“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” - Acts 9:4-6
When an army enters a battle, victory is the objective. The soldiers are equipped and trained to win. No army is sent into battle with the objective of surrendering.
On a personal level, our sinful human nature resists any attempt by others to control us. When we were young, we would sometimes resent parental authority. As adults, we can get frustrated when others hinder us as we work and live. When we engage in an argument, we want to have the last word.
Defeat is humiliating. Surrender is even worse.
Saul of Tarsus had been an enemy of the Gospel. He actively sought the arrest of Christians. He labored zealously to destroy the Church. In his effort to stop the spread of the Gospel, Saul placed himself in opposition to God. This was a battle he would not ultimately win. On the road to Damascus, God stopped Saul in his tracks. A light came down on Saul and blinded him. God stopped him right there.
Notice what the Bible says. “And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” When the Lord said, “... it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks,” he was basically telling Saul that he was fighting a losing battle. His efforts were in vain. There are some battles you simply can't win. It is foolish to think that you can fight against God all of your life and ultimately come out the victor.
Confronted with the truth, Saul of Tarsus gave up. He surrendered to God. He learned a valuable lesson. Surrender is the path to victory. Surrendering to God leads to triumph.
Most of our society is fighting against God. God's standards have been clearly defined in His Word. Yet most live in violation of God's law. They think that passing legislation with make their sin acceptable. They have sought to label right as wrong and wrong as right. Some have even tried to change the Bible so it will tolerate their sinful rebellion. They are facing a head-on collision with judgment. The ultimate standard is not set by a local judge. Neither is it established by the US Supreme Court. God is the ultimate authority. He has already stated what is right and wrong. He has the power to execute judgment on those who oppose Him.
The Bible says that there will come a time when, “... at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” We will either surrender to His Lordship while we are living … or wish we had later.
Saul of Tarsus surrendered to the Lord. Instead of fiercely fighting against the Lord, he submitted to Him. This personal encounter with Jesus Christ profoundly changed his life.
When an army surrenders, they must lay down their arms and cease all forms of hostility. All rebellion and resistance must come to an end. So it is with us. When we surrender to the Lord, we must surrender our rebellion.
This is a major reason why many refuse to surrender to Jesus Christ. Their pride will not permit them to kneel before anyone … including the Lord. They refuse to have God to rule over them. They wish to maintain control of daily activities and choices. They don't want to be told what to do. This independent, free spirit, though celebrated by the world, keeps people from experiencing true freedom.
Some are fearful that surrendering to the Lord will lead them into a slime-pit of arduous labor, similar to the slavery the Israelites suffered in Egypt. What they don't realize is that they are currently serving a far-worse taskmaster. The devil keeps people in sinful bondage and craftily leads them down the path of destruction. When people surrender to Jesus, the Lord actually delivers them from such spiritual slavery.
Saul of Tarsus eventually became the Apostle Paul. Because he surrendered his life to Jesus, Paul would testify, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” When he surrendered to Christ, Paul gave up all he had in order to gain Jesus.
In surrender, Paul gained more than he gave up.
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