Tuesday, August 10, 2010

KEEP YOUR COMMITMENT REAL

The reality of your commitment to the Lord is expressed in the way you live. The challenge for each of us is to live out our commitment in real time, to make our talk our walk.

Here are three actions to take to keep your commitment real:

1. SUBMIT TO GOD’S WORD.

Our obedience ought to be a joyful response to all that He has done for us in Christ. Col. 3:1-5 (NLT) Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. … For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. … So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

We don’t succeed at living the Christian life because we make promises to God, but because we believe the promises of God and act on them. We love God by obeying what He says. Jesus said in John 14:21 (NIV) "Those who know my commands and obey them are the ones who love me, and my Father will love those who love me. I will love them and will show myself to them."

2. SEPARATE FROM WORLDLINESS AS GOD’S PEOPLE.

The small group of Jewish people who were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem with Nehemiah was surrounded by idolatrous Gentiles. And they wanted the Jews to become a part of their social and religious and business society. The Law of Moses prohibited the Jews from living like the Gentiles, although the Law didn’t stop them from being good neighbors or good customers. Jesus said we’re in the world, just not of the world.

How were they to conduct their lives in this setting? They were to show the difference between what was holy and what was not, what was acceptable to God and what was not, how to tell the difference between what was godly and what was sinful. The Bible says in Ezek. 44:23 (NLT) They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common…

How are we to conduct our lives in a society that is increasingly unChristlike and idolatrous? Paul tells us in Phil. 2:14-16 Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. To separate ourselves from worldly ways means total devotion to God, no matter what the cost. When a man and woman get married, they separate themselves from all other potential mates and give themselves completely to each other. It’s total commitment motivated by love, and it is a balanced decision: “We separate from others to the one who is to be our life’s mate.”

3. SUPPORT GOD’S WORK THROUGH THE CHURCH.

G. Campbell Morgan said, “Whereas the house of God today is no longer material but spiritual, the material is still a very real symbol of the spiritual. When the church of God in any place in any locality is careless about the material place of assembly, the place of its worship and its work, it is a sign and evidence that its life is at a low ebb.”

The way we care for our building indicates what we think of our God. I appreciate so much those who have been involved in the upgrade of the appearance of our rooms. And when the time comes for us to build a building, it needs to indicate what we think of God and the purpose He has given us.

The way we give indicates what we think of God. The Bible says in Prov. 3:9 (GW) Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income. We all have bills to pay. We may have a debt we’re paying down. We may have car payments, but… our tithes and offerings should come right off the top. It’s the first thing we give. That’s because we want God to bless us and our families so we can pay our bills and our debts. And He does. He says if we’ll give He’ll give even more back. And He has proven Himself over and over again to be true to His Word.

Tithing and giving beyond the tithe are God’s ways of providing resources for the church. The Bible teaches in Malachi 3:10 (NLT) “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!” You’ll find you cannot out-give God. The more you give, the more He gives to you above what you would even expect. As your love for the Lord grows, generous giving becomes normal and joyful. Jesus said, Matt. 6:21 (NIV) "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Keep your commitment real, and be true to the Lord and to yourself.

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