Devotion To God
Devotion To God
“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”
Revelation 15:4
Our conduct to a large extent is determined by our concept of God and our relationship with Him. The practice of godliness is first and foremost the cultivation of a real relationship with God, from which, we can then strive to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
Our devotion to God consists of three essential elements: the fear of God, the love of God and the desire for God.
Fear of God: The fear of God is the soul of godliness. In Jeremiah 32:40, God says, “I will put fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” The apostles Paul and Peter both use the fear of the Lord as a motive to holy and righteous living (Acts 9:31). It is impossible to be devoted to God if one’s heart is not filled with fear of God. It is this profound sense of respect and honor, reverence and awe that draws forth from our hearts the worship and adoration that characterizes true devotion to God. The fear of God would bring about obedience and humility, and it helps us avoid sin and disobedience.
Love of God: Only the God-fearing Christian can truly appreciate the love of God. God’s love helps us to truly understand the gulf that separates us from God, a gulf that is bridged only by the death and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. God’s love for us is many-faceted, but He demonstrated it supremely by sending His Son to die for our sins. “God is love”, says the apostle John (1 John 4:8). How much we appreciate God’s love is conditioned by how deeply we fear Him and how keenly we are aware of His holiness and our own sinfulness.
Desire for God: David the psalmist of Israel expresses his desire for God in this way: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” The person who spends time with God radiates His glory in a manner that is always warm and inviting, never cold and forbidding. This longing for God also produces a desire to glorify God and to please Him.
The apostle Paul expresses the desire to know Christ as well as to be like Him (Phil 3:10). Another biblical example is that of Mary’s in Luke 10:38-42. Her sister, Martha was “distracted with much serving” when Jesus came to their house as a guest. Mary, however, chose the “better part” of sitting “at Jesus’ feet” and listening to His teachings.
God is full of wrath yet patient; He is a jealous God yet merciful; He is both loving and fearsome and encompasses all things Holy. Only when we understand and practise a reverential fear of God can our relationship with Him be godly.
In His Service
Elder Gilbert Leow
Our devotion to God consists of three essential elements: the fear of God, the love of God and the desire for God.
Fear of God: The fear of God is the soul of godliness. In Jeremiah 32:40, God says, “I will put fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” The apostles Paul and Peter both use the fear of the Lord as a motive to holy and righteous living (Acts 9:31). It is impossible to be devoted to God if one’s heart is not filled with fear of God. It is this profound sense of respect and honor, reverence and awe that draws forth from our hearts the worship and adoration that characterizes true devotion to God. The fear of God would bring about obedience and humility, and it helps us avoid sin and disobedience.
Love of God: Only the God-fearing Christian can truly appreciate the love of God. God’s love helps us to truly understand the gulf that separates us from God, a gulf that is bridged only by the death and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. God’s love for us is many-faceted, but He demonstrated it supremely by sending His Son to die for our sins. “God is love”, says the apostle John (1 John 4:8). How much we appreciate God’s love is conditioned by how deeply we fear Him and how keenly we are aware of His holiness and our own sinfulness.
Desire for God: David the psalmist of Israel expresses his desire for God in this way: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” The person who spends time with God radiates His glory in a manner that is always warm and inviting, never cold and forbidding. This longing for God also produces a desire to glorify God and to please Him.
The apostle Paul expresses the desire to know Christ as well as to be like Him (Phil 3:10). Another biblical example is that of Mary’s in Luke 10:38-42. Her sister, Martha was “distracted with much serving” when Jesus came to their house as a guest. Mary, however, chose the “better part” of sitting “at Jesus’ feet” and listening to His teachings.
God is full of wrath yet patient; He is a jealous God yet merciful; He is both loving and fearsome and encompasses all things Holy. Only when we understand and practise a reverential fear of God can our relationship with Him be godly.
In His Service
Elder Gilbert Leow
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posted by Moriah Bible-Presbyterian Church @ 12:23
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