heart rests in Him, and as a result we enter into rest (we no longer have to try and hold ourselves up), and His love for us becomes manifested as His grace within us, being poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and filling our souls, like rivers of living water (Proverbs 21:1), so that He becomes our life and our full salvation.