"ARE YOU COMMITTED
TO THE LORD?"
"And he said
to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
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THE WORD "commit" is used
in several different ways with different shades of meaning, even in the
Bible. Among them, is the idea of doing something. This can be seen in
one of the Ten Commandments, which said, "Thou shalt not commit
adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Another idea in the word is to devote oneself
to doing something, or the binding of oneself by a promise or a pledge
to do something (then sticking with it). Psalms 37:5 reads, "Commit
thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."
In marriage we see an extended use of the word. Marriage is a commitment
of a man and a woman to one another for a lifetime. They have formally
entered into this agreement. With commitment, different words like devotion,
loyalty and involvement come to mind.
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In this day when people commit many things, in view of one meaning
of the word, but at the same time there is a diminishing number of lasting
commitments, we ask you a very personal and pointed question. As a professing
Christian, "Are you committed to the Lord?"
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INITIAL COMMITMENT
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The Lord Jesus Christ said many things about being his disciple.
Being a real Christian involves more than most people think. Before entering
into this relationship, there must be that initial resolve and commitment
(and it must be total). It involves counting the cost. Otherwise being
religious may only turn out to be a feeble exercise in futility.
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Luke 14:26-33
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Listen to what the Lord said in Luke 14:26-33. "If any man come to
me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren,
and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And
whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and
counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it...So likewise,
whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be
my disciple" (Read and ponder the in-between Scripture above).
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"Hate" in this context is a Hebrew expression meaning to love less,
not to hate in the bad sense. Matthew 10:37, coming at it from the positive
angle, makes this evident, "He that loveth father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is
not worthy of me." We are to love Christ more than anyone or anything else,
even more than the love of self. It must be supreme, if we would be his
disciples. Figuratively, we must take up our cross and follow him. Luke
9:23 makes it more emphatic, "If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." There must be self-denial,
something little known today, and the added thought of taking up our cross
daily. This is all involved in true discipleship.
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Counting the Cost
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Then our Lord further stated in Luke 14, like a person putting up
a building, that person first must wisely sit down and count the cost.
It is true that there is nothing we can do to earn salvation. Salvation
is all in the context of grace. The word "redemption," repeatedly used
in the New Testament, implies that something has been paid. Paul tells
us in 1 Corinthians 6:20, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify
God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s." We know what that
price was (John 3:16; 1 Peter 1:18,19). But from our perspective, does
counting the cost involve sitting down, figuring out how much we owe God
for salvation and then taking steps to pay Him? No. This would be impossible
(Romans 3:23; 6:23). Paul says, "Now to him that worketh is the reward
not reckoned of grace, but of debt" (Romans 4:4). Notice Ephesians 2:5-9.
No, "counting the cost" involves commitment, not to pay the Lord, but to
follow Him. The price has already been paid. It involves for saking "all,"
otherwise we cannot be His disciples.
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(For additional thought on this in the language of parables, consider
Matthew 13:44-46).
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Twofold Meaning of
Disciple
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The word "disciple" actually has a twofold meaning. Basically, it
means a learner, and then, secondly, it means a follower. We are learners
who have unconditionally committed ourselves to be followers of Christ.
As we learn, we learn to follow. The Great Commission in Matthew plainly
makes this evident. Carefully consider and ponder Matthew 28:18-20. In
making disciples, there is that initial learning, and then the follow-up,
the learners being taught to "observe all things." When a person comes
to Christ, he doesn’t understand or know it all. But he has committed himself,
as a disciple, to keep on learning and to unconditionally follow that which
he learns. It is a commitment that is to be carried out throughout life.
Too many times people are in traditional ruts and have long ago stopped
being learners and are no longer open to follow new truth that is there
to be learned.
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Crucified, But Alive
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The figure of taking up our cross is carried a step further in Galatians
2:20. Here Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself
for me." Not only was Christ crucified, and not only are we to take up
our cross and follow Him, we are to be crucified on this cross. Sinful
self must be put to death. When we repent and are baptized into Christ,
we do this and arise to "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-5). Then,
as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, this becomes a reality. "Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are
passed away; behold all things are become new." Yes, Christ "died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15). This life
lived for Christ is highlighted in Romans 12:1 with the admonition to "present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service." Yes, true commitment to the Lord involves having the
Lord embodied in our lives. We, unselfishly, are to be living sacrifices.
Our testimony should be that of Paul in Galatians 2:20. Can we in truth
say these words?
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The Totality of It
"All"
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Let us further look into the totality of what is involved, as believers,
in our commitment to the Lord. Interestingly, a scribe questioned Jesus
about the greatest commandment. He, unhesitatingly, replied, "The first
of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt 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. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:28-31).
The fact that God is one is highlighted. Their devotion was not to be divided
among many lesser deities (which were nonexistent). God being one, they
were commanded to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." We serve the
same God today, and the only way that we can acceptably respond to Him
is with our all.
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This is likewise further made emphatic in the Sermon on the Mount.
Here the Lord stated in no uncertain terms, "No man can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold
to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew
6:24). Then He summed all of it up by saying, "But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you" (6:33). Yes, the Lord must be Lord of all in our lives; otherwise
He is not Lord at all in our lives. If the Lord is not first in our lives,
He is not in our lives. We may not be perfect, but this must be our mindset
in really being committed to the Lord.
