When a believer is totally yielded to Christ, it’s not about mouthing it. It must show evidently in the things you do or say and the choices you make.
Jesus said ‘ my sheep hear my voice and they follow me’. He also told His disciples that the world would know that they belong to Him if they obey His commandments.
So, there must be evidence to show our Yieldedness before God and before men.
1, Complete Obedience.
Given that Yieldedness is a surrendering of one’s entire ambitions, aspirations, desires and future in the hand of an Unseen God for direction, speed and purpose, it would be evident in the life of a believer who has chosen this path. A lifestyle of complete complete obedience would characterize the attitude of such a believer. At this point, the believer stops to struggle with God in issues of what to do? Where to go? And how or when to do those things that God is instructing him about? Paul said, Lord, what will thou have me do? This is the character and nature of the BELIEVER who has completely yielded to God. So often, we run into problems with God because we have our own plans. The yielded believer has not such challenge. This doesn’t mean that the believer hasn’t got things that could dissuade him from completely obeying God. Don’t forget that when Abraham obeyed God to leave the land of his nativity, he was still barren?. God wasn’t yet known among his people and even to himself? Yet he obeyed. A yielded man may have his own challenges. Yes, such challenges could be too many, too great. But the difference is that God has become Sovereign over him, hence he has abandoned all of those challenges at the feet of the Master. What a choice to make!
2, Pursuit of Peace and Holiness.
Jesus taught that those who pursue peace here on earth and thirst after rightousness will see God. In Hedrews 12 :14, the Bible says,:
Pursue peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see God.
A yielded believer leads a life of peace and holiness because such a believer is keenly aware that these twin attitudes will determine his fate before a Holy God who will judge all human beings in truth and in righteousness. No wonder Apostle Paul in Acts 24 ,:16 declares thus: :
” And herein do I exercise myself to have always , a conscience void of offence toward God ; and toward men. ‘
How pleasant it will be for all believers to share similar testimony. The pursuit of peace is intentional. It doesn’t make you a weakling, but strong in faith to remain holy and in a position honorable vessel to stand in the gap ‘before God for men’. This understanding may be too high to appreciate by cash and carry human beings- BELIEVERS inclusive- who live in the NOW.
Whereas the Bible teaches us that God is gracious, the point must be understand that His eyes cannot behold iniquity because His nature is holy. Grace doesn’t accommodate Sin , Satan and Self because God gave His only begotten Son Jesus , that through Him mankind would be liberated to overcome principalities and powers of darkness and rulers of this world. Anyone who chooses to remain a slave to these satanic powers has the option of receiving Jesus today in order to see God on the day of reckoning,( Hebrews (9:27. Revelation 21:8.). If Jesus had gone several centuries back to prepare a place for His disciples, it then means that those who will go there with Him must have prepared, also adequately. Are you among the NUMBER making preparations to go with Him? (John 14:1-6). Holiness is the way, the narrow way to go on the day of Visitation.
3, Power in the Holy Ghost.
In Acts 10:38, the Bible tells us :
“How God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good, healing them that were sick and delivering them that were oppressed’ .
We don’t profess to be Jesus’ followers for the sake of it. Jesus said that these signs shall follow them who believe in His name. And that in His name they shall cast out demons, , they shall heal the sick and they shall raise the dead. And if they drink anything deadly including poison, it shall not hurt them. These words and promises are not empty and presumptuous. They are real and constantly manifest in the life of BELIEVERS who are wholly yielded to God. You cannot be yielded to Christ and your home will become a mini Pharmacy. Some may argue about it . But we make no pretentions about it because that is the realm a yielded believer should operate. At over 60 years, God has remained my healer since I began to confess Him in truth and in spirit several decades ago. One of our children didn’t cry for some days at birth, yet he is alive today with all his faculties intact. In fact, he graduated among the top of his Engineering Class at 21. We glory in the fact that the gospel confers on us the power to put the devil, the flesh and the enticement of SIN where they belong.
In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Apostle Paul boasts:
‘ For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power ,and in the Holy Ghost…’.
When a believer yields to God totally, it would be absurd to live like any other person, dwell in sickness like any other person or fear fears reminiscent of unbelievers whose gods are not God.
As a Christian student years back we had just concluded a catch-them-young crusade on Campus. One of our prayer band MEMBERS was denied sleep in his room by forces of darkness– who were angry at what God did during that crusade that night– and he was involved. He ran to my room and slept like a baby. The following morning, we went to his room to tell the devil to vacate. And that settled it. Today that gentleman is a minister doing what he had experienced years back. God is still clothing BELIEVERS with the garment of power and grace. Don’t just be a christian. Get anointing. Get grace and be separated from the crowds that follow Jesus for bread and butter.. As a believer, you must carry grace that should lift you and your family from sickness, poverty and perpetual lack. I pray for you that heaven will open unto you henceforth for grace that overcomes the operations of the devil in your life and family .The Bible says that by anointing every yoke is broken and burdens are lifted. That shall be your portion in Jesus’name. Amen.
4, Contentment.
Contentment is the disposition of being satisfied and grateful for what you have. The nature of not being envious of what others have. Or attempting to appropriate in dishonest manner what doesn’t belong to you. A yielded believer has no need of being discontented with what God has given him . Or to be envious of what others have got. This is because such a believer knows that God has promised to provide his daily needs and to supply everything good to him , according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19). The yielded believer also knows that the earth and all its fullness belong to His Father in Heaven(Psalms 24:1), who has promised to turn the riches of the Gentiles to those who fear Him and are called according to His purpose ‘. Are you yielded and are still anxious about the future,? May the God of Heaven who rules in the affairs of all flesh give you peace and make you sufficient in all that pattern to life and godliness in Jesus’name. Amen. God bless. Kindly share.
.(To be continued in the next Conversation’)
Pastor Okoro can be reached on: 08051000462.
