COMMITMENT TO GOD 

            Many people find it difficult to commit themselves to anything. They are tentative, indecisive, and afraid of responsibility.  Also sometimes we think that we have made a commitment to a certain thing or person, and find later that the level of commitment is very shallow, in fact it may not even exist at all.  Sometime we take what we say to lightly, and we put little stock in the promises that we make. (Eccles. 5:4-6)

 Children of God should be committed to what they say and most of all we should be completely committed to God. 

Mark 12:29 - The command, Love the Lord your God, calls for a voluntary commitment to God that is personal, comprehensive, and wholehearted. This is emphasized by the repeated words with (“out of,” denoting source), all ( “the whole of”), your.  The ‘your’ used here is singular to indicate that this is a personal commitment, not a corporate one.  The various terms relating to the human personality—heart (control center; Mark 7:19; Prov. 4:21-23), mind (thought capacity), and strength (bodily powers), soul (self-conscious life; Mark 8:35-36), indicate a total commitment of all that we are. (NOTE:  Some define the soul as the life, emotions, passions, feelings and appetites.)  

Luke 9:23-26 – Note that these verses follow a passage were Jesus talks about His death. Those who follow Jesus are to have the same attitude toward death and life that He had. Each of us must deny ourselves, that is, not think about our own good. We must take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus, that is, we must daily choose to resist acting outside of the will of God, even if it means death.

The words Jesus spoke in this setting must be understood in their historical context. Not long before this the disciples had been actively engaged in telling the nation about the Messiah and His kingdom program.  Many probably thought the disciples were throwing their lives away. They had given up their sources of income and were in danger because they associated with Jesus. Jesus assured His disciples that they were doing the right thing. They had chosen the proper values (9:24-25). People were to respond in faith and identify with that program (v. 4). Those who did not identify with the kingdom program would be rejected (v. 5). In the same manner Jesus noted that if one is ashamed of Him (i.e., will not identify with Him or believe on Him) and His words (i.e., His message), the Son of Man will be ashamed of him in the future. It was vital that the people of that generation side with Jesus and His disciples in order to escape future judgment. That judgment will occur when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (2 Thess. 1:7-10).

Is it any less important now in this generation that people side with Jesus and accept the Gospel message?  If having the world hear and accept the Gospel message is as important now as then, would Jesus require any less of His disciples now than He did then? No, in fact He expects more of us (John 14:12). Christians follow their Lord by imitating his life and obeying his commands. To take up the cross means to carry our own cross to the place where we would be killed. Applied to His disciples, it means to identify completely with Christ’s message, even if it means death. We must deny our selfish desires to use our time and money our own way and to choose our own direction in life without regard to Christ. Following Christ is costly, but in the long run, it is well worth the pain and effort. 

John 12:25-26 - We must be so committed to living for Christ that we “hate” our lives by comparison. This does not mean that we long to die or that we are careless or destructive with the life God has given, but that we are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. As children of God we can not be self-centered. By laying aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our lives and transferring control to Christ bring eternal life and genuine joy.  We are to be so committed to Jesus that even our love for our immediate family and our most beloved friends is not to be greater than our love for Jesus (Matt. 10:34-39). 

            In fact, our willingness to give all gives evidence to our commitment to Christ.  The way we live shows other the strength of our commitment to serving God. 

James 4:7-10 – This passage calls for commitment (v. 7), cleansing (v. 8), and contrition (repentance) (v. 9).  The call for commitment has both positive and negative sides: submit… to God and resist the devil.  Here submit is a military term which means, “to be subordinated”, or “to render obedience.”  Resist means to take a stand against. So we are told to render obedience to God and take a stand against the devil and he will flee.  Rather than standing with the devil we are to draw near to God and He, in response will come near to us. To draw near to God, however, demands a cleansing of the heart and a steadfast commitment to walk uprightly before Him.  We are to be grieved, mourn, and wail because of our sin.  This does not mean that we should just cry all the time because we have done wrong.  But rather, we should be truly sorry, recognizing that sin is not something to be laughed at.   If we are truly committed to God, we will submit to His will (John 14:15). 

Along with selfishness, there are other reasons why one might renege on his commitment to God. 

Luke 14:28-33 – Many times people start out with Christ without really taking time to consider the decision they are making.  They do not count the cost and therefore are not identifying making the decision to get saved with total commitment and sacrifice. 

Luke 9:57-62 - Many in Jesus’ day volunteered or were called to discipleship. But many fell short on commitment.  There was the eager disciple (Luke 9:57) who volunteered to follow Jesus anywhere—till Jesus warned that discipleship might be uncomfortable. There was the reluctant disciple (Luke 9:59) who, when commanded to follow, wanted to wait until he buried his father.  Jesus rejected his excuse. There was also the someday disciple (Luke 9:61), who wanted only a little time. Just to say good-bye to the home folks. Then, someday soon, he would follow. This too was unsatisfactory.   You see, what Jesus seeks is the now disciple (Luke 9:62). Jesus wants the person who will put his or her hand to the plow and, without looking back, move straight out to do God’s will.

 When plowing, the farmer picked out a pair of marks at the far end of the field to keep the furrow straight. If while plowing he looked back or got distracted, the plow wandered, and the furrow snaked off across the field. Only by looking ahead, with eyes fixed on his guiding marks, could the field be properly plowed.  This is what Jesus asks of us. To fix our eyes ahead, on Him, and not to look back. We are to take the plow, now, and commit ourselves to His task. 

John 6:26-27 - Sometimes people come to Christ for improper reasons.  They seek Him for what they believe they can get, and not for who He is.  These will generally become discouraged and fall along the wayside when they fail to receive what they want, when they want it.  But true commitment will stand the test of time, disappointment, lack of understanding, test, trials, etc. 

Gen. 22:1-2 - The purpose of testing is to strengthen our character and deepen our commitment to God and his perfect timing. Through this difficult experience, Abraham strengthened his commitment to obey God. He also learned about God’s ability to provide.  When we set our hearts and minds on enduring through difficult time it helps us to see the level of our commitment to God. 

            If we really do love Jesus, as we say that we do, then we will be committed to following the example He has set for us.  He told His disciples “If you love me, keep my commandments”.  When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment”.   If we love Him, we will show total commitment to God.