Misconceptions About Salvation
#8 "Surrender to God and you will be saved."
The cause of this misconception is the failure to distinguish between the result of salvation and the requirement of salvation. This is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. It is a case of reversing the order of salvation.
Salvation is not about the sinner's surrender to God. The sinner's surrender can never take away his sins. It is filthy rags in the eyes of God. Rather, salvation is about the SAVIOR'S SURRENDER TO GOD, when He gave His life for all our sins.
You can surrender all you want, but if Christ did not surrender His life on the Cross to die for your sins, you will never be saved.
Salvation is trusting in the surrender that the Lord Jesus made on the Cross of Calvary. And when the sinner trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on Calvary, he will be given a new nature that enables him to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ as a result.
Let us not confuse the result with the requirement.
Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
In one word that verse is saying: “Surrender”. Now, who is he telling here to surrender? Christians; already saved people. Look: “BRETHREN”.
From chapter 1 to chapter 8 of the book of Romans, the apostle Paul has been talking about salvation. That the Roman Christians were under condemnation but they have been justified, sanctified and will be glorified in the future.
Chapter 12:1, Paul is now giving the application. Paul is now saying: “Now, since you are now justified, since you are now sanctified, since you are now glorified positionally and will be glorified actually in the future, do this: “Surrender! Present your bodies a living sacrifice.”
In other words, you are now saved, therefore surrender. Friends, it is saved sinners that are called to surrender. Do not trust in your surrender to the Savior for salvation. Rather, trust in the Savior who surrendered His life for your salvation.
The problem with an unsaved sinner is precisely this---he cannot surrender to God. He is unable. Salvation is being saved from the lordship of sin in his life to the Lordship of Christ.
