Re-dedicating your life to Christ

[Christ_empowered]

Do y'all do this? I just did. When I was at residential, all male, Christian Rehab (AKA "Jesus Camp"), we were given forms each month to chart our spiritual progress. One of the options was to check off "re-dedicated myself to Christ."

I didn't get it then. I thought you converted once, the deal was done. Then a funny thing happened recently: my brain damage wore off. I don't know if all the electroshock and drug-induced brain damage wore off because I got new brain cells (which I'd prefer), or if God just gave me something...something more than I had to start with. Who knows, right?

Anyway, the haze lifted, the crazy remains (yes, I *do* take my Abilify), and I get it now. We slip. We sin. Sometimes, it helps to say "Yes" to Christ all over again. I just did because, the way I see it, once God saw fit to give me the wherewithal to truly make the decision to follow Christ, I had to do it, if I wanted to be a real human being.

So...any re-dedication stories out there?

 

[farouk]

I'll stick to 'Ye must be born again', by His grace, in John 3, the words of the Lord Jesus.

And to Paul's: 'He that hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ' (Philippians 1). It's a question of daily, prayerfully seeking the Lord's strength and guidance, as we feed on His Word, in fellowship with other Christians, that the Christian life is all about.

Not 'further steps of commitment' via some program or other.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I've been saved since I was five years old, but I think I was 15 or 16, my mom was reading this book out loud after family altar, called Though None Go With Me, by Jerry B. Jenkins. Somewhere in the book I believe it had mentioned something about rededicating your life to Christ even after salvation, and that inspired me to do so.
Well, that changed my perspective all right. I started getting a lot closer to God after that.

 

[farouk]

Luke speaks of taking up one's cross daily, even, and following the Lord Jesus.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Luke speaks of taking up one's cross daily, even, and following the Lord Jesus.

True.
I would agree that the idea of rededication has not Scriptural basis, at least as far as I know. I just see it as renewing resolve after being "backslidden", though.

 

[joep222]

We daily repent of our sins, but justification in Christ is a one time event. Sanctification is a life long process. We surrender to Christ, but the term of "dedication" or "re-dedication" seems to be misleading and hints at works based righteousness, that we "dedicate" our lives to Christ, as if Christ is some kind of "add-on" feature of our life. Christ Jesus never intended for Him to be an "add-on" feature of our life. He did not give us that option. He is either everything to us or He is nothing to us (at our own peril).

 

[stovebolts]

Christ Empowered,

Each and every week our congregation partakes in the Lord's Supper. Some think it a weekly ritual, but as I've studied the scriptures I've come to realize that the Lord's Table is a place that affords many opportunity, including re-dedicating one's faith.

Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.

Have you ever really meditated on Paul's words? Part of the problem with our 21st century eyes is that we don't understand what an offering or sacrifice was in a jewish mind, let alone from the OT. But if you do a study, you'll find that the offerings were eaten within community, as were many of the sacrifices and in Hebrew, the word sacrifice actually means to draw near.

One of the offerings as a re-dedication to the LORD and this can occur at the Lord's Table when we remember his death, burial and his resurrection.

So it doesn't matter if you come to the Table on the side of the cross that resonates with suffering and loss or if you come to the Table on the side of the cross that brings much joy. Why? Because the Lord's Table wouldn't exist if it wern't for the cross.

As far as any stories, I've got a few that perhaps I'll share at a later time. Personally I think it's healthy to center up with Christ, and no, it's not a works mentality. Sometimes we just need a little reminder of what's important to us and our devotion toward God.

God bless you.

 

[Gordon]

This is an issue I don't really understand yet. After I decided to make God the center of my life I did normal stuff that made sense. Got rid of anything new age or other spiritual ideas. Power of Now stuff like that. Got rid of all my meditation cds. Started going to Church. Started reading the Bible a lot. Then I thought how should I live my life?

One thing that really had my attention is eternal rewards. God encourages us to work for eternal rewards but not a lot is said about them. So I bought a few books about the subject. I have no idea what they even are but they are eternal. Just think about that a second an ETERNAL REWARD. Lot better than winning some car or something.

So then I thought big picture God, died for me. God of everything died for me. He lives in me. God of everything is choosing to live in me. So should my life be just go to work go to church worry about myself basically? Not really. Not if you are thinking logically at all. If we are here for a blip and there is a much greater meaning our lives should be radically different. We should live like heaven matters.

I have not spent my life living like heaven matters and frankly I am very lucky God forgives me. But the way I see it if God is offering me eternal life and possible eternal rewards I owe him the respect to live like these things matter.

In theory this is all great but in practice it is very hard. It is difficult to go volunteer. It is difficult to put an extra $50 in the offering plate. It makes me realize how illogical I am with the stupid ways I waste my time. Sometimes I go too far and track how much I am reading the bible. I am not thinking I need to work my way to salvation or anything and I don't want to do Christianity either. I just really wish the significance of what Christ did would totally sink in. I wish I would just totally get it at every level cause I hate the lack of logic I have about it. I know it's my old nature but it bothers me.