SEARCHLIGHT
Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ?
SCRIPTURE
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus… Philemon 1 NIV
…an old man now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus Philemon 9 NIV
Paul, prisoner for the sake of Jesus Christ… Philemon 1 J. B. PHILLIPS
…from the old man in prison for Jesus Christ’s sake… Philemon 9 J. B. PHILLIPS
SPOTLIGHT
What prison have you chosen to be in? The Bible presents a picture of everyone being in different types of prisons. Either you are a prisoner of sin or a prisoner of Jesus Christ. [Galatians 3:22 - Read the devotional entitled “Don’t Forget the Prison You Left.”] Either you are a prisoner without hope, or you are a prisoner of hope. [Zechariah 9:11,12 – Read the devotional entitled “Become A Prisoner of Hope”] Either you are a prisoner to yourself or a prisoner for Jesus Christ. [Romans 6:6 – Read on]
China’s Han Dynasty marked a time of territories being ruthlessly conquered. The story is told that during one battle an enemy soldier knew he was defeated. He stripped off part of his shirt and waved it in the air. This was his way of surrendering. He was about to be put into prison. It is said that from that moment the tradition of ending a battle by waving a white flag began. Will you wave a white flag to Jesus, signifying that you are surrendering your life to Him?
As a follower of Jesus Christ, have you come to the point in your life where you earnestly pray “All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. I surrender all, all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.” These words became the basis for the hymn “I Surrender All” which was composed by J. W. Van de Venter in the late 1800’s. Before becoming an evangelist, he struggled with totally giving his life to serve Jesus but when he did, he wrote this famous hymn. Later, Evangelist Billy Graham was greatly influenced by the call of this song for 100% total commitment to follow Jesus Christ regardless of the cost. Because both men surrendered their all, God was able to greatly use them.
Is your personal commitment to Jesus strong enough for you to say, “All to Jesus I surrender?” Paul the Apostle was totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. He testified to being 100% committed to Christ when he wrote the first verse in his letter called “Philemon.” Take a moment to read the above Scripture focus which is presented in two different ways. As Paul opens his letter, translations vary about whether to use the word “a prisoner OF Christ Jesus” or “prisoner FOR Jesus.” I have decided to write about the lessons learned from both of them.
As a Christian believer, you are both a prisoner of Jesus Christ and a prisoner for Jesus Christ. These key words “OF” and “FOR” speak to you about surrendering your entire life to follow and serve Jesus Christ. Paul wrote this fourth letter from prison. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon are called the Prison Epistles because the Apostle wrote them while being incarcerated for his faith in Jesus Christ. The Romans put him under house arrest. Read Acts 28:30,31.
If you are a prisoner OF Jesus Christ, you are a prisoner by choice not by crime. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have chosen to be known as a Christian. No one has arrested you and you have not broken any government laws. You decided that the number one authority in your life should be Jesus rather than you. This is why you can describe yourself as Christ’s prisoner. You know you can leave your “Christ prison” anytime because you are governed by free will. However, you choose to be directed by your Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. No longer are you ruled by your self-centered sinful nature. You believe you are not incarcerated but liberated. Jesus said, “…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [John 8:32 NIV] “So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” [John 8:36] You know you are not treated as a criminal but as a child of God. [John 1:12,13; Galatians 3:26; Philippians 2:15; 1 John 3:1,2] Rather than being restricted, God says you are royalty. [Romans 6:16-17; 1 Peter 2:9] By choosing to be prisoner of Christ, you are enjoying a Christ-centered life, not a self-determined life. You are becoming all God intends you to be rather than what you want to be.
If you are a prisoner FOR Jesus Christ, you may or may not be physically confined, but you are facing opposition because you have decided to follow Christ. You have decided to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ regardless of the cost. [2 Corinthians 5:18-21] Paul was in chains but believed the Roman guards were chained to him so he could share the Gospel. [2 Timothy 2:9,10] Like Paul, you are sharing your faith so people will become believers. [Ephesians 3:1; 4:1] You are not ashamed to share your faith [2 Timothy 1:8,11,12] because you are not ashamed of the Gospel. This life changing Good News is the power of God unto salvation. [Romans 1:16]
What prison do you want to be in? You have to CHOOSE YOUR PRISON. Decide daily to surrender your all to Jesus Christ. Only then will your life reach its fullest and satisfying heights. What is most worthwhile in life is for you to be both a prisoner OF Jesus Christ and a prisoner FOR Jesus Christ
SOMETHING TO DO
In the above devotional, there are many Bible verses which will greatly bless you should you take the time to look them up. Some of the verses should be memorized.
Take some time to reflect on the difference between praying a sinner’s prayer to become born again and surrendering your entire life to Jesus Christ.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, I surrender my all to You. I freely give You my life. I believe what is most worthwhile for my life is discovered by being 100% committed to You. I trust You to daily lead me. What the world offers me is nothing in comparison to Your grace, mercy, peace, guidance, and blessings. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. May I daily experience your divine power in my life so that I may share Your Good News about living. AMEN