His servants ye are to whom ye obey.

— Romans 6:16

The first thing to do in examining the power that dominates me is to
take hold of the unwelcome fact that I am responsible for being thus
dominated. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because at a
point away back I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so
because I have yielded myself to Him.

Yield in childhood to selfishness, and you will find it the most
enchaining tyranny on earth. There is no power in the human soul of
itself to break the bondage of a disposition formed by yielding.
Yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust (remember what
lust is: “I must have it at once,” whether it be the lust of the
flesh or the lust of the mind) – once yield and though you may hate
yourself for having yielded, you are a bondslave to that thing. There
is no release in human power at all but only in the Redemption. You
must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One Who can
break the dominating power viz., the Lord Jesus Christ – “He hath
anointed me…to preach deliverance to all captives.”

You find this out in the most ridiculously small ways – “Oh, I can
give that habit up when I like.” You cannot, you will find that the
habit absolutely dominates you because you yielded to it willingly.
It is easy to sing – “He will break every fetter” and at the same
time be living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. Yielding to
Jesus will break every form of slavery in any human life.

On this day...

• Using all the understanding God has given you - 2012
• Instead of reacting - act upon the Word - 2012
• Practise whatever you learn - 2012
• Perfectly reconciled to God because of Christ - 2012
• Save all you can - 2012
• Romans 12:1-2 | Romans - 2011
• Hebrews 2:17-18 | Hebrews - 2011
• Hebrews 2:14-15 | Hebrews - 2011
• Hebrews 2:10 | Hebrews - 2011
• Welcome! - 2008