Our Devotion To God
By Ron Boatwright
Jesus says we are to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Our number one priority in this life must be to go to Heaven. We do this by seeking first the righteousness of God. But what is God’s righteousness? Psalms 119:172 says, "For all your commandments are righteousness." To do the righteousness of God is to do all His commandments.
We are to be fully devoted to God. Jesus says, "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). We are to love God with our total being, if we are to be pleasing to Him so we can go to Heaven when this life is over. How do we show our love to God and Christ? Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (John 14:23-24). We also read, "He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him" (1 John 2:4-5).
Half-hearted allegiance and obedience to the Lord is vain and does one no good. Jesus tells those in Laodicea, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16). Jesus also says, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor…It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matthew 5:13). If Christians become half-hearted or unfaithful, they will be vomited out of the Lord’s mouth or thrown out as salt that is no good and will be eternally lost. Jesus tells us, "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
Our goal in this life must be to go to Heaven. In order to this we must, "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). We should be looking forward "for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). Let’s faithfully serve God with all our heart, mind, soul, and spirit so we don’t miss Heaven.