Forgiveness And Surrender!

March 5, 2025

Forgiveness And Surrender!

Today is traditionally called, “Ash Wednesday.”  The day marks the start of the 40-day countdown leading up to Easter.  During the 40 days, there is a remembering of the life, death, and coming back to life of our Savior, Jesus. 

More specifically, the 40-day season is set aside to prepare our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies to draw near to Jesus for the first time or for yet another time.  Traditionally, the 40-day season is an invitation to draw near to Jesus through prayer, fasting, and participation in a small group as well as through acts of kindness, generosity, and worship.

Through a renewed focus on and practice of these disciplines, there is the possibility of a “reset” in our relationship with Jesus.  This reset often begins with the confession of our shortcomings, our mistakes, and our sin.  As we seek a deeper relationship with Jesus, He promises to give us the gift of forgiveness.

Ash Wednesday is often celebrated with the mark of ash on the forehead of those who desire to engage in a sincere search for deeper relationship with Jesus.  The ash is a mark to remind us of our mortality, our frailty, and our “bent towards sin.”  It is also a reminder that forgiveness as well as restoration and renewal are only possible through the sacrificial death of Jesus on a cross.

We want God’s forgiveness to reset our life, our relationships, and our future.  We want the second chance, the transformation of our life, and the erasing of the stain of our sin.  We want to grow more and more into the likeness of Christ. 

We trust all this is possible through the death of Jesus.  We believe forgiveness is the starting point of a new life in Jesus!  In Colossians 1:13-14 we hear; “He (Jesus) has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

However, we often avoid the surrender which will bring the growth we desire.  We want and need the forgiveness that will set and reset our relationships with Jesus, with other people, and with our self.  But, we often hesitate to engage in the surrender that will lead us on a path of growth and maturity after we have been forgiven by Jesus.

Without a complete surrender to Jesus as Lord of our life, we almost always find ourselves engaging in the same hurtful behaviors, focusing upon the same bad attitudes, and holding onto the same pessimistic perspectives that led us to sin in the first place.  Distance grows in our relationship with Jesus and other people, self-reliance flourishes when we meet the next challenge, and a lack of power in our living continues to disappoint. 

After we are forgiven by Jesus, we are invited to make a complete surrender to Jesus as Lord of our life.  As we surrender to Jesus being in control, we invite Jesus to take the lead, and submit to the reign of Jesus, amazing growth and maturity will occur in us.

In Luke 9:23-25 Jesus says;  “If any wish to come after me (Jesus), let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.  For what does it profit them if they gain the whole world but lose or forfeit themselves?”

Jesus speaks about denying our self, taking up our cross (burdens), and following Jesus.  Then, Jesus says that if we want to experience an abundant life, we must be willing to lose our life.  In other words, real life, abundant life, and even eternal life become possible when we surrender our heart, mind, soul, and body (i.e., our life!) to Jesus as Lord of our life.

We want Jesus to forgive our sin, but often hesitate to surrender our life to Jesus.  The consequence is we miss out on the peace and joy that come when we are fully surrendered to Jesus. 

I invite you to ask Jesus to forgive you…especially for the one thing in you that you wonder if Jesus will ever forgive.  Approach Jesus with confidence that He loves you and died for you.  Draw near to Jesus with the boldness that comes in believing that when Jesus died on the cross, He died for you and that terrible thing that haunts you in the night.

And then, I invite you to surrender to Jesus as Lord of your life…completely, entirely, wholly.  Put yourself aside.  Take up a new life in Jesus in which you are willing to do the hard things because Jesus asks you.  Trust Jesus enough to follow Him where ever Jesus leads from this point.  Risk giving away your life for Jesus.  Surrender all of you and all of your life to Jesus as your Lord.  Give Jesus all of your past, all of your today, and all of your tomorrow. 

Let these next 40 days be an opportunity to be forgiven by Jesus and to be surrendered to Jesus.  When you do, your heart will be filled with joy and your soul will take delight in the Lord Jesus.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug