Commitment
I am going to speak on commitment. Commitment is something that we really need. I was picketing Planned Parenthood for 4 years straight. I had a college professor and a BSU student interview me and both of them brought up how they admire my commitment. Even though the professor didn't agree with me.
There is a season for different things, whether it is bar witnessing, sharing with the cults, going door to door, prisons, helping the poor, the widows, etc. God wants commitment out of his people..
That season could be the whole time you are here or a few years, or months, or weeks, whatever but the Lord will show you...
I Cor. 10:31
"31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
If we are really doing what we do as unto the Lord then we will be commited. That brings honor and glory to his name. We need to exalt him by our words and deeds...
We are not even commited to one another in the body of Christ like we should be... We make excuses as to why we don't love one another like Jesus commands us to, why the world is getting darker without even thinking that it could be us helping it become worse a lot quicker because we are not shining the light of Jesus Christ to this world..
What are we really commited to?
Is it to our husbands or wives? Probably!...
Is it to God? Probably in the religious stuff such as going to church, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school but what about dying to self, carrying the cross?
To the truth? Only if it doesn't offend others...
To purity? If we don't look like nerds, maybe so...
To loving one another? I mean are we going out of our way for each other?
To helping others? If we are acknowledged or thanked or have the time. It is a busy world, you know...
To being lights in a dark world?... If the darkness is something that we are comfortable with such as being around our lost family members or work place and even that seems harder than a few years ago...
Commitment is a atrange word today. We are a loose society and fast paced. We eat micro food, have micro prayers, drive micro cars, have micro church services, etc.
Now let's read I Cor. 10 in context...
I Cor. 10:23-33
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.
25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?
30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
(Sin doesn't profit anyone)
Think about this one. He says all things are lawful for him. I was debating a guy on this a few years ago. He smokes pot every once and a while, lives with a girl, drinks booze some, etc. So here was a verse that justified his behaviour or so it seemed to him...
But in context,Paul is talking about food, weath, not sex, drugs and the like. If that were so then the verses that condemn that type of lifestyle, deathstyle would be a contradiction.. These verses are showing that we are to take into account the feeling, the thoughts of others even if it isn't sin, per se', for us.
There is a time and a place for everything under the sun... for a true righteous purpose.
Matt. 5:16 ... will clear some more things up that we are leaving out...
"16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Since the word of God is a whole and we are not to build our belief system on any one verse or even a few verses but on the whole word of God then we cannot have a private interpretation based on one section of the bible...
Gal. 6:9,10
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
We are to be "...well doing" and "doing good", not "evil doing" and "doing evil..." Context is of the utmost importance... Christians that are committed to God and the truth will be doing good, well doing, letting their light shine, glorifying their Father in Heaven, speaking the truth in love, etc...
II Tim 3:16-4:5
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
We need a balanced body, a body operatin as it should through the gifts and talents that God has given to us...
Let's look at a little balance.
I Tim. 4:12-5:2
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
This is showing that those who are older in the faith, we are to treat with more respect, not like you are a "know if all" when you see that they messed up in something they were talking about. Treat them like you would or should treat your own father, with respect hopefully. Showing them by the Spirit of God that what they said wasn't true. Give them a chance to get it right without blurting it out to everyone so they may see his error also...
I Tim. 5:17-21
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
It would sound as if your are being partial by not receiving an accusation against an elder but as we saw earlier, we are to treat them as a father. They are older in the Lord, more mature and we need to respect them as we would our own father, rebuking them in the same way...
Titus 2:13-15
"11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee."
That grace of God appeared to all men when he came in human flesh and died for the sins of the world.. All men need to know about his grace appearing for all... And we are the ones who are to be committed to that cause, we are called to tell them the good news, we are his ambassadors...
Check II Cor. 5:17-21
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