Daily Bible Reading:
Romans 8:38-39
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ in Jesus our Lord.
Jeremiah 32:39-40
I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus said, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my father in heaven."
Commitment Based on Memory
David Chadwell
People who understand God's accomplishments in Jesus' death and resurrection express their understanding. They express their understanding in two acts of commitment.
The first act is an individual act. He or she is baptized into Christ. This person understands who Jesus is. He or she trusts what God did in Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. He or she trusts two things:
1. God's power to forgive through Jesus' blood [Ephesians 1:7] and
2. God's power to give life through Jesus' resurrection [Philippians 3:10,11].
In this trust, evil's lordship is rejected, and Jesus is enthroned as the Lord of his or her life. This believing, penitent person is baptized into Christ.
Having been baptized, this person chooses to be an active, contributing part of the community of Christians [the church]. The Lord made him or her a part of those people [Acts 2:47]. He or she wishes to be a responsible part of God's people. Every week he or she declares commitment to Jesus Christ and God's community of Christians.
The second act of commitment is both individual and collective. He or she assembles with a community of Christians to worship God. At the core of this worship is communion. We often refer to communion as the Lord's Supper. This commitment basically serves three purposes.
1. It remembers. It remembers God's gift of His son, and His son's gift of himself [1 Corinthians 11:24-25].
2. It declares. It declares full faith in the return of Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 11:26].
3. It affirms. It affirms the Christian individual's commitment to be a part of God's people [1 Corinthians 11:29-33]. In that affirmation, it should be understood that God through Christ made all of us one in Christ [Galatians 3:26-29].
All distinctions are erased. In God's community individual worth is determined solely by being in Christ. A Christians' worth is not determined by social, economic, cultural, ethic, or political distinctions. Those in Jesus Christ are one--because of God's gifts to us in Jesus Christ. Each Christian accepting God's responsibility to be community with those in Christ affirms his or her commitment to be "one" with all who are in Christ.
Sunday our entire assembly will be devoted to communion. Communion itself will be served near the end of the assembly. We will prepare our minds and hearts for that moment.
Source: Chadwell, David. 'Commitment Based on memory.http://www.westarkchurchofchrist.org/chadwell/2002/b012702.htm
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