I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,

I surrender all.

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,

Humbly at His feet I bow,

Worldly pleasures all forsaken,

Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender,

Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;

May Thy Holy Spirit fill me,

May I know Thy pow’r divine.

All to Jesus I surrender,

Lord, I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power,

Let Thy blessing fall on me.

JUDSON W. VAN DE VENTER (1855–1939)

MANY CHRISTIANS have sung this song with their fingers crossed. But J. W. Van De Venter meant it. He was a schoolteacher by profession but an artist at heart. Teaching school allowed him to make a living while he continued his study of drawing and painting. After evangelistic meetings in his church, friends saw his gifts in counseling and working with people and urged him to become an evangelist. For five years he wavered between his love of art and what seemed to be God’s calling to evangelistic ministry.

He later recalled, “At last the pivotal hour of my life came and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me.” A few years later, Van De Venter, remembering that decisive moment, wrote this hymn.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

Philippians 3:7-8