As Christians, though the creation story tells us that God created everything for His honor and glory, creation’s existence is dependent on God. Man was made to partner with Him to take care of His creation
John 15:4″Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me”
What Is Commitment?
Oxford English Dictionary defines commitment as the act of pledging or engaging; the state of being sold or engaged. The act of binding yourself(intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action.
Scripturally, commitment means dependence on God, to surrender to the Lordship and Sovereignty of God totally(Matthew 22:27-28 says”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment”
Sermon To Commitment To God
In the Bible, various references address the Christian’s commitment to numerous aspects of life such as family, health, investment, relationship, parenting, and in all things we do and say (Ephesians 6:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 31; Hebrews 10:25
Commitment can be seen as devotion, fellowship, or relationship, Commitment is a word that could be used extensively. For example, one could be committed to reading books, bodily exercise, watching movies and sports, telling stories, and looking for money.
Jesus admonishes the believers in Him that they must be committed to loving and serving God. That is to say, nothing in them or about them should be kept away from God, for God holds nothing back from man. John 3:16 says;
“ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” To be committed is to be obedience to God’s words and leading.
A believer’s commitment to God determines his/her success in every other aspect of his life. John 15:5-7 says;
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; men gather them, cast into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”
To be committed to Christ is to be devoted to His teaching and mentorship. You voluntarily surrender yourself to His discipleship ( Luke 9:23-24)
“And He said to them all if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it”
In Deuteronomy 6:5, God tells us about this commitment:
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Both the Old Testament and New Testament are about men and women who committed themselves totally to God.
Daniel 1:1-21 talks about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego three Hebrew youths who were taken captive in Babylon because of the sins of Israel against God.
These men, along with Daniel, would not defile themselves but hold firmly to the Law and worshipped only God.
Then a day came when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were called upon to prove their level of commitment to God
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had made and set up a huge golden idol, and he required everyone to bow down and worship it. And if they did not worship it, they would be put to death.
Nevertheless, these three young men continued to worship God and refused to bow down to the idol. Some of the jealous leaders of the land reported this to the king to destroy Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
They were brought before Nebuchadnezzar who gave them another chance to obey his command; but if they refused, they would be cast into a furnace of blazing fire. They stood firm in their commitment to God and refused to bow down to the idol.
Note their reply in Daniel 3:16-18.
”Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Then in a rage, Nebuchadnezzar had the three young men bound, the furnace super-heated, and had them cast into it. The very God they were committed to, preserved their lives they weren’t hurt. They didn’t even smell like the fire, and the ropes had been burned off.
As a result of their witness and testimony, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged the Most High God and issued a decree throughout the land declaring this fact.
Daniel, their companion was so committed to his prayer life in such a way that when he was thrown into the Lion’s den, God delivered him (Daniel 6:4-23)
Noah, according to Genesis 6 and 7 account was committed to God’s instruction of building an ark to protect those that will enter from rain. Noah did not question God’s integrity but went ahead and built the ark.
God instructed him to enter the ark with his family, and every living thing, male and female Noah was not in a riverine area, nor seen rainfall before but he was obedient to God’s word.
Abraham was faithfully committed to God who made a covenant of blessings and multiplication with him and his family forever (Genesis 12:2-3; Psalms 105:42)
In the New Testament let us look at Stephen’s commitment to God (Acts 6:1-15)
Stephen was a disciple of Jesus Christ and a deacon in the church. He had been serving and performing great wonders and signs among the people. The Bible says that he was full of grace and power.
His life and his words were a testimony of Jesus Christ; and as a result, one day some leaders of the synagogue conspired against him, and they induced worthless men to falsely accuse him before the high priest.
Instead of defending himself, he delivered a sermon about Israel’s history and God’s grace where he ended with an accusation of those who were trying him; for because of the hardness of their hearts, they had done exactly the opposite of what God desired them to do.
In Acts 7:51-53 he said
“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.
Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;
You who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
They were already seeking to put him to death. He didn’t have to tell them the truth. He could have made some excuse. But he didn’t. And what happened? Note verses 54 and 55
”Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at hi
”But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God”
The vision that Stephen saw was one to comfort him. The fact that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God indicated that He was ministering on behalf of Stephen.
Thus Stephen had the added confidence to tell of this vision and his faith. Acts 7:56-60
“Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him with one impulse.
And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!
And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them! And having said this, he fell asleep”
Though Stephen died because of his commitment to the truth the witness of his life and death still lives on today.
And much of what we know about the early church and the way Christ wanted us to live and walk with Him, we have learned from that young man Saul who watched the robes of those who were stoning Stephen to death and who became known as the apostle Paul.
Jesus Christ, our perfect example was committed to God, His Heavenly Father in everything He said and did while on earth “(John 8:38)“I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father”
Can we commit ourselves to God to the extent that our lives will reflect Jesus Christ even in our marriages, our businesses, our careers, and our relationships with our children and neighbors?
Now let us go back to the Bible passage where our theme text is taken from. John 15:1-17
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth, not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
His life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fuit should remain:that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another”
Why Do We Have To Be Committed To God?
- To be committed to God helps you to live Christ’s life on earth
(John 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” This help you to discover the right path to enter in every sphere of your life. Psalms 37:4
- Being committed to God helps you to bear fruit and your fruit will remain till eternity
(John 15;5)’I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing”. As a branch attaches to the Vine, you draw nutrients for your growth from the Vine and this growth enables you to bear fruit. The bearing of fruit, the quality and quantity of fruit you bear is not dependent on the size of the branch but the Vine. Galatians 5:22-23.
- When you are committed to God, you have access to His plans
(John 15:15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard of my Father I have made known unto you”Ephesians 2:10.
- Commitment to God makes you enjoy divine cleansing and correction
John 15:2″Every branch in me beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” God Himself, is the vinedresser who does what is necessary to bring about your productivity Zechariah 4:6
- Commitment to God helps you to draw strength from Him for exploitation in life
Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God”
- Commitment to God builds your spiritual life
Psalms 27:1″The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”John 14:21
- Commitment to God opens doors for you to enjoy God’s blessings
Exodus 23:25-26″And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and HE shall bless thy bread and thy water; I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill” Job 36:11; Matthew 6:33 c
How Can We Be Committed To God?
- We can be committed to God by studying the Bible
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
Daily reading and studying the Bible is paramount. If we don’t read our Bibles, we will not understand all that God desires us to know and may learn to do things against God’s will. Joshua 1:8
- We can be committed to God through prayer
“Jeremiah 33:3” Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which which you do not know”NKJV
- We can be committed to God through faith
Hebrews 11:6“But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”Hebrews 11:1-13; Matthew 25:14-25.
- We can be committed to God by staying on His word
Psalms 27:14″Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, wait I say wait”
- We can be committed to God by loving Him and the people around us (Matthew 25:34-40)
Conclusion
When we do these things as God desires us to do them, we will truly understand the type of commitment God wants from us, and what God is telling and asking us in Micah 6:8.
Yes, what Micah wrote is exactly what God desires of us. It isn’t hard to do that if truly we die to ourselves and allow the Spirit of God to lord over our lives.
Dying to ourselves is to surrender our pride to God. And, most importantly, this is the basic requirement of our born-again relationship with Him.
But sometimes our pride gets in the way of our walk with God, and we find ourselves walking around it and off the Lord’s pathway.
