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AS your conscience has been quickened by
the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its
woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. You feel that sin has separated you from God,
that you are in bondage to the power of evil. The more you struggle to escape, the more
you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You see
that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. You long to be forgiven, to be
cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him--what can you do to obtain it?

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GoogleMany are inquiring, "How
am I to make the surrender of myself to God?" You desire to give yourself to Him, but
you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your
life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your
thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and
forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel
that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the
true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of
decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of
choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you
cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can
give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good
pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of
Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with
Him.