Commitment

My wife and I will have been married 6 years in October.  In that time we’ve had two houses, one dog, a little girl, and countless adventures.

Like any couple, we’ve had our own challenges that we’ve faced together.  But if I could do it all over again, I would gladly say those vows once more!

When I first presented this lesson Brandie and I had just gotten married.  I wrote in the introduction to that original draft that the responsibilities of the big commitment hadn’t fully sunk in yet, but that I was praying I would be able to do my best to uphold the weight of those vows I swore to uphold to both Brandie and our God.

Of course, to many people marriage is a commitment that is just too big to take on and they’ll actively flee it or – if they even got married to begin with – they may dismiss their spouse at the first sign of trouble…  As students of the Bible we of course know that marriage is meant to be a life-long commitment.

Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’  ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 

However, unfortunately, people don’t seem to care much about commitment in today’s world.  Whether it’s in business deals, marriages or simply promises made to friends, “commitment” is a word that’s sadly become empty and devoid of its meaning.

Earthly Commitments and Spiritual Commitments

But whether we take them seriously or not, we make commitments on almost a daily basis.  We pledge to repay loans, make payments with credit cards, and make promises without even thinking about it at times.

However, Jesus urges us to not make promises or pledges to others.

Matthew 5:33-37  Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

If we make a promise that we can’t keep, we have made ourselves into liars!  As Jesus said, we should let our “Yes” be “Yes” and our “No” be “No.”  But if we do make pledges, oaths, or other Earthly commitments we are obligated to uphold them!  Likewise, if we make a spiritual commitment, we are obliged to uphold it!

Christian Commitments

Becoming a Christian is a spiritual commitment.  When we became Christians, we committed our lives to Christ! In doing so, we committed ourselves to a life in service to God.  Surely, this is a commitment we can't afford to take lightly!

Ephesians 4:1-3 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…

Like most commitments, there are a lot of duties that go accompany the original pledge.  I would like to discuss just a few of the obligations that accompany a Christian’s commitment to Christ.


• Obligations to the Church and Fellow Christians

As Christians we should be encouraging and uplifting to our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Colossians 3:15-16 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

One of the most discouraging things to a Christian is for them to see other Christians not coming to church on a regular basis.  Therefore regular church attendance is not only for worshipping God, but also for edification of our fellow saints.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.  


• Obligations to the Poor

We have an obligation to be charitable, in particular to needy saints, but also to any we may encounter who need help.

1 Timothy 6:18-19  Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.


• Obligations to Unbelievers

We should be a good example and share the Gospel with others.

Matthew 5:13-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.


• Obligations to Family

The Bible teaches that everyone in the family unit has special role to fulfill.

Colossians 3:18-20 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.  Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. 

Mutual love and respect are the foundation of a family’s commitment to each other.

Ephesians 5:25-29 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 


• Above All: Obligations to God!!!

Of course, above all, Christians have the biggest obligation to God.  The great thing about our commitment to Christ is that all of those other obligations just seem to fall in place if we have an enduring love for God and a fervent desire to obey His will.

Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Just as Paul pointed out in Romans, as followers of Christ we are to present ourselves as living sacrifices.

Think about what that means.  We should be dead to the world and living for God, giving Him our all.

However, when we commit, we give everything!  Christians are committed to God Himself and He, above all other, above everything else, deserves all that we have!  We need to remember that and keep our priorities straight in this life if we want to be true servants of God.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Are we Lukewarm?

In the book of Revelation we can read of seven different churches, representing nearly every type of congregation one could expect to encounter. One church in particular we would not want to emulate…

Revelation 3:15-16 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 

Are we serving Christ with all of our effort?  Or are we only partially committed.  A true Christian should be “on fire” for Christ.

Convenient is not an adjective one would use to describe commitment.  Of course, keeping any kind of earthly commitment is no easy task.  Spirtual commitments are no different.   Think of all the faithful followers of God in the Bible.  Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Jesus Himself!  Their commitment to God led them down some rocky paths!

It’s easy to recognize that true commitment requires sacrifice.  Christ, of course, is the ultimate example of this truth.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

“Vows Made in Storms”

While Brandie and I were on our honeymoon, I remember reading a sign at one of the restaurants we visited which read:

  “Vows made in storms are forgotten in calm waters.”

Let’s examine the truth in this saying for a while.

We’ve all heard stories of unbelievers who encountered some kind of hardship in life.  Whether it be a serious illness or financial ruin, the desperate unbeliever may pray to God, “God, if you’ll just get me through this, I swear that I will change my life and live for you.”

Sometimes it works out that they end out coming out of the dire situation just fine and maybe, for a while, it seems the unbeliever really did turn their life around for God.  But eventually, once the tribulation is forgotten, they go right back to the life they were living before.  The vow they made in the storm was forgotten in the calm waters.

I think the opposite can be true also: Vows made in calm waters can be forgotten in storms.

It’s really easy to be a Christian when everything is right with the world.  But the moment that things get hard whether it be poor health or persecution of some form or whatever, when things get hard, people will unfortunately forfeit their commitment to God.

Let’s strive to remember God always, whether it is in calm or stormy waters.

After all, God is committed to us; shouldn’t we be committed to Him?

Hebrews 10:23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.