A true disciple is one whose living has been given over completely to our God.  Giving oneself over to Him is important because the life of a true Christian is literally the life of Christ Himself lived in a person.  Thus, Paul states that he “…Has been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ Who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

The term, “yielding” is often used to describe our attitude regarding the new life of Christ in us by His Holy Spirit.  The scriptures teach that surrendering or yielding to Him represents a daily habit of mind and way of being.

We have a cooperating role with the Spirit within us in the death of our self-life and our fleshly living. It is our God’s work to put our self-life to death, and ours to seek and cooperate with His work to do this.  Our cooperation is expressed an abandonment to obedience to Him in every aspect of daily living.

Jesus spoke to this on five separate occasions recorded in the scriptures, all using words such as “Whoever finds (or saves) his life will lose (or destroy) it, but whoever loses (destroys) his life for my sake will find (save) it.” Clearly, Jesus is stating that to retain control over our living is to lose the Christ life in us.

What comprises this life of yielding or surrendering ourselves to Him?

Presenting (yielding) ourselves to our God (Romans 6:13-14, Romans 12:1-2).  We do this as those alive from the dead, as living sacrifices.

Denying of the self-life daily, as Jesus stated in Matthew 10:37-39 and 16:24-27, Luke 9:23-24 and 14:25-33, and John 12:24-25.  This is the ongoing denial of our self-will, self-efficacy, and self-motivation so that the will, efficacy, and motivation of Christ may be working in us by His Spirit.

Paul spoke of this abandonment to obedience as a continual attitude of emptying oneself so as to gain the benefits of the life of Christ lived in oneself (Philippians 2:5-8, 3:7-16). 

To become a true disciple requires that one to remain out of the way of the Christ life in us. There is room for only one ruler over one’s life. If it is not Christ, it is us. Thus, Christ insists on our total self-denial with such terms as being crucified with Him and destroying our living so as to save our life

The scriptures explain our life in Christ in these terms:

Abiding in Christ (John 15:4-7). This conveys an attitude of abiding continually in communion in the same way a branch is continually drawing life and responding to the vine. 

Paul spoke of this life as walking according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1-14).  This means to be habitually governed by the Spirit in all aspects of our living.

Seeking the things of God continually (Colossians 3:1-4).  Paul describes this seeking as a continual setting of the mind on the things of Christ at the expense of earthly things. 

It is clear in the scriptures that this way of being is the life our God intends for us as His followers. These represent our commitment to and our cooperation with the ongoing life of Christ in us by His Spirit.  If the commitment and cooperation are absent, then we have not agreed to the terms of Jesus regarding our redemption.

Image quote via Pinterest. Banner image via author, Lake Helen, Cloud Peak Wilderness, Wyoming.