4 Characteristics of the Committed Christian

We belong to God, right? Throughout the New Testament God’s people are referred to as “God’s own possession” (1 Peter 2:9), “servants unto obedience” (Romans 6:16), and “doers of the word” (James 1:22). Those statements are not just arbitrary designations, they are God’s expectations for His people. And what’s more is that every one of them, along with countless others, indicate that we as Christians are expected to be committed. That means Christianity isn’t just a past time it’s a lifestyle. It means that everything we do, everything we say, and every decision we make is governed by God’s will, not ours’. But it’s not just enough to say that we need to be committed Christians if we don’t spend some time and talk about what the committed Christian is committed to. There are at least four things that are worth highlighting…

The committed Christian is committed to their relationship with God. When asked what the greatest command was one time, Jesus responded by saying this: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). There is no more important person in a Christian’s life than God. The New Testament refers to Christians as the “sons of God” (Galatians 3:26) and the “bride of Christ” (Revelation 21:2). So there is clearly a relationship present and how does any relationship deepen and thrive? Communication. That’s true between fathers and sons. It’s true between husbands and wives. And it’s equally true between us and God. The committed Christian is committed to their relationship with God by maintaining open communication with God through prayer (us talking to God) and Bible study (God talking to us). Without that communication our relationship with God is going to fail and fail miserably. So if we are going to be committed Christians then we have got to be committed to our relationship with God.

The committed Christian is committed to their worship of God. The presence of God – when we worship God we enter into the presence of God. David spoke of his worship to God in terms of coming before his presence with singing, entering into His gates with thanksgiving, and entering into His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). God’s people have always had a responsibility, an opportunity to express their glory for and exaltation of God through worship and their commitment to God has always be contingent on their commitment to that worship. Ancient Israel was judged by, among other things, their submission to the appointed the feast days and sacrificial offerings synonymous with temple worship. Though God’s design for worship has changed His expectation regarding our commitment to that worship has not. God’s people still come together to offer sacrifices of praise every single week (Acts 20:7; Hebrews 11:25). To them it is more than just a responsibility on their to-do list, it is an opportunity and a blessing. So if we are going to be committed Christians then we have to be committed to our worship of God.

The committed Christian is committed to their responsibilities from God. In Titus 3:1 Paul asked Titus that among all of the things he needed to accomplish among the Cretian Christians that he wanted him to “put them in mind” or to remind them of certain things they needed to commit themselves to. Among them were things like submitting to authority, being doers of good, being peaceful, and maintain humility. But among them is this expectation – “be ready unto every good work.” God’s people have always had responsibilities as servants of the Master. Some of those responsibilities are in the area of personal development (Galatians 5:22-25), others are in outreach (Matthew 28:18-20), some have to do with our relationships with others (Romans 12:16-21), and some have to do with our devotion to truth (Jude 3). Ultimately whatever responsibilities God has given to us should be looked at as responsibilities – things by which we will be held eternally accountable. So if we are going to be committed Christians then we have to be committed to our responsibilities from God.

The committed Christian is committed to their journey to God. “Enter ye in by the narrow gate…for narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). There are a lot of different components that contribute to what our lives turn out to be but ultimately, regardless of them all, life is about one thing and one thing only. Life is about going to heaven. Or at least it should be. So if going to heaven is our greatest commitment in life then every decision we make is going to be made with that in mind. Nothing God asks of us/expects of us is too great if our greatest goal is heaven. Jesus Himself has gone to prepare this place for us (John 14:2-3) – we should want to go there with every fiber of our being. So if we are going to be committed Christians then we have to be committed to our journey to God.

The reality is that the term “committed Christian” is redundant. Being a Christian should assume commitment. In other words you cannot be a true Christian unless you are committed. And while these may not be a laundry list of every commitment that Christians should be devoted to they are definitely a few things to keep in mind if we are going to be committed Christians.

-Andy