I Am a Devoted Christian

There is no doubt about the devotion of our Lord Jesus Christ to us. He loves us to such an extent that no matter how difficult the way, he gladly and valiantly steps forward. He forsook His glorious and noble station to be ¡§made Him who had no sin to be sin for us¡¨ (2 Corinthians 5:21), even dying for us on the ignominious cross so that we may become the righteousness of God in Him, and enjoy all of His glory. When we truly understand this love of His, we will naturally wish to be devoted to Him, and this willing heart is also the will of God. ¡§For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.¡¨ (Philippians 2:13) May our disposition before the Lord be unequivocal. Even though we know we will have periods of weakness, yet towards the Lord let us be as the hymn says, ¡§Bitter or sweet, blessing or woe - never a regret. All for the Lord, even if dashed to pieces.¡¨ The following is a declaration of devotion by a youthful pastor from Zimbabwe, Africa. May each one of us be filled with his kind of fervor, and be a devoted Christian.

¡§I am a member of a Christian fellowship that is not ashamed of the Gospel, and is full of the power of the Holy Spirit. I have made up my mind to travel this road, determined to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I will not look back, nor will I slow my footsteps, fall behind or totally stop.

The Lord has forgiven my past sins. So now I live a meaningful life, and am full of confidence for the future. The waywardness of my previous life, such as the lack of purpose and direction, the profusion of pipe dreams, and crude, profane talk have been thoroughly abandoned by me.

I no longer have to feel superior to other people in all things to be content. As well, wealth, status, advancement, being praised and broadly welcomed are not my goals. I also don¡¦t have to consider myself always correct, or constantly hope to stand above the crowd, to gain the approval and admiration of others. I now live by faith, relying on the togetherness of the Lord, walking the road to heaven with patience, and depending on prayers to help me work according to the Holy Spirit.

The goal I face is the Heavenly Home. I wish to run with a sprightly gait, although this road is narrow and treacherous. My companions on this journey are few, but because I trust in the guidance of the Lord, therefore my mission is clear. No one can buy me off so that I will compromise, turn my own way, be deluded, fall back or delay my service. When confronted with sacrifice, I will not withdraw at all. When the enemy appears, I won¡¦t be wracked with indecision. Nor will I sit down and negotiate with the enemy (i.e. the Devil).

I will never abandon the truth of Christ, nor keep silent. On the contrary, I will stress the Way of the Lord, and pray often for the people of the world and preach His Gospel of Salvation.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, therefore I must continue to press forward until His return, apply all of my strength until I collapse, preach the Gospel until everyone understands the grace of salvation, and work diligently until He commands me to stop. When He comes to seek those that belong to Him, He will easily recognize me, because my pennant will be forthright.¡¨

By: Esther Hung