The Evil Of The Commitment To Follow Christ

[Pariah]

As we bear witness of what the Lord has done for us, may our words reflect our faith in Him in what He as done for us, is doing, and will do, and not boasts of what we are doing for the Lord.

In the rationalizing churches of the Presbytery, there is also the flip side of liberalism and that is legalism as a means to get believers where they belong or to make them obedient by word and deed instead of by faith that Jesus will be Lord over them in the ministry and not a yoke of commitment.

Do you see the word commitment and committed to Jesus Christ or commitment to follow Jesus Christ used alot in testimonies?

I have learned that if anyone is going to see my relationship with Jesus which is by faith in Him and all His promises to me, then I have to decrease in bearing testimony of myself, my will, or my effort in doing the best I can if the power in living the christian life is of God, and not of us by keeping our commitment to do so.

Galatians 2: 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

John 6:28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

When I was set free from my religious striving of keeping my commitment to follow Christ by trusting Him at His word that He will do it, I have gotten to know Him more and the power of His resurrection when I see myself living the chrstian life that otherwise, I could not do by trying to keep my commitment to follow Him.

Fellow believers would say that I wasn't trying hard enough or that I had my fingers crossed or that I was not really serious in believing in Jesus when I came to Him... all of these are evidence that their way of thinking is of the flesh as if we can finish it by the flesh. It is utter hypocrisey as they give grace to themselves in having kept their commitment but they feel free to look down on others as if they themselves have never sinned or to what they call backsliding. Does this not go to the false outward appearances put on my Pharisees?

Matthew 23:3All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,...11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 13But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

I have personally see the effect of the altar call to make a commitment to follow Christ as a means for assurance of salvation as it turned nonbelievers away from Jesus when this one woman believed that she had to get her life in order before coming to Jesus. Chrsitianity is not a religious calling. I thank the Lord that He enabled me to tell her the Truth that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners from their sins. She is a believer now... although I do wonder how many have been turned away that no one knows about.

14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. .......

In another christian forum "CARM", there was a thread in Atheism by an Agnostic about why they were no longer a believer. In the list of reasons were their own failure to live the christian life by their being committed in doing so and noting the hypocrisey of those that claim they are doing it. Would that not be the result mentioned above?

24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

If anyone is to see our faith in Jesus Christ, we cannot speak of ourselves at all.

John 3:28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 5:31If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

John 7:18He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. 19Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Philippians 3:8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings,

Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

In Matthew 15:7-19 states in verse 19, a false witness defiles a man.

So there is a need to watch how we bear witness. May the Lord enable us to serve Him and not any testimony of man for sinners to look at man. Jesus is our hope for living this christian life as well as for eternal life.