Spiritual progress is a series of “Yeses” to the Lord. To say, “Yes” affirms His Lordship in our lives. To say, “No, Lord” is a contradiction. We are saved by confessing and living out “Jesus is Lord”. There is an initial “Yes” that is reaffirmed by a lifetime of “Yeses”. The first surrendering “Yes” nails it down and the rest of the “Yeses” entrench that surrender into character. Jesus says, “Follow me!”, and our “Yes” is to follow. He says, “Deny yourself and take up your cross” and our “Yes” is to embrace the painful process. He says, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you,” and our “Yes” is to trust the promise. Eve said, “No” to God. The virgin Mary said “Yes”. That “Yes” made her fit to be the “God-bearer”. Our “Yeses” take us into holiness as Christlikeness where we too become God-bearers.
“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38 (NRSV)
From “Build On The Rock”, by H. Lamar Smith
