A Committed Heart (Part Two)

This week we are seeing Paul’s view of commitment,  and that commitment begins (yesterday) with being committed to our spiritual responsibilities in Christ. We cannot, however, do that in our own strength, so we must also be:

Committed to Dependence (vv.22b-23)

“I go… NOT KNOWING”

It reminds of Paul’s words…

“for we walk by faith, not by sight–” (2 Cor 5:7)

The adventure of the Christian life is that we are to ever be living in dependence upon God, doing what is right—even without guarantees or all the answers. There must be an element of faith in all that we do!

This means that we must be willing to obey, not only out of duty, but out of faith and dependence, knowing that the Lord is able. We don’t know what the outcome will be, but we go trusting that He knows what the outcome will be, and He can handle it all.

Compare this to Christ Himself, who knew the path he was taking and where it would lead. Paul didn’t—but in utter abandonment to God’s love and grace, he obeyed! What did he know? A glimmer of hope? Just the opposite! What little he knew did not look very good, because the Holy Spirit was testifying that bonds and afflictions awaited him. This was not new…

• Called to Suffering- “for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:16.
• Accustomed to suffering- Acts 16

Here, he was affirmed in suffering and refused to let it sway him. Some have speculated that perhaps Paul was out of God’s will and too stubborn to change, and that is why he suffered, but, pain and all, it seems he was very much in the will of God! Why?

• Acts 20:22, 21:14 imply it was God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem;
• Acts 23:11 describe the comfort given Paul
• Acts 23:1 declares Paul’s clear conscience- which he could not have had if he were living in rebellion.

The fact is that Paul did not know what form it would take or where the results would come from, but he knew that obedience meant bonds—and it drove him to be dependent upon the Lord! That means to live what Job proclaimed…

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!”

Simply because we don’t know the future, yet we are called to obedience- we must trust Him with our lives and seek to live in total dependence upon Him! These dear friends feared for him, but Paul was dependent upon God and committed to duty, and that led him to a path of determination. We’ll see that tomorrow.