Two Conditions

Last week we discussed the first condition which is to
surrender--every habit of your life, every ambition, every 
hope, every loved one, every possession, and yourself--
all these He must have if He is to make Himself not only
your Savior but your life. 

But this is only the first step. Perhaps you made this sur-
render long ago, and have been wondering why you did
not have the victory you longed for. The reason is that 
the Surrendered Life is not necessarily the Victorious Life. 
There is no victory without surrender, but there may be
surrender without victory. 

Once you have put yourself under His authority, then it 
be comes His responsibility, His--I say reverently--duty to 
keep you from the power of sin. He pledges to do so.
"Sin shall not have dominion over you."For you are 
not under law" (Where your works have something to do 
with it), "but under grace." (Where I do it all) Ro 6:14. 
Elsewhere He adds, "My grace is sufficient for you. 
2 Cor 12:9

So it is that our Lord has been waiting for you, not to pray 
for victory, but to praise Him for victory. Many surrendered 
Christians post-pone and prevent victory in their lives by 
praying for it, when Jesus is waiting for them to praise Him 
for it. We are not asking Him to make His grace sufficient 
for us. He tells us that it is already so; and it is our part 
simply to take Him at His word and say, "I thank you Lord."

Let us claim the whole blessed miracle of the Victorious 
Life by praying this sentence prayerfully, thoughtfully, reali-
zing the tremendous meaning of the words, and in our 
hearts praising God that it is true:
"I know that Jesus is meeting all my needs now, because 
His grace is sufficient for me." Charles G Trumbull

Reader, God says that "we are dead to sin"--have you ever
seen a dead man smoking? How ludicrous. But we are not
only dead to sin but, we are "alive unto God." Glory!