TOTAL COMMITMENT

When we were born again, we received many rights and promises through God’s word. These things are yours by right, but are you willing to give them up? Are you willing to leave these rights in God’s hands?

Genesis 13:5-11 gives us a perfect example of relinquishing your rights. The Lord had given Abraham all the land of Canaan. Abraham took his nephew Lot with him and Lot was blessed abundantly. So abundantly, in fact, that they could not dwell together because of the many possessions they had between them. This caused much strife between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen.

By rights, all the land belonged to Abraham, but he chose to relinquish those rights and to give those rights to his nephew Lot. Abraham told Lot to choose the part he wanted, and Lot chose for himself the whole plain of Jordan, the best part of the land. Abraham had no strings attached to his gift to his nephew.

You would think Abraham would give Lot the worst, most barren part, but he didn’t. Also, it seemed as though Lot should be grateful to his uncle and leave the best for him. But he didn’t, he just looked out for #1.

If you are living the life of faith, you will exercise your right to waive your rights and let God make your choices for you. Let’s look at Scriptures known as the “total commitment” Scriptures;

Romans 12: 1, 2, “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

A total commitment example is also found in Genesis 22:1-12, and again involves Abraham. It shows his obedience to God in sacrificing his only son, Isaac. The Lord told Abraham to take his son to Mt. Moriah and use him as a burnt offering to the Lord. Isaac was about 15 years old.

To give you some background on the story, the Lord promised Abraham a son, but Isaac wasn’t born until 25 years later, so you know how much he meant to him. Abraham tied him up, laid him on the altar, and took the knife to slay his son.

He was so intent on doing God’s will that the Angel of the Lord had to call him two separate times in order to prevent him from killing his son!

The Angel, knowing Abraham’s total commitment to God, told him not to harm the lad. Thus, Abraham saw the ram the Lord had provided, caught in the thicket and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

As God provided the “perfect” sacrifice for Abraham, He did the same for us in providing our Perfect sacrifice; Jesus.

God tested Abraham and Abraham passed the test with flying colors.

No matter how hard we try to succeed in this life, the only way to obtain victory is to die to self and totally commit to Christ;

to “cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” 1 Pet 5:7 .

Throughout our Christian lives, we will battle within ourselves; the flesh warring against the spirit for control over the soul ( Gal. 5:17, 18). It is like a tug of war.

When we think things are going well, we tend to back off of our total commitment; we figure we can do things on our own; we’ve studied enough, we know enough, we don’t have to read the Bible EVERY day. That’s when Satan comes in and knocks us for a loop. Be aware of Satan’s deception.

We need to stay strong in the Word of God! We need to commune with the Lord every day… pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17).

Be aware of His presence and be sensitive to His voice; study to show yourself approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:15). We need Jesus for our strength….there is NOTHING….NOTHING we can do without Him (John 15:5).

In order to stand by faith, we must recognize God for who He is! God is El Shaddai – God Almighty, our all sufficient God. God is omnipotent, sovereign, omnipresent, omniscient, all powerful, immortal, inconceivable, incomprehensible, immutable, infallible. We can’t understand His workings by rational thinking alone.

God is omniscient, He knows ALL, right down to every hair on your head! He is omnipresent; everywhere at all times. Omnipotent; God is the author of all the power of the universe (Jer. 10:12,13 & Dan. 4:17b)

Our faith must rest on the fact that God loves us and knows what is best for us. We know He loves us so much that He gave His life for us, but we must be aware that we can abuse that love. It’s not license to sin!

Many divorces are based on self-centeredness – My way or the highway! They show no consideration for their commitment to each other and to God. When it has been brought out to those seeking divorce, their reply is, “God loves me and forgives all my sins”.

TO BE CONTINUED IN LESSON TWO
(Please read all the Scriptures in the text)

1.) In which section of Scripture is the account of “total commitment” found?

2.) In which section of Scripture is the account of “giving up your rights”?

3.) Abraham gave part of his land grudgingly to Lot.

4.) You will exercise your right to waive your rights if you………

5.) Which Scripture says, “…do not be conformed to this world”?

6.) Which Scripture says, “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”?

7.) What sacrifice did the Lord supply for Abraham?

8.) The only way to obtain victory in this life is to…

9.) What title best describes our Lord as Omnipotent, sovereign, all powerful, incomprehensible, immutable, infallible?

10. God’s love is so great that He forgives all our sins and that gives us the right to continue in sin as long as we confess it.

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