Your Commitment

 Are you a finisher or do you lose momentum half way

through a project or assignment?

Are you confident when there is smooth sailing

and then ready to "desert" the ship when the waves

begin to strike?

Does adversity frighten you

and resistance cause you to quit?

We as Christians are called to be "completers". We are

to finish the race that is set before us. We are to run

skillfully and completely. The race is to be finished

correctly and we are to be the winners.

Christians are to lay aside the sin that so easily

besets us and to run the race. We are not to be weighted

down, frightened, or discouraged. We are to be MORE than

conquerors through Jesus. We are not only to win but are

also to get the "spoils" from any enemy that we conqueror

through Jesus.

Jesus finished the task that the Father had given Him

to do. On the cross Jesus said, "It is finished". Jesus

perfectly completed all that He was sent to do. Our

redemption through Jesus was completed. The Bible says that

there is no other way to God but through Jesus. We

cannot earn salvation. It is the completed work of Jesus

given to us through grace, which is the unmerited favor of

God.

Jesus, God's only begotten Son, became flesh, was born

of a virgin, lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross

for humanity's sin, was buried, and rose from the dead, to

give us eternal life, and is now seated in heaven at the

right hand of God the Father as our great High Priest to

make intercession for all who believe on His name. Believe

on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

If thou shalt believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and

confess with thy mouth that God has raised Him from the dead

thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto

righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto

salvation.

Nothing can be added to or taken away from the

Salvation that Jesus gives us. It is a completed work of

God. God initiated salvation's plan and totally carried it

out. It is a person's free choice to accept or not to accept

God's completed work of salvation. Every person must choose

Heaven or hell. Every individual must make the choice where

they will spend eternity.

Every person decides whether to accept God's great salvation

through Jesus Christ and have pardon for their sin and fellowship with

God or to reject Jesus and have eternal separation from God. (If you

have not made this decision to accept Jesus Christ--now is the time.)

It is so easy.

Simply pray this prayer:

(If you prayed this prayer and asked Jesus into your heart--

welcome to the family of God. You now need to join a Bible

believing church, read the Bible daily, and talk to God

daily.)

Once we are saved God's commitment to us is eternal. We

become new creatures in Christ Jesus, old things are

passed away and all things become new. We are born again and

become the children of God and are made joint heirs with

Christ Jesus. We are eternally blessed because of God's

commitment to us as believers. God does not change and His

love and commitment to us will not change.

The question of commitment is never on God's part, the

question of commitment rests on the believer. Will we as

believers accept all that God has provided for us or will we

"pick and choose" what parts of the Bible that we will

accept and what parts "aren't for today"?

Will we allow God to carry out His total plan in our

lives or will we half heartedly only commit to what seems

"best" to us?

  Will we limit God by our finite understanding or will

we truly let Jesus be Lord? Will we as believers choose

God's perfect will for our lives and trust God that His will

is right and best for us, or will we destroy ourselves by

surrendering to our own decision making process? Our

commitment to God reveals whether as Christians we are

stable or unstable. Being unstable can cost a believer

blessings now and eternal rewards later.

The following numbered items are some characteristics

of an unstable Christian as defined by the book of James in

the Bible.

1) double minded (God's way on Sunday-world's way on Monday)

2) wavering (can't make or stick to a decision)

3) lack of tongue control

4) wrong motives in prayer life (unanswered prayers)

5) judgmental of the brethren

6) causes problems in church body (strife causer)

7) without mercy toward others

8) no visible difference in spiritual growth

9) a hearer, but not obedient of the Word of God

10) seems to be religious, but it's only pride

11) has bitter envying & strife, but thinks they're ok

12) perceives self as wise, but it's worldly wisdom

Christians are not to be suffering the damaging effects

caused by instability such as:

1) ineffective works--no results

2) hindered or powerless prayer life

3) dead faith

4) confusion

5) evil works

6) strife

7) lack of attainment, no matter how hard you try

8) pride

9) destruction

10) become an enemy of God through love of the world

Instability in a Christian means compromise. Compromise

is deadly, because there can be no compromise or middle of

the road commitment for the Christian. Jesus is either Lord

or He is not!

Either a Christian is going God's way  or

 a Christian is sinning by going against God's way for his

life. There is no "gray" area with God.

Jesus Christ demands 100% commitment. The Christian is

expected to finish the race because through the Holy Spirit

the believer is empowered to win. Christians are to be

victors over the world and not victims of the world.

For the Christian to be anything less than 100% committed to

Christ is disastrous.

Today, in the world society, the word "commitment" is

becoming "obsolete". Therefore, the world says that a person

should not be inconvenienced, tied down, or hindered by

anyone or anything.

In direct opposition, God's Word says to stand firm, be

victorious, finish the race, and fight the good fight of

faith.

Don't give in, give up, or give out. Christians are

to be winners over the world, the flesh, and the devil

through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of

our faith.

Christians are to bear much fruit, as this brings glory

to God. A branch cannot bear fruit unless it is attached to

the vine. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.

Compromising with the world's idea of commitment

renders the Christian ineffective and hinders fruit bearing.

Therefore, a Christian must make the choice, by an act

of their will, not to compromise. They must choose to obey

the Word of God in all areas of their life.

Each individual Christian must decide and settle it in

their own heart to stay true to God who saved them and to

finish the race set before them.

The Christian must decide that they want to hear Jesus say,

 "Well done, thou good and faithful servant..."