Wholehearted Devotion to God – C. Britton

How important is our level of devotion to God to our Christian walk?

Extremely.  The difference between wholehearted and halfhearted devotion to God is like the difference between reading about your dream vacation in a tour book and actually going on that same vacation.  I honestly believe that those who haven’t gone ‘all in’ for Jesus don’t experience the power that Christianity offers.  Granted, none of us is perfect and we tend to hold on to some areas of our lives in varying degrees at different times.  But if we willingly chose not to completely surrender all areas of our lives to Jesus, and continue to do this, there isn’t much sense in being a ‘Christian’ at all.

Jesus Was Quite Clear About This

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Luke 9:23-26

 

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Mark 8:34-37

 

“Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Matt 4:10

 

 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other…”

Luke 16:13

 

The Old Testament Was Also Clear About This

“No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”

Deuteronomy 1:35-36

 

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

2 Chronicles 16:9

 

“This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered."

2 Chronicles 31:20-21

 

“Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart…”

Psalms 119:2

 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13

 

““Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

Joel 2:12

 

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you..."

1 Chronicles 28:9