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The word "all" repeatedly appears in the New Testament. Colossians
3:17 plainly states, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus…" The apostle Peter "encompassingly" admonishes,
"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and
envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk
of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:1,2). Likewise Paul admonished
the Ephesians, "I… beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation [calling]
wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering,
forbearing one another in love…" (Ephesians 4:1,2). Next, 1 Corinthians
10:31 reads, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God." We could further add to this list of Scriptures,
but these should plainly and sufficiently illustrate that commitment to
the Lord demands our "all."
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"With Purpose of
Heart"
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In view of all of this, we can only say that with fixed purpose we
enter into commitment to the Lord. There is nothing vague or indefinite
about it. We know where we stand. The church at Jerusalem, when they heard
that many had become Christians at Antioch, sent Barnabas to encourage
these new converts and get them off to a good start. Acts 11:23 reads,
"Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted
them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the
Lord." Their lives now being filled with meaning and purpose, being a Christian
was the driving impetus in being alive. This Scripture brings to mind what
was said about Daniel. In Babylonian captivity, Daniel and the other Hebrew
children were selected as choice young men to serve the king. They were
set aside in preparation for this and were to eat the king’s meat and drink
his wine. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile
himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine he drank…"
(Daniel 1:8). It takes strong convictions to hold up under circumstances
like this. There can be no question mark about where a person stands. Such
purpose of heart is involved in being a real Christian and being committed
to the Lord.
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"Not as One that
Beateth the Air"
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Paul uses the Grecian games to illustrate the necessary commitment
in living the Christian life. He speaks of running a race and boxing in
1 Corinthians 9. This was done with much preparation, deliberation and
purpose. He continues in what he has to say, "And every man that striveth
for the mastery [competes for the prize] is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore
so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1
Corinthians 9:24-27). Discipline, and conditioning, leading up to the games
was rigorous, and being "temperate in all things" was required. In running
a person would gauge himself to win. Likewise, his boxing was not just
so much dancing around and throwing meaningless punches into the air ("as
one that beateth the air"). Each stroke landed as a decisive blow. Everything
had purpose and was calculated to get the job done. Paul emphasized this
figure further in Philippians 3:13 and 14, "But this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus." And this singular resolve and unfettered
effort should be evident in our being committed to the Lord (in being a
real Christian). Of necessity, purpose of heart is behind it all.
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LIFELONG COMMITMENT
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The first part of this article has been about commitment, leading
up to what we have to say now. It is a lifelong commitment to the Lord.
Unless this is clearly defined in our minds, trouble will be in store for
us. We will not be as likely to persevere.
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Not a Sprint
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The race that we have been talking about is not a sprint. It is not
a sudden dash and it’s over. It is a cross-country race usually spread
over many miles and years. Consequently, may we take the admonition of
Hebrews 12:1 and 2 to heart, "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that
is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." The Scripture
we noticed in Philippians 3:13 and 14 fits in well here. Our minds should
be psychologically geared and our pace wisely gauged for the long pull.
Patience is a must.
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Paul’s Testimony
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The apostle Paul, near the finishing line of this race (and with
other figures of the Grecian games in mind), could write, "I am now ready
to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a
good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them
also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul, in his commitment,
had patiently and faithfully endured. He never took his eyes off the prize
of the high calling in Christ. Let us have the same mindset.
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Newborn Babes, Growth,
Maturity
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Another figure lets us know that there is more than the initial commitment
involved. The apostle Peter said, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere
milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). Becoming a Christian
is just the beginning. With birth, there looms before a person a life to
be lived. This figure of a birth is not completely parallel to the reality
of our situation because as a Christian we personally are involved from
the beginning as to how our lives are to be lived. We commit ourselves
to the Lord and this commitment is an ongoing thing throughout life. It
is a commitment to attain unto the measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). That is constantly our goal. We ever reach
onward and upward. We go from being a "babe" to maturity.
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The Lifelong Commitment
Laid Out for Us (2 Peter
1:3-11)
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For your own personal study, the scenario of this lifelong commitment
that will end in heaven is excellently laid out for us in 2 Peter 1:3-11.
It reads, "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that
hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance [self-control]; and
to temperance [self-control] patience [perseverance]; and to patience [perseverance]
godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
charity [love]. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you
that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot
see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and
election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
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Thoughts in Conclusion
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As we draw this article on being committed to the Lord to a conclusion,
consider these thoughts. If you "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind,"
you won’t have any problem coming to all of the services of the church
all of the time, if at all possible. You won’t even have to think about
whether you will attend or not. This was taken care of when you were baptized
(Acts 2:41,42; Heb.10:22,25). Commitment comes with genuine conversion.
And being committed to the Lord helps simplify life when facing temptation,
too. There are certain predetermined bounds that we dare not pass over.
Consequently, right and wrong are more distinctly defined. Even that which
is questionable becomes a "no, no." We "abstain from all appearance of
evil" (1 Thess. 5:22). We want to please our Lord in all things and do
all things for his glory. Never do we want to hear Him proddingly ask,
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say" (Luke
6:46). We with resolve press on in the paths of righteousness. How much
more wonderful to hear the Lord say in that day, "Well done, good and faithful
servant…enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Matthew 25:21,23).
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Yes, it takes real commitment to be a real disciple of Christ, but
it is the most inspiring and rewarding experience possible. In becoming
a Christian, we died to sin and buried the old man of sin in baptism. How
wonderful now for each of us to heed the admonition of Paul, "If ye then
be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth
on the right hand of God. Set your affection [mind] on things above, not
on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4).
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Therefore, we ask again, in the light of all of these truths, "Are
you committed to the Lord?"
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