Posted on August 3, 2020 by Mike
Jesus made it clear that our relationship with him is to be all encompassing. There is no such thing as a part-time believer or fractional participant in your Christian walk – we are to give everything to God. Love is the central ingredient in our relationship with God and we are told that it should consist of all our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength – not some smaller percentage of any of those attributes – in every instance we are to give all.
“Jesus answered, ‘The foremost is, Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:29-30
Our relationship with God is to be a relationship of true and honest affection. We are to love God with our entire being. There should be no distraction in our mind that detours our love for God. We should never grow tired of our loving relationship with God. Followers of Jesus Christ are totally and completely pointed in one direction. Our personal plans are no longer set in stone; they are now fully contingent on the direction our Savior intends for us to travel.
“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
A true believer will view the price paid for our salvation as a gift that can only be repaid with total devotion. Praise God for providing the Holy Spirit to empower our obedience to the gospel. Our old selfish life has been abandoned and we move forward as a new creation fueled by our faith in Jesus.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
Every soul on earth has the opportunity to be enveloped by God’s awesome love. God is actively in pursuit of all those desperate hearts that are longing for something more than their current life is providing. As followers of Jesus, our job is to point the way. Our commitment to give everything we have to Jesus means we will never pass up the opportunity to share the gospel. Give it all. He wants it all.
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