But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22 (NIV)
The Lord calls His people to total commitment, whatever the cost and whatever the outcome. He is God, we are His servants. This means our role in life is to do what He says.
The world gets this backwards. The world wants us to say, “I am God.” That’s what the tower of Babel was about—proclaiming human greatness.
But the Bible says something very different. Far from us being the center, so that God exists to serve us, God Himself is the center of all things, and we are here to serve Him. God made you for Himself. You will find yourself in giving yourself wholly to Him, for you are His. If you try to save your life, you will lose it. It is only in losing your life for His sake that you will keep it.
God calls not just for our total commitment, He calls for our exclusive commitment. “Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:14). You may find it helpful to define gods as “what the surrounding culture calls great.”
The Bible calls what the world puts in the place of God an idol. Idols are initially very attractive. There are many idols, and you can choose the one that best fits your needs and feels most comfortable. But idols cannot demand your exclusive commitment. If one idol does not work out for you, then simply choose another one.
In contrast, Joshua calls the people to commit to one God. They are to be committed exclusively to Him and to no other, whatever happens, whatever the cost, whether He comes through for you or not. That’s what commitment is.
Does your faith in Jesus include total commitment? Exclusive commitment?
