Commitment?
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Truth about true commitment, and we are committed to Him for all that to which He is committed in us, exclusively.
Major W. Ian Thomas emphasizes that the Lord Jesus Christ is the epitome of truth, especially in matters of commitment. Jesus' commitment to the Father was unwavering, and He trusted in the Father's sufficiency for all things. Unlike being entangled in worldly affairs or social issues, Jesus' commitment was solely to the Father's will, setting a standard for believers to be exclusively committed to Him and His purposes.
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The Lord Jesus Christ is the Truth, and as in all other things that pertain, unto life and godliness" (11 Peter 1:3), He is the Truth about true commitment. He was committed to the Father for all that to which the Father was committed in the Son, and He was supremely confident that the Father who dwelt in Him, was gloriously adequate for all that to which He was committed. We know also that the Saviour's commitment to His Father was such that the Father was completely committed to His Son!
The Lord Jesus Christ refused to be committed to the parochial needs of His own day and generation; He was not committed to the political situation in Palestine, or to the emancipation of the Jewish nation from the Roman yoke! He was not committed to the pressing social problems of His time, nor to one faction as opposed to another, any more than today He is committed to the West against the East, or to the Republicans against the Democrats (as though either were less wicked than the other!). Christ was not even committed to the needs of a perishing world; He was neither unmindful nor unmoved by all these other issues, but as Perfect Man He was committed to His Father, and for that only to which His Father was committed in Him exclusively!
The basis of His commitment to the Father is the basis upon which the Lord Jesus Christ claims your commitment to Him; you are committed to Him for all that to which He is committed in you exclusively!
You are not committed to a church, or to a denomination, or to an organization; as a missionary you are not committed to a Mission Board nor even to a "field," and least of all are you committed to a "need"! You are committed to Christ, and for all that to which Christ is committed in You, and again I say exclusively!
Sermon Outline
- The Basis of True Commitment
- The Lord Jesus Christ is the Truth about true commitment
- He was committed to the Father for all that to which the Father was committed in the Son
Key Quotes
“You are committed to Christ, and for all that to which Christ is committed in You, and again I say - exclusively!” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“You are not committed to a church, or to a denomination, or to an organization; as a missionary you are not committed to a Mission Board nor even to a 'field,' and least of all are you committed to a 'need'!” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“Christ was not even committed to the needs of a perishing world; He was neither unmindful nor unmoved by all these other issues, but as Perfect Man He was committed to His Father, and for that only to which His Father was committed in Him - exclusively!” — Major W. Ian Thomas
Application Points
- We must understand that our commitment is exclusively to Christ, not to a church, denomination, or organization.
- We must not be committed to a need, but to Christ for all that He is committed in us.
- Our commitment to Christ is the basis of true commitment, and we must be committed to Him for all that to which He is committed in us.