4 Important Reasons You Should Commit to Church Each Week

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We would add that commitment has genius, power, and magic in it. There is no point talking about commitment unless we have at least the intention to commit.

When our progress seems to be at a standstill, it is well for us to ask who is at fault. It seems like we should pay attention to His plan since it came directly from Him. When our progress seems to be at a standstill, it is well for us to ask who is at fault.

4 Important Reasons You Should Commit to Church Each Week

They had no comprehension of what true commitment was. They entered marriage thinking that divorce was a viable option in their pursuit of self-fulfillment and happiness, or they naively thought that it could never happen to them. Marriage is just another way to express how much they love someone. In many cultures, including the biblical culture, they practice arranged marriages, which typically has a very low divorce rate. Love as a feeling will have seasons of strength and seasons where it seems to diminish totally. In this session, we will consider love as a form of commitment. If you treat me unlovingly, I will still respond in love towards you. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. A covenant is simply a binding agreement between two or more people. But, often in ancient times, they would seal the covenant in blood. They would take a few animals, most likely cattle and birds, and cut them in half. In this story, God promised to give Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan. However, what makes this covenant interesting is that in verse 17 God walks through the pieces by himself without Abraham. As mentioned in session one, marriage was originally meant to be a reflection of God cf. God made Adam and Eve in the image of himself. Yes, they were made in the image of God independently, but even more so together, as one flesh Gen 2:24. Therefore, in marriage we are meant to reflect his love, his commitment. Scripture actually teaches that God is love cf. Abraham previously had committed to following God and fulfilling his will. In Genesis 12:1-3, Abraham left everything to follow God; he committed to God. I will seek to love you as God has loved me. I am committed to you. But this is how God loves us, and it is how we should love our spouses. God told the prophet Hosea to marry a woman who would eventually become a prostitute and cheat on him. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days. While prostituting, she somehow became a slave. Hosea bought her out of slavery and took her back as his wife v. Israel had cheated on God, and yet the Lord still took them back, which reflects his committed love. They are currently without priest, prophet, or sacrifice as they have rejected God. But when Christ returns, then they will be restored to God—their faithful covenant partner v. He will one day take his wife, Israel, back, even though she committed spiritual adultery. God covenanted with Abraham and his descendants, and he will be faithful to fulfill that covenant. It was this type of commitment that Hosea modeled in his marriage. He took his wife back, even though she cheated on him. Marriage was always meant to symbolize God and his love for his people cf. It is difficult to imagine a marriage partner being unfaithful or failing us in any way, but it is wise to consider your response to unfaithfulness even before entering the marriage covenant. As believers, marriage is not primarily for our self-fulfillment and happiness; it is to bring God glory as it reflects him. In addition, we must consider this type of commitment because we are marrying people who are infected by sin and are prone to fail. Marriage is different from dating. It is supposed to be a committed love, a persevering love, a hopeful love, especially when the relationship is tough. Again, one must ask himself even before getting married if he is really willing to display this type of commitment. God Hates Divorce As mentioned previously, arranged marriages have a very low divorce rate, and this may be true, in part, because of the great amount of shame that comes with divorce in those cultures. This is interesting to consider since there is very little to no shame for divorce in many other cultures, especially in the west. It has almost become popular. Ask my two ex-wives. This attitude is obviously very different from the way God views divorce. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. Here in this passage, God rebukes the Israelites because of how common divorce was in their culture. God said he hated the violence divorce created in the family, and he taught the Israelites to guard themselves and to not break faith with their wives. The first is adultery. In a marriage where there is unfaithfulness, if the innocent spouse leaves the union, he or she is free to remarry. However, Christ said that if anyone married a divorced person, not under the exception of adultery, they would be living in a continual state of adultery. Why would they be in a continual state of adultery? This is because God still sees the divorced person as married to his or her first spouse. The first exception that can break the marriage covenant is adultery. As seen in the book of Hosea, Israel was adulterous in their relationship to God many times, but he still continually took them back. Look at what Paul said about divorce in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11. He said: To the married I give this command not I, but the Lord : A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. Those who get divorced, for any reason other than adultery, must remain unmarried or reconcile with their mate. This includes situations where there is abuse, irreconcilable differences, etc. Marriage is supposed to be a life-long relationship, and when a person divorces, Scripture says he or she should remain single. In the case of divorce because of infidelity, the cheating spouse should be encouraged to seek reconciliation. If that is impossible, they must recognize that cheating is not an unforgivable sin. Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins and there is forgiveness available cf. However, forgiveness does not always remove the consequences. God will give him grace to fulfill that call and will make him fruitful, if he is faithful. If that is not possible, she is free to marry another. For God, marriage is to be a committed relationship that is essentially unbreakable. Those who break it, except under adultery, are to stay single and continue to pursue the Lord. These regulations for marriage are strict and were given by God to discourage divorce. In a society with no regulations and no shame with regards to divorce, it has become rampant and a viable option in a difficult marriage. Even when we fail him and turn our backs on him, he remains faithful because of his covenant which he sealed with the blood of his Son. What is th e second exception that would break the marriage covenant? In Romans 7:1-3, Paul said this: Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. Here, Paul taught that the second exception, which would allow for remarriage, is death. Death breaks the marriage covenant. Marriage is a physical covenant that makes a couple one flesh Gen 2:24. They become one in body, soul, and spirit. Only a physical thing can break this covenant and that would be adultery or death. In fact, in the Old Testament a cheating spouse was put to death, and then, the faithful spouse was allowed to remarry Lev. In the New Testament, this is no longer true, but the cheating spouse is called to remain single. Again, it should be heard that divorce is not an unforgivable sin. Where sin increases, grace increases all the more Rom 5:20. God certainly wants to give grace to restore divorced couples to one another and more importantly to himself. With the advent of sin, marriage has been severely damaged, and sadly, most, in some way or another, will be affected by divorce. It almost sounds impossible. In fact, when the disciples heard of these rigid stipulations, they responded with a similar awe. Again, why do you think God made the marriage covenant so stringent? Simply put, our God hates divorce, and he intended for people to marry and stay together forever. Our legal system provides strenuous consequences to discourage people from stealing, killing, raping, etc. Heinous crimes can incur a potential lifetime sentence in prison or the death penalty. Extreme consequences deter sin in society. This is the same thing God has done with marriage. He wants people to know that marriage is a life-long calling. It is a covenant commitment and the only way out is to, essentially, remain single. Because people in the church have not been taught this or truly considered it, they have adopted the culture of the world, which looks at divorce as a viable option or as a necessary consequence of seeking self-fulfillment and happiness. If divorce is necessary to find happiness they say, then so be it. And, therefore it has become increasingly common even among Christians. Statistics reflect no difference in the number of divorces occurring in the church compared to those outside the church. However, since marriage is meant to reflect God and his love for his people, it is meant to be a union based on commitment. I will love you like God loves me for his glory and his fame which is my purpose in life. Just as God covenants with his people through the good, the bad, and the ugly, so must we consider marriage as a lifelong covenant. It is a covenant based on commitment and not feelings, for feelings come and go. We approach this covenant realizing the potential consequences of not fulfilling it, just as people did in establishing an ancient covenant. How do you think understanding the realities of this sacred covenant should affect premarital couples or those already married? Certainly, at the minimum, it should make couples re-evaluate their commitment. What was new or stood out to you in this session? In what ways were you challenged or encouraged? What disciplines will you continually practice in order to help maintain your faithfulness and commitment in marriage? What steps would you take if you were having serious difficulties in marriage? How would you help restore your union? Include who you will seek help from. Write down all the strengths of your mate which may aid having a committed and successful marriage. Write down all the weaknesses of your mate which may hurt having a committed and successful marriage. Write down all your strengths which may help having a committed and successful marriage. Write down all your weaknesses which may hurt having a committed and successful marriage. Discuss these with your mate. What action steps should you take as a couple to work on any weaknesses? If your mate is not willing to work on weaknesses, then you should discern how dangerous these weaknesses are, if they are something you can live with, or if his or her unwillingness to work on them may be a foreboding sign of not being willing to compromise in the future. After completing this session, in what ways do you feel God is calling you to pray for your future marriage? Spend some time praying. Related Topics: Greg Brown earned his MA in religion and MA in teaching from Trinity International University, a MRE from Liberty University, and a PhD in theology from Louisiana Baptist University. He has served over fourteen years in pastoral ministry, and currently serves as chaplain and visiting professor at Ha... Published July 7th 2015.

They constantly seek its direction. There is no point talking about commitment unless we have at least the xi true commitment to god commit. To lose your soul is to lose your life. Yet in the mind of the Lord, that is not quite as bad as being lukewarm—neither here nor there. A true commitment or a commitment that is true. Living members are those who strive to have a prime commitment. God gave His Son; Jesus gave His life. We are not out here just for tradition sake saints. And the people feared the Lord. But when Christ returns, then they will be restored to God—their faithful covenant partner v. Surely the experiences of the north prophets of the Old Testament have been recorded to help us understand the importance of choosing the path of strict obedience.