Marriage is one of the greatest institutions that GOD has created, only second to the Church. Interestingly enough, in Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul compares marriage to the institution of the Church pointing out keys things in order for us to understand our role in both more perfectly:

vs. 22 “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

vs. 23 “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.”

vs. 25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.“

In these passages God points out the hierarchy of both institutions and the similarities between them; Jesus being the head of the Church, the husband being head of the wife and the husband loving his wife enough to lay down his life down for her just as Christ did for the church.

This kind of commitment is not one that can or should be taken haphazardly. Someone who you are willing to die for is someone you are 100% committed to. A great example of this is a soldier during the revolutionary war. Those  soldiers and founding fathers were 100% committed to their cause willing to give everything including their lives. Husbands, with that kind of commitment to our wives and our marriage it seems impossible to think we could ever disregard them.

In keeping with the comparison found in Ephesians, Christ would never give up on the Church and we should never give up on our marriage! Paul points out in Titus 2:2-8 that women should be encouraged to  “love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.” Women, to love your husband and to love your children is one of the most important things you can do, realizing that neither will be perfect and none of us are. Being committed to your marriage by helping and loving your husbands is one of the most important things you can do as a wife and giving your children an example of parents who truly love and respect one another, is one of the greatest gifts you can ever give your children.

Loving your husband or wife can be difficult, at times, but remember what Paul says concerning love in 1 Cor 13:4-8, “4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails.”  How does Christ love you? How do you love your husband or wife?

Being committed to each other, and only each other, in your marriage is of the utmost importance. In Hebrews 13:4 the writer says, 4”Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. “ If  thoughts ever come into your mind about sharing your bed with another you need remember two things: The commitment Jesus made to the Church and the commitment you made to GOD and your spouse on the day of your marriage.

My marriage has been the greatest blessing I have ever had, with the exception of Jesus dying for my sins. I have a wonderful wife and cherish her more than anything. Being committed to someone in marrriage is hard work, and if you are truly committed you will put the time and effort into to making it the wonderful blessing that God intended it to be.

Christ devoted his life to the Church and then gave His life for it. That is the kind of commitment we should have to Him and our marriages.  Is your marriage a reflection of Christ and His Church? Are you committed to your marriage?

The idea of family changes daily. The Supreme Court recently changed how family may be defined by those of the world, however God had a plan. His plan was for one man to be married to one woman. Are you committed to family the way God intended?

Even from the beginning God created man in His likeness. He saw that man needed a helper so he created woman from man’s rib. From this God created the institution of marriage and the structure of the family with the man being the head of the house just as Christ is the head of the Church.  Every member of the family has a role and responsibility to adhere to in order for the family to function as God has intended. If any member is not committed to their role it will strain the family as a whole and worldly concerns will take us away from Christ.

The NY Times published an article in 2013 stating that “the old fashioned family plan of stably married parents residing with their children remains a source of considerable power in America- but one that is increasingly seen as out of reach to all but the educated elite”.  They back this up with a worldly reasoning claiming that to be happily married; a family must be able to afford it. Gods plan never placed any demands of income or status on us in order to be happy. Matthew 6:33 tells us to “Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these will be added to you.”

The directives that God has placed on the family, when committed to by each member, will make the family stronger. The man is commanded to be the head of the house. This means spiritually, financially, morally, and security. Joshua 24:15 shows the type of leadership a man of God is to live by. Every man of God must take a stance "that as for me and my house; we will serve the LORD," and not the world. This decision is not the role of the woman but the head of the house. This is not a halfhearted decision or one that can be delegated. Any organization with weak leadership is doomed and cannot stand. 

The value of the woman to the family cannot be overstated. Proverbs 31 describes the “excellent wife” and how precious she is to her household. There is nothing wrong with a woman working outside the home but that should not be her primary focus. The worldly view is one that frowns upon a submissive wife. The scriptures command that a woman be submissive to her husband (Eph 5:24). This is not to belittle or degrade the woman but simply the design of how God intended the family to work.

If the parents have shown their commitment to be evident and sincere as stated above then the final piece of the family should have a considerable advantage in following God's plan. The children are to obey their parents and show respect. This starts with the husband/father being strong enough to not only lead but correct when necessary. If a child is allowed to be disobedient at a young age then they will only grow further from their commitment as a member of the family. The parent/child relationship is not to be mistaken as friendship, but rather as God intended it to be. One where the child is to obey and respect as explained in Colossians 3:20.

One constant that will always be a factor in our commitment to our families is first and foremost or commitment to God. Anyone struggling with their commitment to their family should first examine their relationship with Christ and our Father in Heaven. Your commitment to your family can only grow stronger as your commitment to God and his service is strengthened. 

Commitment to the Creator, to God our Father

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen. Matthew 6: 9-13

Almost a decade ago, when I played high school basketball, our team would circle up in the locker room before each game.  We would bow our heads and close our eyes.  One of my teammates would lead this prayer.  He would say one section at a time and then the rest of the team would follow suit.  As it neared the end, he would get a little bit louder, as would we.  After it was over, we would line up and head through the tunnel of fans and cheerleaders to the court.  The game would be played and more times than not, our team was on the losing end.  

At this time in my life, I was the opposite of being committed to God.  No matter how many games we played, or how many times we recited this prayer, it had no bearing on how I actually lived my life.  I thought at the time, “Saying this prayer might give us enough favor in God’s eyes that we might win tonight.”  As selfish as that sounds, this is the person that I was.

