Devotion

Websters
a : religious fervor : piety
b : an act of prayer or private worship
c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation
Rom.5:6-8 - For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We use the terms saved, believers, Christians, and other labels to identify people who hold Jesus as Lord and Savior. But these terms sometimes are not much more than a religious stamp that only differentiates us from Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and all the rest. And these terms have become so commonplace and overused and generously applied to almost anyone, that many unbelievers use them as pejoratives.
No one says, when referring to a believer in Jesus, that there is a cross bearer, or there is a living sacrifice. The Christian brand has been reduced to a diluted, after market item that bears a striking similarity to all the other brands, including the cultural brand. But there is a world of difference between being saved by Jesus and being devoted to Jesus. There are literally tens of millions of people in this country who claim to be saved but who exhibit little evidence of being devoted to Christ.
I like the fact that Webster identifies the private aspect of devotion. When the preponderance of your spiritual life consists of two or less hours on Sunday morning, then you can hardly be called a devoted disciple. And to a large extent, those two hours on Sunday mornings represent the only aspect of some “saved” people’s spiritual life. And while the church has become a well organized center for the saved, it has also lost the meaning of devotion.
The weight of our devotion to Christ can be measured by the time we spend in prayer, meditation, the Word, and in private worship. In short, what you practice when no one is around is who you really are. And it can also be said that the amount of time you spend with Christ privately is in direct proportion to your personal revelation of Who He is. It is most disturbing to see how the church has let the devotions of the inner man fall by the wayside while we continue to build buildings, gather financial faith pledges, defend doctrines, and generally stir up all kinds of religious activities.
We have westernized our so called discipleship and even incorporated the cultural impurities into our lives and our worship. We now are devoted to the cares of this world and of our own personal endeavors. And our children are now reared in a Christian home that watches inordinate amounts of television, speaks carelessly about other people, and is consumed with the worries associated with money and things. Rare would be the case where the children of the home hear the prayers of their father or mother coming through a locked bedroom door. And rare would be the case where the children have become accustomed to seeing their parents spend quantities of time pouring over the Word of God. And the next generation adds to the dilution of what is means to be a devoted follower of the Lord Jesus.
But let us take a moment and meditate upon the object of any devotion, the Lord Jesus Himself. For our devotion should never emanate from a legalistic structure or even a desire to appear devoted. Our devotion must come from a deep and penetrating love for the Lord Jesus that is empowered by an ever growing revelation of Who He is. If Christ is our Lord and Savior, and if He indeed purchased eternal life for us, then just sheer gratefulness should produce a level of devotion.
But do not misunderstand what I am about to say. Jesus, the Lord Christ, the Second Person of the Triune God, is more than just our Redeemer. And our devotion to Him should not be exclusively about us, although that is always a consuming element. Jesus is the Creator of all things. He has always been exalted and high and lifted up. His being is beyond beautiful and beyond splendor. He reigns with regal magnificence, and His very presence shines with unimaginable glory. He is all powerful and all knowing. He is perfect in mercy and perfect in justice.
The Apostle John gets a passing glimpse on Patmos and falls at His feet as though dead! The same apostle who rested upon the bosom of Christ sees the Risen Christ for but a moment and is undone before Him. Paul is allowed a glimpse and goes blind. Our Lord is much more than can be approached by the human mind. As Spurgeon once observed, “Upon the very first glimpse of the Risen Christ we will think ourselves a thousand fools to have ever been allured by anything upon this earth!”
August and without blemish. Majestic and covered in His own glory. Surrounded by hovering Seraphim and worshiped by all creatures. This Jesus is the King of all eternity. But we cannot, and we must not, escape the reality of what this God has done. To understand His colossal majesty we need not look just to the vast expanse of the heavens. The wonder of creation is breathtaking, and His power is revealed in its greatness. Nature itself is a mind bending wonder.
But in order to grasp a more complete vision of the greatness of God we need to travel to a small hill just outside the City of Peace. God can make a universe with but a word, but Christ had to suffer to purchase us. God suffers? If we meditate upon such a notion it must take us into the realm of the sacred. To speak of God in all His immortal power and glory, and then see Him on a Roman cross, is incongruous to the natural mind.
But there He is. High and lifted up once more, but with bloody wounds etched upon His battered frame. The word “love” rolls so effortlessly off the human tongue. But this kind of love shakes the foundation of its meaning. God’s love is much, much different, and it is displayed in a way which screams injustice. But His injustice is our redemption. Do you desire to elevate your devotion to Jesus? I do.

THEN READ THIS,

and pray that we will be known as devoted followers of Christ.