Commitments in Christ

Commitments in Christ 

by David Brenneman 

This is my observation...it's never a good thing when worldly excuses become acceptable for forsaking the assembly, whether it be Sunday or days that people committed to gathering in His Name. A commitment in the Name of the Lord ought always be something we strive to accomplish with all diligence.

Granted health reasons are acceptable but otherwise every effort, when the cause is meeting in Jesus Name, should always be taken to fulfill that commitment. 

Our world's seduction is to present reasons to the contrary concerning keeping our commitments in Christ.  Placing our wants, our desires, ahead of what's been directed by the Spirit of God for us to be doing.  

In reading through the book of Ezra at what they had the diligence to say and do in the face of such opposition it reminded me that we take too many liberties when it comes to our sticking to our commitments in Christ. 

I can, you can, easily justify within ourselves as to why we won't attend a gathering that's being done in the Name of Jesus.  Be it on Sundays or any other day of the week.  We place our plans ahead of God's plans because the world does it. That's really the bottom line. 

It's never going to help us grow in Christ if there is no iron to sharpen against iron.  If there's nobody to meet with then you're left wanting in the Lord.  

I know this isn't a popular consideration of the topic but this is what I have been presented with to write about this fine Saturday Morning. 

Some may not think of it this but in essence we're putting our fleshy desires before the spiritual needs of ourselves and others when we prioritize these things ahead of the training in righteousness that comes from meeting with others in the Name of Jesus Christ. 

To coin an older generation "It's just WRONG".

For some people these times to meet are the only times they meet with people of faith outside of Churches that they attend.  They have no other Godly influences in their lives.  They are dependent upon these for their times of iron sharpening iron as King Solomon wrote about in the book of Proverbs. 

The next saddest part is how many professing Christians have no problem telling people that what they want to do is more important than meeting together.  That kind of mindset says that God's plan of training us in righteousness can wait for another day.  That our desires are more important than His plan of sanctification in our lives.  They just don't want to consider these thoughts...likely because guilt is attached to it.

Pray about your wants and desires.  Ask Jesus if indeed you're putting what you want to experience or enjoy ahead of what He's trying to accomplish in the lives of children of God.  

Jesus sacrificed His wants and desires for the will of His Father in Heaven.  

All of us probably spend most of our days of the week without a proper true Godly influence.  Satan's aim is reduce that time to zero and quite often we're sadly on board with this. 

Think about your commitment to a life in Christ.  Are the things you pursue going to turn to ash when tried by the fire of truth when you stand before Jesus to give an account of your life?  

Think about these things because you don't know how much your keeping your commitments in Christ are either going to grow yourself or others in Christ.  Your absence might be felt for days weeks or years because your input or thoughts may have been just what someone else needed to hear. 

Consider well your thoughts of just how important keeping your commitments to Jesus are.

When Peter's attention was on Jesus Peter had no trouble standing on the water. When his attention was on the world...he began to sink.  You do the math. 

Until tomorrow...