Thoughts from The Bible

Thoughts from the Bible

Thursday, 04 March 2021 10:50

God Requires Dedication
by Terry Broome

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).
This is the greatest commandment in all the world, and one that might be fairly easy to fulfill if it weren’t for that one little word – ALL. Most of our readers would eagerly proclaim that we love the Lord, but might cringe a bit when we’re asked to be truthful as to whether we love Him with ALL our hearts, souls, and minds. This all-consuming love would surely change the complexion of our brotherhood today. This is TRUE dedication!

When one thinks of loving God with all the heart, we’re reminded of Col. 3:1, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above….” We must set our affections on the heavenly and spiritual things to love God that way. Furthermore, we would have to enthrone God in the heart, 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Any way you look at it, God has to take first place in our affections and our meditations.

When our Lord speaks of heart, soul, and mind, we might struggle to understand the sense in which He uses these words. Certainly “all the heart” must regard all our affections. “All the soul” encompasses our spiritual nature; and “all our mind” speaks to all our thoughts and intellectual processes that must be brought into submission to His Truths. He leaves nothing out. When one sings “All to Jesus, I Surrender,” he is echoing the spirit and intent of Matthew 22:37.

Someone has suggested that this kind of dedication is the missing ingredient to personal Christianity. In the First Century, the disciples went everywhere preaching the Word. During their generation, the Gospel was preached “to every creature which is under heaven” (Col 1:23). Contemporaries of First Century Christians (such as the Romans) were largely indifferent to religion, yet Christians had a tremendous influence on these lives. In Acts 17:6 they were described as “having turned the world upside down.”

You and I must say “Yes” to Jesus. We must submit to His will. We must be dedicated to His truths in prayer, compassion, and service. The fate of billions of people on planet Earth hinges on their being introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ. The hope of that ever happening lies within our hands. “Into our hands the Gospel is given. Into our hands is given the light. Haste, let us carry God’s precious message, guiding the erring back to the right.”
The author can be reached for comments at 256-574-2489.