Well, how do I know if I am completely surrendered to Christ?

It's a question today from a listener named Maria who listens to the podcast from the Netherlands.

Dear Pastor John, thank you so much for this wonderful podcast.

I'd like to respond to APJ 1459, which is titled, I'm afraid of surrendering to Christ.

What can I do?

And I want to respond by posing a follow-up question to it.

How do I know if I'm surrendered to Christ completely?

I grew up in a Christian home, studied at Christian College, got married, worked for a Christian organization.

From the outside, that looks good.

From the inside, I wonder, how do you know that you surrendered everything?

Is it, for example, a mindset of the heart which relates to making good choices?

Is it listening to a sermon instead of watching a TV show?

Is it reading a Christian book instead of non-Christian fiction?

Or is it more related to big things as becoming a missionary and doing lots of volunteer work?

How do I know if my life is completely surrendered to Christ?

I pray throughout the day, but I often feel caught up in earthly chores that I see no eternal value in.

Pastor John, what would you say to Maria?

Let's start by affirming the goal that Maria expresses, namely, to be totally surrendered to Christ.

Nothing held back.

Now, I know, and perhaps Maria knows, that the language of surrender is not explicitly found in the New Testament.

But the reality is there.

The picture of surrender is that once we were enemies and our lives were at odds with God,

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