Secret of the Master’s Indwelling (8) ... Complete Surrender

by Dale Shumaker
Spirit Savvy Network
www.spiritsavvy.net

Finding your mission, Empowering your life through prayer,
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Leading others to be Missionaries in the Marketplace

The Secret of the Master's Indwelling is about digging our roots deep into God’s soil that bears fruit abundantly and gives us strength Supernaturally. Andrew Murray shows what we must do and be to become stalwarts of Faith.

Secret of the Master’s Indwelling, Chapter 8, Complete Surrender:

We find Joseph in two characters in the house of Potiphar:
first as a servant and a slave,
one who is trusted and loved, but still entirely a servant;
second, as master. Potiphar made him overseer over his house and his lands, and all that he had, so that we read afterward that he left everything in his hands.

We sometimes speak in the Christian life, of entire surrender.

First, Joseph was in Potiphar’s house to serve him and to help him.

Now, that is exactly what is to take place with a great many Christians. They know Christ, they trust Him, they love Him, but He is not Master, He is a sort of helper. When there is trouble they come to Him, when they sin they ask Him for pardon in His precious blood, when they are in darkness they cry to Him; but often and often they live according to their own will, and they seek help from themselves. But how blessed is the man who comes and, like Potiphar, says,
“I will give up everything to Jesus!”

There are many who have accepted Christ as their Lord, but have never yet come to the final, absolute surrender of everything.

Let me direct your attention to four thoughts regarding this surrender to Christ:
First, its motives;
second, its measures;
third, its blessedness;
lastly, its duration.
 
First of all, its motives.
There is something unusual about the man. He walks so humbly, he serves so faithfully and so lovingly, and so successfully. Potiphar begins to look into the reason for this, and finally concludes that God is with him.
It is a grand thing to have a man with whom God is, to entrust one’s business to.

Give Him charge of your temper, your heart’s affections, your thoughts, your whole being, and He will prove Himself worthy of it. You are His house, and He has a right to dwell therein. Will you not come and surrender all, and say, “Lord Jesus, I have made Thee overseer over all?”

Secondly, the measure of that surrender. Potiphar actually gave everything into Joseph’s hands. He made him master over his slaves. All the money was put into Joseph’s hands, for we read that Potiphar had care of nothing.

Is not this entire surrender?—he gives up everything into the hands of Joseph. Ah, beloved Christians, I want you to ask yourselves: “Have I done that?” You have offered more than one consecration prayer, and you have more than once said: “Jesus, all I have I give to You.” You have said it, and meant it; but very probably you did not realize fully what it meant.

Come, because He is worthy; come because you know you cannot keep things right yourself, and make Christ master over all you have. Give father and mother, wife and child, house and land, and money, all to Jesus, and you will find that in giving all you receive it back an hundred fold.

Thirdly, look at the blessing of the entire surrender.

Oh, Christian, what is that blessing you will get? I cannot tell all, but I can tell you this: if you will come to Christ Jesus and surrender all, the blessing of God will be on all that you have. Try that; trust Jesus for everything, and trust everything to Him, and the blessing of God will come upon you—the sweet rest, the rest of faith. It is all in the hands of Jesus; He will guide you; He will teach you; He will work in you; He will keep you; He will be everything to you. What a blessed rest and freedom from responsibility and from care, because it is all in the hands of Jesus! I do not say trouble and trial will never come; but in the midst of trial and trouble you will have the all-sufficiency of the presence of Jesus to be your comfort, your help, and your guide.

Give over your life, in all its phases, into the hands of Jesus; remembering that the very hairs of your head are numbered, and not a sparrow falls to earth without the Father’s notice. Consent now and say: “I will give up everything into the hands of Jesus. Whatever happens is His will regarding me. Whether He comes in the light or in the dark, in the storm or on the troubled sea, I will rest in that blessed assurance. I give up my whole life entirely to Him.”

Do we not thus see that every circumstance of our living, every comfort and every trial, comes from God in Christ? There is nothing can touch a hair of my head. Not a sharp word comes against me; not an unexpected flurry surrounds me, but it is all Jesus. With my life in His hands, I need care for nothing. I can be content with what Jesus gives. God will bless you, that, in your intercourse with men, you may be a blessing; that by your holy, humble, respectful, quiet walk, you may carry comfort; that by your loving readiness to be a servant and a helper to all, you may prove what the Spirit of God has done within you.

Oh, believers, come today; come out of all your troubles, and all your self-efforts and your self-confidence, and let the blessed Son of God take possession.

Let me direct your thoughts, lastly, to the duration of this surrender.

it is a grand thing for a person to be able to stretch out both hands, and be that person is the one who has left all with Jesus—all his inner life, all his cares and troubles, and has given himself up entirely to do the will of God. Will you leave it there?

Beloved, temptations will come; God means it for your good. Every temptation brings you a blessing. Do understand that. Learn the lesson of giving up everything to Jesus, and letting Jesus take charge of everything. Leave all with Jesus. Do not think that by a surrender today or on any day, however powerful, however mighty, things will keep right themselves. You need every morning afresh, when God wakes you up out of sleep, to put your heart, and your life, and your house, and your business, into the hands of Jesus.

Wait on Him, if need be, in silence, or in prayer, until He gives you the assurance, “My child, for today all is safe; I take charge.”

In conclusion let me speak to two classes. There are times when your heart is restless; there are times when you are afraid to die.

There are some true believers who have perhaps never yet understood that it was their duty to give up everything to Christ.

Beloved fellow Christians.
“Jesus, I make Thee Master of everything and I will wait at your feet, that you wilt show me what you would have me be and do.” Do it now. And let me say to believers who have done it before, and who long with an unutterable longing to do it fully and perfectly,—Child of God, you can do it, for the Holy Spirit has been sent down from Heaven for this one purpose, to glorify Jesus; to glorify Jesus in your heart, by letting you see how perfectly Jesus can take possession of the whole heart; to glorify Jesus by bringing Him into your very life, that your whole life may shine out with the glory of Jesus. Depend upon it, the Father will give it to you by the Holy Spirit, if you are ready.

The complete chapter on Complete Surrender:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/indwelling.xi.html
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library and many great classic works on Christian Growth, by the best of the Saints of Old who’s works have been passed down through the ages.