January 26, 2007
Commitment
Solicited pledges and commitments in the church always cause me to stop and ponder.
A recent sermon titled ‘Membership’ included distributing a Membership Commitment Slip in the worship service. Members, and those desiring to become members, were asked to commit to a lifestyle of Surrender, Study, Sacrificial Giving, Service, Sharing Jesus Christ and Submission. Once signed, participants were to place the commitment slips in a basket in front of the auditorium. Having been a member of one church for 40 plus years, I’m not sure how much more committed I’m expected to get. I can’t help but wonder how my husband would respond if, after 37 years of marriage, I were to ask him to sign a Marriage Commitment Slip. Hmm…
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Gail;
I can not fully object to the thinking behind what the leaders are now doing at their church with these commitment slips. Paul tells us to submit to those who devote themselves to the service of the saints (I Cor 16:15-16). He also calls everyone to be subject to each other in general (Eph 5:21). I think that after 2000 years, the church has lost touch with the full implications of being subject to one another. To see your leaders directing the attention of the members at their church to such a higher level of commitment is refreshing.
----Unfortunately, commitment is only one aspect of being subject to one another. There is much more involved in it than that. But as happens when half-prepared, half-contemplated, half-understood concepts are full-heartedly implemented, the results are disturbing.
----The Word of God describes the evidence of our commitment to Him and to one another, and it is not a slip of paper turned over to an organization. "But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." I John 2:5&6. John goes on to say in verse 29, "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right is born of Him." And again in verse 10 of chapter 3 he says, "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." He then qualifies the meaning of love, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (I Jn 3:16) Finally he sews it together with this conclusion, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us." (I Jn 3:18-20) Notice that commitment as defined by the Bible is not to seven concepts, but is to the most basic material of the soul, love and sincerety. All of the detail is left to the results of the Holy Spirit acting upon the individual.
----John's commitment slip is written upon the heart to be real, and in actions to be witnessed. Your leaders' commitment slips are written upon paper for keeping in some file drawer, who knows for what reason. John's commitment slip defines the scope of commitment by reference to Scripture and to love, your leaders' define the scope by reference to seven ideas. But most importantly, the commitment slip drawn up by John is given to the Lord for His reference and keeping. The commitment slips given to your leaders are given into their reference and keeping.
----I understand the use of something as this slip of paper as an illustration of what is actual. And I would expect to see actions both before and after that illustration evidencing it as nothing more than an illustration. I don't know by experience what is happening at their church now, but I know that when I was attending there, actions were not evidencing this sort of thing as being just an illustration. It is scary for me to place into one hand of men a set of bylaws giving them ultimate power, while placing into their other hand a signed commitment slip. This is a picture of dominance, not example (compare I Peter 5:1-3).
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