The mark of a born-again Christian is measured in their yielding to the will of God in and for their lives. Obedience to God, is required of all Christians and the mark of obedience, is yielding.

Yield is translated from the Greek πείθω or peithō meaning to persuade (to induce one by words to believe); to make friends of, to win one’s favour, gain one’s good will, or to seek to win one, strive to please one; to tranquillise; to persuade unto, (move or induce one to persuasion to do something); to be persuaded, to allow one’s self to be persuaded; to believe; to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with; to trust, have confidence, be confident.

To Yield is a verb, it is an action word and as such, when we yield, it is a conscious choice we make; whether it is a free choice or a choice we have forced upon us.

God is not in the business of forcing His will upon us. Instead He makes His will known to us and allows us the opportunity to follow Him. God allows us the opportunity to yield to Him in obedience, or to reject Him and follow His enemy, eventually paying the ultimate price of that choice.

The heart of the Gospel, the heart of the Good News of Jesus Christ may be summarised in three words: God Saves Sinners. To be saved by God, we need only do one thing, Yield to Him. As we yield, all else will fall into place around us and in us. As we yield to the written Word of God, God will change us from the inside out.

Romans 6:13 tells us “Do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God, as one alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” We are being asked here to yield ourselves to the lowest level and let God do the rest. We are not to come to Him with heirs and graces, but in abject humility and allow Him to raise us up in His way and in His time.

As we yield, we will become living sacrifices to the Living God who will dwell in us as Romans 12:1 says “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” But we are not to look upon our position and wonder or in questioning. For as Romans 2:4 asks us: “do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” The answer is in Second Corinthians 5:15 where it is clearly stated that “he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

This is the Gospel, the Good News of the New Testament, that Jesus died for us and that through His sacrifice, we, all sinners, may be saved and have eternal life, just as God the Father, wants for us.

The New Testament has more for us on yielding:

Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to him whom you obey; whether it is of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness.”

Romans 6:19 “I speak in the manner of men because of the weakness of your flesh; for as you have yielded your members as slaves to uncleanness, and to lawless act unto lawless act, even so now yield your members as slaves to righteousness unto holiness.”

Galatians 2:4 “But because of those false brothers stealing in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus; they desiring to enslave us; to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

Hebrews 13:17 “Yield to those leading you, and be submissive, for they watch for your souls, as those who must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you.”

Yes, while all born-again Christians must yield to God in obedience, as Hebrews 13:17 explains, we are also to yield to our leaders. Why? Because our leaders have been put in place over us by God and He will call them to account for their actions and results. What is interesting here, is full explanation as to the cause and effect of our actions: if we are yielding and submissive to our leaders, then they will yield with joy and that will be profitable for us. The contrary is also true, if we do not yield to our leaders with joy, but with grief, then it will be unprofitable for us.
Amen and Amen.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I confess that I have not yielded to You in all things and at all times. I confess also that I have not yielded to the leaders whom You have positioned over me and have been rebellious to You and them.
I pray Lord, that you will curb and remove this rebellious nature in me and restore me into Your perfect will for my life such that Your destiny for me will be fulfilled. I pray Lord that You will help me grow in humility and submission to You and those leaders You have placed over me. I pray Lord, You will give me a new and perfect understanding of what it means to be yielded to You, and to You alone.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen and Amen.