When Surrender is an Idol
Truth: When Righteousness has His will, our own is often undone.
False: This proves that the undoing of our will is always righteous.
Many Christians have over-spiritualized surrender to the point that righteous action is sacrilegious. Surrender becomes what is holy, instead of God; even if it is an attempt at reverence. When the mindset of relinquishment has become a primary focus, it can lead to a sedentary practice (ie: anti-practice) of Christianity. Surrender is not to be idolized to the point of passivity. Giving up our will is a part of our faith, but it goes hand and hand with works.
When the totality of self -will-abandonment becomes the primary measure to one's spirituality, what is inevitably magnified? Self and abandonment. The Christian becomes obsessed with their crosses and trials, and their faith consists of a relationship to be experienced instead of a religion to practice. Faith should work – not merely experience.
The intentions are noble. Give our will to Jesus – give all for Jesus.
But we look at martyrs of old who really did give “their all” for Jesus. And they were brutally slaughtered not for their experience but for their righteous works and resistance to evil.
This “experience religion” and idolatry of surrender, breeds apathy. It seems spiritual to say “It's not us, we are abandoned, just Christ”, and understandably it's an attempt to give God all the glory, all the responsibility. But instead it leads to disobedience. A refusal to oppose evil. A tolerance of sin, a failure to be Christian. Idolatry of submission hurts people. It is sin. Our inaction is a tolerance of sin – which is evil. Our blind submission to men is dangerous and leads people astray. Our refusal to resist the tyranny that legalizes murder is wicked. We will be held accountable. We must repent. We must obey God.
