Let’s look again at Agnes that was mentioned in “Committed or Complacent? – Part I” a little more. How did a 13-year old young lady come to such a deep commitment to Jesus Christ back in 304A.D. that she would lay down her life joyfully? How was she able to come to such a deep knowledge of and love for Jesus Christ?

To be sure she did not have a treatise on systematic theology by Lewis Sperry Chafer, nor did she have the helpful and insightful books written by Chuck Swindoll, Charles Stanley, Max Lucado, Charles Colson, John Piper, Joseph Stowell, John MacArthur, Os Guinness, Billy Graham, Adrian Rogers, Tim LaHaye, or C.S. Lewis!! What she simply had to guide and direct her was the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. Agnes, at the tender age of 13, had searched the Scriptures carefully and thoughtfully to discover just who Jesus Christ is.

And in searching the Scriptures, Agnes had to come to some very clear conclusions even at the age of 13: (1) she must have recognized her deeply sinful nature and the need she had to be redeemed from that nature; (2) she must have recognized the Scriptural principle given to Adam that sin results in death, not just physical death but spiritual death and separation from God; (3) she must have recognized that the very character of God includes the matter of justice and, therefore, the wrath of God is fully due to those who live in disobedience and sin to His will; (4) she must have recognized that on her own she was doomed and that she had no power or authority within herself to become acceptable to God; (5) she must have recognized that God alone must provide a Savior to her if the wrath of God toward her was to be set aside; (6) she must have recognized that the very character of God includes a generous portion of grace as seen in the giving of His only begotten Son; (7) she must have recognized the perfect, innocence and pure Lamb of God found in Jesus Christ; (8) she must have recognized that the grace of God found in Jesus Christ satisfied the justice requirement of God found in His character; (9) she must have recognized that she must place her faith in that Lamb of God to grasp the redemption for which her heart longed; (10) she must have recognized the peace of God and the forgiveness of God given through the Holy Spirit as she placed her faith in Jesus Christ; (11) she must have recognized her completed and eternal stance before God as a saved saint solely on the basis of all that God had done; and (12) she must have recognized the joyful commitment she desired to make in her heart to be faithful to this redeemer savior no matter what may befall her.

She learned all that……….from the Holy Scriptures. Just how much time do you and I spend searching the Scriptures to discover all the treasures of God that are revealed to us? How often do we set this precious revelation of God aside to read other most worthy Christian books? Agnes has convicted me that I do this all to often. Agnes knew that the Scriptures were fully and completely God breathed. No other book can make this claim. No other book comes close to “the” revelation of God and His precious Son Jesus Christ. Yet we set this precious holy book of godly insights and treasures aside much too often to pursue our own interests. I am not sure I can even come close to the life giving commitment of Agnes apart from spending more time in the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures.

Dearly beloved, I hope you will consider carefully, with me, the place of the Bible, the Word of God, in your life and walk with the Lord. Be committed to it…….don’t be complacent with the Word of God. As I have recommitted myself to a slow and careful reading, studying and consideration of the Word of God, I am finding anew all sorts of treasures and truth that are mine through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I wish the same for you.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; May His face shine upon you; and give you peace………