Holy. It’s the only word in scripture repeatedly echoed three times, demonstrating the supremacy of its value (Rev 4:8-11). Is Jesus’s holiness worth surrendering our lives for?

Joshua prepared to advance into Jericho at the precise location where God’s people disobediently refused to enter 40 years prior (Josh 5-6). The Commander of the Lord, a pre-incarnate Jesus, enters the scene with His sword drawn directly at Joshua. Joshua asks the Commander if he’ll join him in battle, but the Lord asks Joshua if he’ll fully yield to Him. When Joshua recognizes who stands before him, he falls face down surrendered in worship, asking the Lord what is required of his life. It’s a powerful image of full abandon to God’s authority and will, that challenges us today. Do we ask God to join our plans or fully yield to His? Do we fully surrender to His plans even when we don’t understand or agree?

There are many ways that our sinful hearts convince us to resist surrender and believe that partial yielding to the Lord is good enough. Ananias and Saphira pledged one financial amount yet deceptively held back a portion for themselves (Acts 5:1-11). To prevent God’s ark from toppling in the dirt, Uzzah disobeyed God’s command to never touch it (1 Chron 13:10). They justified their spiritual disobedience with human logic which costs them their lives. Our justifications to resist full obedience can stem from the same pride-filled root – we overestimate our goodness and underestimate His holiness. Our attempts to only partially surrender are fully seen by our all-present God who refuses to let us remain at arm’s length. He desires our full surrender so that we fall into His full embrace.

Throughout scripture, we often see people glimpse God’s glory, which simultaneously reveals their own sinfulness. Like Joshua, their reaction is clear and immediate – they fall face down and yield (Hab 3:16; Luk 5:8; Is 6:5). Similarly, we must be willing to fully surrender our lives to the Lord no matter the cost, compelled and consumed by our aim to echo His holiness from our lives. Full yielding resists compromise; it doesn’t demand control or compare our lives to others (John 21:22). It understands that we’ll never enjoy increasing levels of holiness unless we’re willing for Him to remove our unholiness.

Our encouragement and hope lay in the Commander of the Lord who didn’t come to crush us but to rescue us. A sword was drawn to pierce and slaughter Jesus on the cross so that we would escape the penalty of our sin and be joined in relationship with Him (Is 53:5). As we behold our Saviour voluntarily yielding to the full slaughter that was marked for us, how can we hesitate to fully yield our lives to Him? When we repent of our unholiness, He gifts us with His holiness through His Spirit. Standing in His strength and resources, we have all that we need to slay the sin within us and magnify His holy beauty within whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

Actions demonstrate belief. Centuries later, as we gaze upon the holiness and kindness of the One who fell on the sword of sin for us, we’re now charged with the same question that Joshua’s listeners heard, to “choose this day whom you will [fully] serve” (Josh 24:15).