The Cost of Surrender

The body of Christ

A Church Without Flesh

Imagine someone saying they want to be a Christian. They hear the message of surrender and respond, “I’m in… but I hope God doesn’t ask me to give up anything I like. I hope He doesn’t ask me to surrender my comfort, my job, my house, my hobbies. I hope He doesn’t ask me to give up the person I’m dating, the shows I watch, or the weekends I enjoy.”

If I had a church—which I don’t—I would have to ask: Why are you even here? To follow Christ is to surrender. It is not partial commitment. It is not negotiation.

Imagine approaching God with that same mindset. God calls us to trust, repent, surrender, and submit—and we answer, “I’m in… as long as I can keep my life, my opinions, my desires, my comforts, and the things that make me happy.”

Jesus responds clearly: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

The issue is simple: you cannot cling to the flesh and walk in the Spirit at the same time. When we negotiate with God, we reveal that we do not yet understand the treasure of salvation. Some even say that if God takes away something that makes them happy, they want nothing to do with Him. But that is not surrender—that is creating a god in our own image.

True surrender means choosing to live by the Spirit rather than the flesh. The flesh does not disappear; it still demands comfort, pleasure, recognition, and control. But Scripture calls us to resist it. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24)

We do not feed the flesh—we deny it. We nourish the Spirit. Whatever the flesh demands must take a backseat to God’s truth and His purposes.

Surrender means living to serve and please God—and finding joy in that obedience. If we are unwilling to do this, we have not truly understood what surrender means.

Sadly, many churches struggle to confront this issue. Instead of challenging the flesh, they often accommodate it. I once suggested weekday outreach and was told it wouldn’t work—“people have lives.” But if God is not our life, what are we doing? Scripture says, “For to me, to live is Christ.” (Philippians 1:21)

One sermon on Sunday cannot undo a week spent feeding the flesh while no accountability exists. The church must guide believers toward transformation, not comfort.

I admit—I enjoy when church caters to me. My flesh loves being fed, appreciated, and affirmed. But if I have truly found the treasure of Christ, I do not need to be entertained—I need to be equipped. I need help surrendering more fully so Christ can work through me.

This is why participation often lags. This is why churches sometimes beg for volunteers. When the church looks like the world, it is because the flesh has been fed. Feed the flesh, and the flesh grows.

Look at the believers in Acts:

“Now all who believed were together and had all things in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together… They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God… And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44–47)

Their devotion was not rooted in comfort. It was rooted in surrender.

The Bible calls us to deny the flesh and live by the Spirit. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5–6)

The church is not a buffet for the flesh—it is a training ground for the Spirit. We should not come asking, “What can I get?” but rather, “How can I serve?”

The church is not a place to feed your flesh. It is a place to lose your life—and in losing it, find the treasure of Jesus.

Summary

  • Surrender is not negotiation—it is losing our life to find it (Matthew 16:25).
  • You cannot walk in the Spirit while feeding the flesh (Galatians 5:24).
  • The early church modeled sacrifice, unity, and devotion (Acts 2:44–47).
  • The church exists to equip believers for obedience, not comfort (Philippians 1:21).
  • Living by the Spirit brings life and peace; living by the flesh leads to death (Romans 8:5–6).