A couple of years later, at a Wednesday night church service, I dedicated my life to God, to Jesus, and to the church.  I no longer wanted to be held down by my selfish attitudes.  I no longer wanted to walk through this life bargaining with our Creator in hopes I would get something in return.  I wanted to be fully committed to God.

I now read this passage in Matthew 6 and see exactly what Jesus saw about our Lord: everything in our life belongs to God; everything we do here is for Him and hopefully to His liking; He is able to provide us with all of our needs; He is the example when it comes to forgiveness; and He has all the power to help us overcome our biggest struggles.

There comes a point in everyone’s life where they will either commit their life to this world or to the One who created us, loves us, and gave up His son for us.  Proverbs 16:3 says that if we commit our work to the Lord, our plans will be established.  That is a guarantee to all who obey Him.  The world does not offer such a guarantee.  No matter what is stacked against you, being committed to God puts you on His team, the winning team.  Take my story and compare it your own life.  Are you constantly bargaining with God in hopes that something will just miraculously happen?    Are you committed to someone or something other than the One who knows us best?  Be the person who dedicates their life to serving God, and in return He will draw near to you (James 4:8).   

Everyday, our lives and daily schedules are consumed by commitments. Commitments such as our jobs, spouses, children, upkeep of our homes, athletics, and the list continues to grow as we become busier.  Have we ever taken the time to slow down and analyze just what all our commitments are?  Do our commitments distract us and keep us from what is really important like worshiping on Sunday, and attending Wednesday evening Bible study?   Are we really committed to Jesus the way we should be?

Matthew 4:18-22 demonstrates the commitment that ordinary men had for Jesus. While walking by the Sea of Galilee, two brothers, Simon and Andrew, were casting their nets into the sea. Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. Both men immediately threw their nets into the water and followed Him.  Two other brothers, James and John, were mending nets with their father when Jesus called them and immediately they left and followed Him.  These men left their families, their businesses, the lives they knew, for a chance to follow the Messiah.    Then we have the example of those in a Samaritan village not as eager to commit to the Lord.   Before they could follow Him, they first needed to tend to burying the dead, and saying farewell to their loved ones (Luke 9:59-62). Which is the better example of commitment?

Jesus says in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” He continues in John 14:21 “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.   And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”    Christ shows His long lasting love, and will never depart from us if we commit to a life of love, service, faith and trust in Him.   We must serve Him and separate ourselves from the temptations of the world.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having responsibilities and obligations in life, and being committed to them shows our dedication and loyalty.  It’s when those commitments become our priorities, and hinder us from committing fully to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   Let us never fall into that trap where our everyday lives take away from the One whose blood was shed for us.  God does not promise us that a life of commitment to Him will always be an easy journey, but He does promise an eternal reward for our faithfulness and service to Him.   How sweet it will be when one day we stand before Him, and hear the words   “Well done, good and faithful servant…….enter into the joy of your master.”   Matt 25:23  

Commit today to serve the Lord!

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If so, how? Someone might say they are committed to the Holy Spirit by claiming to possess His supernatural gifts or personal indwelling, when the fact is, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit that we read about among believers in the New Testament no longer exist. So then, how may a person be committed to the Holy Spirit?

Commitment in a relationship carries with it the idea of love for, devotion to, admiration of,  respect for, and ultimately submission to. All of these should characterize the person who claims to be committed to the Holy Spirit. I would like for us to consider,….. submission to the Holy Spirit.

To understand how we commit ourselves to the Holy Spirit by submission, we must first recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in the relationship we can have with Him. The Holy Spirit’s role in God’s divine enterprise is one of being His Revelator; He reveals the mind of God to the creation. After establishing that it had not entered into the heart of man the things that God has in mind for him, Paul states, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor 2:10) God, through or by the Holy Spirit revealed those unsearchable riches to inspired men such as Paul. They wrote them down – we call it the Bible. Jesus promised to use the Holy Spirit as the revealing agent when He stated,

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26) The Father did exactly that just a few days after Jesus’ ascension, when Peter and the eleven, being filled with the Holy Spirit stood up and spoke “…as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:4) The message to be preached was from Christ and was delivered through and by the Holy Spirit. When those who heard the message decided to obey it, they were making a commitment to Christ, by making a commitment to the Holy Spirit’s revealed message.

We must understand that our commitment to the Holy Spirit is our commitment to the revealed message that God and Christ commissioned Him to reveal. It must be an unbending commitment that accepts the fact that revelation from God through the Holy Spirit is complete. There are no further modern day revelations needed. The introduction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago by the Holy Spirit was God’s final revelation to man. The Holy Spirit is only active through that inspired message. When we commit ourselves to obey and live by the Gospel, we have committed ourselves to all three personalities of Godhead – The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit. To reject the Gospel message, not only demonstrates contempt for God and Christ, but also a clear lack of commitment to the Holy Spirit.

Are you committed to the Holy Spirit? Open your Bible, read it, study it, commit yourself to live by the message of Christ that the Father sent the Holy Spirit to share. Only then will you be committed to the Holy Spirit. Think about it.

Did you enjoy this article? Please help us reach others. Share it using the social media links on the left side of the page. If you're not on social media, we also have a PDF version that is great to print or email.

If you want to know more, contact us and let us help. Better yet, visit us. You will find a group of Christians intent on doing exactly what the bible says. No less and no more. You will find truth uncompromised.