Commitment Based On Memory

Posted by on January 27, 2002 under Bulletin Articles

People who understand God’s accomplishments in Jesus’ death and resurrection express their understanding. They express their understanding in two acts of commitment.

The first act is an individual act. He or she is baptized into Christ. This person understands who Jesus is. He or she trusts what God did in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. He or she trusts two things:

  1. God’s power to forgive through Jesus’ blood [Ephesians 1:7] and
  2. God’s power to give life through Jesus’ resurrection [Philippians 3:10,11].

In this trust, evil’s lordship is rejected, and Jesus is enthroned as the Lord of his or her life. This believing, penitent person is baptized into Christ.

Having been baptized, this person chooses to be an active, contributing part of the community of Christians [the church]. The Lord made him or her a part of those people [Acts 2:47]. He or she wishes to be a responsible part of God’s people. Every week he or she declares commitment to Jesus Christ and God’s community of Christians.

The second act of commitment is both individual and collective. He or she assembles with a community of Christians to worship God. At the core of this worship is communion. We often refer to communion as the Lord’s Supper. This commitment basically serves three purposes.

  1. It remembers. It remembers God’s gift of His son, and His son’s gift of himself [1 Corinthians 11:24-25].

  2. It declares. It declares full faith in the return of Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 11:26].

  3. It affirms. It affirms the Christian individual’s commitment to be a part of God’s people [1 Corinthians 11:29-33]. In that affirmation, it should be understood that God through Christ made all of us one in Christ [Galatians 3:26-29].

All distinctions are erased. In God’s community individual worth is determined solely by being in Christ. A Christians’ worth is not determined by social, economic, cultural, ethic, or political distinctions. Those in Jesus Christ are one–because of God’s gifts to us in Jesus Christ. Each Christian accepting God’s responsibility to be community with those in Christ affirms his or her commitment to be “one” with all who are in Christ.

Sunday our entire assembly will be devoted to communion. Communion itself will be served near the end of the assembly. We will prepare our minds and hearts for that moment.