Committed to One Another
by Charles P. Schmitt
We must be committed to Jesus Christ, for that is where it all starts. But God is also calling us to be committed to one another, for that is the key to the love, and the unity, and the power of the Body of Christ!
The commitment of person to person is as basic to New Testament thinking as is the teaching of being “born again.” A lack of love and a consequent lack of unity and a resultant lack of power in the Body of Christ often stems from the basic claim that “we are committed to no one but the Lord.” Strikingly, the Scriptures teach and portray some tremendous examples of people being committed to one another, for how actually could we be committed to God and not to those in whom He lives and walks?
In Acts 4:23-35 we have a wonderful example of people being committed to one another. The early believers looked on one another as “their own company” (v.23). They had no one else but the Lord and each other! When they prayed they prayed as one man, lifting up their one voice “with one accord” (v.24). They were described by God as being “of one heart and of one soul” (v.32). So complete was their commitment in deed, not only in word, that their material goods were one. “Not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common… For neither was there among them any that lacked…” (v. 32,34).
Little wonder then that out of such commitment, unity and oneness were born. And little wonder that out of such unity, power was released. Indeed, “when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” In truth, “great grace was upon them all.” (v. 31,33)
Ruth in the Old Testament is also a beautiful and practical example to us of the depths of commitment between fellow members in God. She declared pointedly to Naomi, “Entreat me not to leave you, and to return from following after you; for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part thee and me”(Ruth 1:16-18).
Can you imagine the impact the Body of Christ could make in this generation as this depth of commitment is found between brothers and sisters in Christ? What love and unity is inherent in that confession, “if anything but death part you and me”! Many times it takes only a doctrinal difference, some personality clash, some hurt feelings, or some suspicion to divide the saints, who then wonder why love, unity and power are so lacking in the church.
In I Samuel chapter 18, we have another record of tender, yet radical commitment between brothers in the Lord. Here is the story of Jonathan who lays down not only his robe, and his sword, and his bow — but his very kingdom for the sake of his brother. “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” The N.A.B. translates the passage: “Jonathan had become as fond of David as if his life depended on him; he loved him as he loved himself.” The N.E.B. translates the same verse: “Jonathan had given his heart to David and had grown to love him as himself… so Jonathan and David made a solemn compact because each loved the other as dearly as himself.…” This is commitment — a solemn compact, a fusing, a joining between believers.
On a recent visit to some saints in England I was deeply impressed with some of the ways in which they expected their commitment to express itself: “… in a willingness to be open and truthful with one another; by sharing not only at meetings but also in recreation together; by developing friendship; by praying for one another; by communicating regularly; by being deeply involved financially; by coming under the authority of those who are over us in the Lord and by submitting to our peers; even being open to learn from the new convert; by not spreading or receiving criticism of another; by being loyal; by not pressuring one another or impairing each other's will; by taking one another seriously, listening at depth, yet without losing a sense of humor.”
Obviously we will not be able to work all this out personally with every Christian in the world, but where our lives mutually touch in the course of our daily walk with God, we must expect these qualities to be manifested.
In Romans 12 Paul teaches us that “individually we are parts one of another — mutually dependent on one another” (v.5). That is commitment! He exhorts: “Let your love be sincere — a real thing… love one another with brotherly affection — as members of one family — giving precedence and showing honor to one another” (v. 9,10 Amp). That is commitment! In verse 13 he teaches us” to [share] in the necessities of the saints…” That is commitment!
We are further admonished that our love is to “bear up under anything and everything that comes”; we are to be “ever ready to believe the best of every person” (I Cor. 13:7 Amp.). That is commitment!
God is indeed calling us to commitment — first to Himself primarily, and then to our brothers and our sisters in Jesus. And in this way the glory of God will be mightily revealed among us! Amen!
