​In these last days, many Christians do not take seriously a true relationship with Jesus Christ.  Some play spiritual games of reading the Bible only when they want to, praying only when they want to, and going to church only when they want to.  This lifestyle creates a lack of consistent and true commitment to Jesus.  Commitment is defined as an agreement or pledge to do (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).  It is also defined as being obligated or having an urge or drive forward (Merriam-Webster).  Being committed to Jesus Christ requires being a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).  A sacrifice does not have an opinion of when or how it gets used or what part gets offered but is fully submitted and committed to the use of the master.  For Christians, their master is Jesus Christ (John 13:13).  When there is a choice of obligation or choice of action this is not a commitment but it is unfaithfulness.  Faith is a necessary element required to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  Part of faith is being full of faith or faithful in fulfilling one’s commitment to living for God (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 1:12; 1 Corinthians 4:2).  Everyone that has made Jesus their Savior, Lord, and Master no longer has a choice in their lives but has made a commitment to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and to follow Jesus (Mark 8:34; Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23).  Part of this commitment is to ensure that when the name of God through Jesus Christ is taken upon each Christian it is not taken in vain (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:11-13).  Not only do these verses direct the attention to making oaths by applying God’s name, but also applying God’s name to one’s life and acting contrary to the doctrines of God.  Christians take the name of Jesus upon their lives as ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) speaking and acting as if He were there in the flesh.  This is not the life that most Christians live, but for many, it is quite the contrary.  Some are living for the flesh by acting on sinful nature, living for carnality by fulfilling what the body craves, and weakening the authority and power of Who Jesus is through not living out the Word of God.  Even through a commitment to Jesus Christ, God does not expect perfection from His people but the effort of doing their best by knowing Him through the Word of God, being led by the Holy Spirit, and being quick to repent when sin does take place in one’s life.  How can one be committed to a marriage while acting as if they are not married?  This is the lifestyle of some Christians by acting as a spiritual bachelor while declaring to be married to Jesus Christ.  Christians must choose to be fully committed to Jesus Christ not with their mouth only but through action, doctrine, and their personal relationship with Jesus on a daily basis.  Salvation is not a hard process or a hard standard but it does require a true commitment to Jesus Christ (John 14:15).  Jesus said that anyone, whosoever in the King James, who believed on Him will not be condemned and will not perish (John 3:16,18). This belief is not based on whether one thinks He is real but when a person believes in and on Jesus by trusting in, clinging to, and relying on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, and Master.  Relationships take commitment.  Be fully committed to Jesus.  For more information about Abundant Grace Church visit agcsparta.org.  

​Unify is defined as to make into a unit or a coherent whole; to put together, to form a single unit; to bond (Merriam-Webster dictionary).  Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25).  There are many churches, pastors, and Christians that have fallen for the spirit of religiosity’s traps of division not only throughout time but within the region.  This division is not among lines of heresy and separating false doctrine from sound doctrine to be biblical (Ephesians 4:14), but among churches that desire to honor God or among denominational names (Romans 16:17-18; Romans 12:5).  Churches and Christians should be driven to have the spirit of unity working among them to glorify the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:3).  When churches, pastors, and Christians fail to work together the spiritual enemies of God win (1 Corinthians 1:11-14).  Some Christians will unify for a common cause like homelessness, feeding people, or one certain particular event but they will stop at that one event and not proceed to give God honor by continuing in His work through unity.  How can this be overcome?  The answer is simple.  Christians need to gather with the common beliefs that should unify all believers of the New Testament church (Hebrews 6:1-2).  These doctrines are: going on to maturity in their relationship with God, repenting of dead works, faith toward God, doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  All of these are the elementary or foundational doctrines of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:1).  If Christians disagree on other doctrines like how to baptize, tongues, or other smaller branches of the Bible those doctrines should be able to be set aside to focus on the major doctrines of Hebrews 6 to still work in unifying for the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ (Titus 3:9-11).  The enemy wants God’s people separated as easier targets to conquer making this unity even more vital to all Christians that desire to endure to receive their salvation (Matthew 24:13).  Unifying is good for a region and a major method of breaking strongholds the spiritual enemies have used to divide for years (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).  Christians, pastors, and churches need to unify within each region to overcome the attacks of the enemy of the Christian faith (1 Peter 5:9; Romans 12:21).  What can cause people not to unify?  For some it may be insecurity, fear of the unknown, going against tradition, or pride and arrogance.  In each of these reasons to not unify they are all of the flesh or carnality.  Christians are to not walk in carnality but by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:5-8).  If God’s people cannot unify, does that reflect serving different motives?  When each person serves self no one will be able to unify because the motives are focused on each person getting their way or being set as the focus of the task.  When God is the One being served then unity should be an automatic by-product of everyone attempting the same goal of glorifying God (1 Peter 3:8; 1 John 1:7).  This should motivate all Christians, pastors, and churches to honor God in everything that is conducted and create unifying for the kingdom of Christ to God’s purpose (Colossians 3:14).  The world needs Christians to unify to share the Word of God by working together to reflect one body and one army bringing victory for all that believe (1 John 5:5).  For information about Abundant Grace Church visit agcsparta.org.