A Real Christian Must Have Commitment

This page expands on what was the turning point in the life of the Christian -
"He believed the words of Jesus Christ and committed himself in his own mind to serve God the rest of his days, even if one day it may cost him his life."

The War Veteran and His Greatest Need

A survivor of World War II related this story to us.

He was captured by the Japanese, and he went without food. He realised that without food what use was anything else? He would have given everything he had for a decent meal.

He was transported with many other prisoners in the hold of a ship. They were not given enough water to drink, and the heat was intense. He realised that without water nothing else had any value. He was parched and he could be dead pretty soon. Food had no importance.

Then their captors closed the hatches, and they started to get low on fresh air. Sweating and panting they put their faces to any kind of draught they could find. He realised that without air all was lost for death was only a few gasps away. Water and food were relegated into the background. If he could just get enough air to breathe he would never complain ever again about anything.

Years later he saw that without God's Holy Spirit all else was pointless. Without the Spirit he faced death, total unconsciousness for ever and ever, but with the Spirit - life for ever and ever. What could be more important than this great gift from God?

Jesus, with a lesson about true values, asked,

Matt 16:26
What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
(from New International Version)

Commitment

There was once a powerful government official in the act of reading the book of Isaiah. He was up to chapter 53 verse 7, but he was unable to understand it. Fortunately for him Philip arrived on the scene and was able to explain what it all meant. The official at that moment committed himself to a new way of life.

Acts 8:28-39
29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."  
34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?"   38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
(from New International Version)

Another word for 'commitment' here would be the religious term 'repentance', which implies a turning around in one's life. Commitment means there is no turning back.

Luke 9:62
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
(from New International Version)

Jesus instructed us to not forget what happened to Lot's wife. 

Gen 19:25-26
25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities--and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
(from New International Version)

Luke 17:32
Remember Lot's wife!
(from New International Version)

Now is the time to escape while it is still daylight.