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Self-surrender
self-su-ren’-der: The struggle between the natural human impulses of selfseeking, self-defence and the like, on the one hand, and the more altruistic impulse toward self-denial, self-surrender, on the other, is as old as the race. All religions imply some conception of surrender of self to deity, ranging in ethical quality from a heathen fanaticism which impels to complete physical exhaustion or rapture, superinduced by more or less mechanical means, to the high spiritual quality of self-sacrifice to the divinest aims and achievements. The Scriptures represent self-surrender as among the noblest of human virtues.
I. In the Old Testament.
1. Illustrious Examples:
In the Old Testament self-surrender is taught in the early account of the first pair. Each was to be given to the other (
2. The Levitical System:
3. The Prophets:
In the divine call to the prophets and in their life-work self-surrender is prominent. The seer, as such, must be receptive to the divine impress, and as mouthpiece of God, he must speak not his own words, but God’s: "Thus saith the Lord." He was to be a "man of God," a "man of the spirit." `The hand of the Lord was upon me’ (
4. Post-exilic Examples:
On the return of the faithful remnant from captivity, self-giving for the sake of Israel’s faith was dominant, the people enduring great hardships for the future of the nation and the accomplishment of Yahweh’s purposes. This is the spirit of the great Messianic passage,
II. In the New Testament.
1. Christ’s Teaching and Example:
See Kenosis.
2. Ac of Apostles:
The early disciples practiced the virtue of self-surrender. Counting none of their possessions their own, they gave to the good of all (
3. Epistles of Paul:
In the Epistles of Peter self-surrender is taught more than once. Those who were once like sheep astray now submit to the guidance of the Shepherd of souls (
So also in other Epistles, the Christian is to subject himself to God (