Committed to God

Acts 20:32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
 
YOU can quickly read this and possibly stop for a second to think, “That’s a good sentence.” Or you might mediate on these words to conclude, “God, who is rich in mercy, made (me) alive in Christ!” (Ephesians 2:4a) With joy and reverence, let’s meditate on five truths of God in this verse that reveals his rich life-giving, mercy.
   First, when Paul commits the Ephesus elders to God he is spiritually placing them under God’s care and protection. Because of Jesus’ atoning death, God will fulfill his promise to keep the believer as his own forevermore. God had transformed Paul’s life, committing Paul to himself. Paul, in turn as God’s servant, could commit faithful men and women to God. Our Father is, indeed, rich in mercy to receive and protect his own.
   Second, Paul also committed the Ephesus elders to the word of his grace. This is as if he gave each person a Bible and said, “Here is God’s Word. Learn it, love it and live it.” God’s Word reveals his eternal love and grace for his people. To commit to the Scriptures is to acknowledge it is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (2 Timothey 3:16) The Word’s power will renew your mind, so you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2b) Our Father is, indeed, rich in mercy to transform our lives through the word of his grace.
   Third, you thank God his mercy can build you up. To build up is to add on, to construct and strengthen. Once you become a Christian, God wants you to add on to your life, to construct new habits and new relationships that strengthen your love for him and for one another. Jesus said it this way: Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Know what God says, and you will know where to stand when temptation tries to confuse you. God’s mercy reveals what you must dismiss from your life and what you must receive for your good.
   Fourth, we know God is rich in mercy because he gives you an inheritance. You don’t earn an inheritance; a benefactor directs a gift to you. In Jesus, the Father has chosen to give you citizenship in the kingdom of God. The Father has paid for your kingdom wealth. He offers it to you because he is rich in mercy. You can say, “God has written me into his will, so I will possess the eternal kingdom.”
   Fifth, rich in mercy, God sanctifies you. The Spirit has set you apart from the world’s destruction to protect you in the kingdom’s restoration. Set apart in Christ, you know and exhibit God’s mercy in your committed life to God. Be alert and joyful to know that when God commits to you, you must commit wholeheartedly to God.