“..Give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.” (Romans 12:1)

I am committed to Christ because of all He has done for me! When I think about how he loved us, took our sins upon himself and carried our cross, sacrificing himself for our sins I weep with gratitude and rejoice in hope for myself and all who believe in Him! My view of the cross is so very different now, than it was when I first committed my life to Christ. Yesterday, I wrote how different my life and the world is than I first imagined when I committed my life to Christ.

Then I looked at the cross with shame, guilt, almost unable to bear looking upon a crucifix because of the suffering I saw. The shame and guilt were mine, the suffering was Christ’s. However, the Bible has transformed how I view the cross now. It is the power of God’s commitment to us! Consider these two verses.

“He always stands by his covenant— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.” (Psalm 105:8, NLT)

“Jesus…, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV)

Don’t feel sorry for Jesus is what the Scriptures are basically saying! He despised the shame of dying naked and alone on the cross for our sins. He was committed to fulfilling the will of the Father! He was committed to saving us! He knew what awaited Him at Calvary! But His commitment was joyful, complete and future oriented! Joy was set before Him. Commitment was not just motivation but commitment was the key to understanding why Jesus lived, taught and did the miracles He did for us.

Now, I want to live all of my days fully committed as a passionate follower of Christ! He calls each one to take up our cross and follow Him. Never fear though, “his burden is light and his yoke is easy!”

“Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2, NLT)