Christian Living

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With this word commitment there is a fine line between doing something for Jesus under compulsion, or having the desire to do it.

Generally speaking, there is a lack of commitment in the Christian faith today. Many will not do more than turn up for the weekly service. Thank God for those who are different.

There is plenty of noise in the assembly – music, hand clapping, yelling to the Lord, but action for Christ outside the church is as rare as snow in Miami.

Jesus never intended us to put Him into a Sunday time-slot (Saturday if you’re a SDA). He doesn’t want us to give Him a little morsel out of the everyday feast that the world offers. “Oh I’m so busy,” people say. Not busy for the Kingdom though! Jesus surely wants people busy for Him.

If we love Jesus, really understand that He got us out of the fate reserved for Christ-rejectors, we’ll do something for Him. We’ll do it because we love Him, not out of compulsion. Can anything be too much trouble when we picture the Saviour disfigured, in agony, covered in blood on the cross? If Jesus did that to save us, how can there be so much apathy?

Dear friend, can you picture a person being held by two angels and cast into the lake of fire? Don’t you want to do something to prevent that? Do you see the flames? Do you hear the screams? How can your priority be a shopping afternoon at the mall (or a dozen other things) when people are going to this awful finale?

One has to wonder if those in the church seats are truly born again or merely going through a religious routine, with no real heart for God. Think about this: when you “asked Jesus into your heart” did anyone explain what repentance means, what commitment to Christ means? Did the follow-up counsellor (if there was one) ever quote Jesus’ words “Take up your cross daily and follow Me”?

Yes, you are saved by grace, not works. However, salvation plus love of Christ should add up to getting into action for Him. Have you become a part of God’s kingdom or have you merely joined a church which is a social club? Oh you may be working there, but are you working just to maintain a bricks-and-mortar building - or for God’s kingdom? It isn’t bigger buildings we need, but bigger-hearted people!

There is nothing in Acts of the believers being involved in “Programs” such as dinners, lunches, breakfasts, seminars, conferences? Such things have no effect on the non-believers outside. We need a revolution!

Jesus talked about seeds in the stony ground and those in the fertile soil (Matthew 13:38-39); Jesus will allow the wheat and tares to mix together, but on return He will separate them:Matthew 13:29-30 and also the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:33). Which category will you be in?

Churches should not be organizing “Retreats” but “Attacks.” That means they should be Christianity’s Cape Canaveral: bases for launching believers outside church walls, taking on the forces of evil by spreading the gospel - as Christ said to do!

Take stock of what you are doing. Is your time for Jesus spent only in the church, the assembly, the socials?

In the end we will all answer to the Lord individually, not to the local church leadership. They will have to answer for themselves – and also for how they instructed others. The individual believer’s task is to do what Jesus said in Mark 16:15-18; Matthew 28:18-20.

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