Tim Keller | May 13, 1990
Commitment always makes you vulnerable, but Jesus Christ cannot be known apart from absolute commitment. He can’t be known any other way. Jesus Christ can’t be sampled; he can’t be known on a money-back guarantee trial. It can’t be done. He can only be known through absolute commitment, and to absolutely commit means the willingness to obey absolutely.
When we explore how commitment helps us grow as Christians, we find a clear difference between honor, which means putting our duties before our own needs, and dignity, which values personal freedom. This is where Christianity and modern thinking don’t always see eye to eye, because being committed means we have to be open to being hurt and give up other options. To truly understand Jesus Christ, we must be completely committed and surrender ourselves, just like Mary did when she poured valuable perfume on Jesus’ feet in John 12:1-8.