His Love = Our Commitment

One of the best things about getting born again, are the privileges and/or benefits we enjoy. God loves us so much, He has a table of goodness laid out for every one of us. The goodness or benefits laid out are so exciting that they have been successfully used to lure people to Christ; unfortunately though, many such persons have found themselves in the place of murmuring and complaining, which God hates. Dealing with the reality of this salvation which contradicts the premise on which they accepted salvation just got too tough. Some others even quit completely. They couldn’t cope with pain caused by disappointment; disappointment from finding oneself in a place which contrasts very deeply with where one thought they would be. Sadly, some no longer desire the true encounter that precedes salvation because they assume that they already had a taste of it and didn’t like it: of course, they are not aware that what they tasted is not the real thing. It takes an encounter with our Lord and Savior to enjoy the sweetness of this faith, with a knowing and an acceptance of the fact that the privileges we enjoy come at a cost; because man is inherently selfish. It takes a regenerated mind to put others first, esteeming them higher than one’s self.

Philippians 2: 3 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”

Romans 8: 17 “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together, with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

The primary reason a man commits to God is a realization that he is a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness and cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ. He acknowledges his deep need for His sin nature to be dealt with and brought under control so he makes Jesus Christ Lord and Master over His life. Until one comes to the place where He sees his life without Christ for what it truly is, he would not sincerely yearn for salvation. It is an awareness that instigates a complete transformation impacting spirit soul and body. It starts with a longing or cry to heaven for liberty from the filth of sin and control of the sin nature, to which heaven responds with forgiveness, cleansing and appropriation of Christ righteousness amongst several other benefits including access to grace which is an enabling by God through His Spirit to live the life that pleases Him. Until that complete work is done, one is not yet empowered to take on the responsibilities that accompany the privileges that come with salvation.  The Holy Spirit whose presence in a life signifies that this change has taken place, is given by God to also help us effectively accomplish our responsibilities.

Mathew 11: 28 “Then Jesus said, ‘come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens … take my yoke upon you … and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden is light.”

The privilege of being a joint heir with Christ definitely comes with responsibilities. That commitment to Christ is just the beginning and not all that is required of us. God has not called us to an irresponsible life where He does everything and we do nothing but just enjoy the benefits. He requires us to reciprocate His love, goodness, mercies and kindness. Our commitment to Him comes with responsibilities that must be embraced alongside the privileges. Some of the privileges include the fact that we become keepers of God’s precious word and consequently, custodians of mysteries which is in itself, an awesome privilege. The least God expects of us is that we keep that which was committed to us as we should.

1 Corinthians 4: 1 – 2 “So then, let us (who minister) be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards (trustees, administrators) of the mysteries of God (that He chooses to reveal). In this case, moreover, it is required (as essential and demanded) of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.”

Faithfulness is a key ingredient for success as a believer. Until we learn faithfulness and commitment, we would find this faith a little more difficult and without The Holy Spirit, an unacceptable burden. God demands faithfulness from every one of us so that we really do not have a choice as some of us would like to believe. Making commitments and keeping them is the hallmark of true believers. Our salvation involves a commitment to God and the working out of it involves several other commitments. From one level to the next, the commitment required is weightier so that much more is required to keep them but the reward is also greater. We come to God far from perfect but our aim is to be like Him and He knows, so He sends us a very willing and able Helper in the person of the Holy Spirit. We must always remember that He walks with us, keeps records and rewards. What will be found in the books concerning you when all is said and done?