Wholehearted Obedience

[Christ4Ever]

Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, but not wholeheartedly. 2 Chronicles 25:2

Amaziah, king of Judah, was sort of a good man…just like his dad. His father Joash had lived most of his life under the shadow of the high priest, Jehoiada, and had followed God as long as Jehoiada was alive. But after Jehoiada died, Joash quickly went astray. Amaziah, too, had been raised all his life to worship God but in his later years strayed into idol worship.

Many people raised in the church have a similar problem. They know all about God, know what is right, and even have a relationship with Him. But as they age, they gradually depend more and more on their own reasoning, follow their own inclinations, and eventually turn away from God. And their eventual backsliding largely stems from not following the Lord wholeheartedly to begin with.

It’s wonderful to attend church faithfully, give to God, and read your Bible, but if you’re mainly doing these things to put on a show, to please other people, and to be accepted as a “good Christian,” eventually you’ll run out of steam and come to a stop.

Don’t let this be you. Remember the number-one commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

 

[B-A-C]

Matt 22:37; Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
Matt 22:38; This is the first and greatest commandment.

As you posted above, this is a quote of Deut 6:5;. It's one of the few verses that appears in most of the gospels.
Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27; It's interesting the 10 commandments seem to be numbered by importance. Jesus says this is the FIRST and GREATEST commandment, as if the
others aren't quite as important.

Rev 2:4; But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Rev 2:5; Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

The book of Ephesus starts out - To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Somehow in a short time they went from being "the saints" ... "who are faithful". To those who lost their first love. In fact it's the ONLY thing Jesus has against them. They lost their love for HIm.
He tells them they better repent, or the lampstand gets removed.

As a side note here: The Ephesians were Gentiles. Yet they are in trouble for not keeping a commandment.

 

[JesusIs4Me]

Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, but not wholeheartedly. 2 Chronicles 25:2

Amaziah, king of Judah, was sort of a good man…just like his dad. His father Joash had lived most of his life under the shadow of the high priest, Jehoiada, and had followed God as long as Jehoiada was alive. But after Jehoiada died, Joash quickly went astray. Amaziah, too, had been raised all his life to worship God but in his later years strayed into idol worship.

Many people raised in the church have a similar problem. They know all about God, know what is right, and even have a relationship with Him. But as they age, they gradually depend more and more on their own reasoning, follow their own inclinations, and eventually turn away from God. And their eventual backsliding largely stems from not following the Lord wholeheartedly to begin with.

It’s wonderful to attend church faithfully, give to God, and read your Bible, but if you’re mainly doing these things to put on a show, to please other people, and to be accepted as a “good Christian,” eventually you’ll run out of steam and come to a stop.

Don’t let this be you. Remember the number-one commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Here is a tip for those that have run out of steam in how to love the Lord Jesus Christ as we ought to. Pray for His help to do that and rely on Him to give you the love you need to love Him rightly.

John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Since love is a fruit of the Spirit....

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Guess where the fruits comes from of Whom we should be placing our confidence in for what we need in order to love Him and others in following Him?

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:.....11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

So if you find yourself having difficulty in loving Jesus Christ as you ought to and even having difficulty in loving your Christian brother or Christian sister, or even your enemy, then you go to Him in prayer for help, and He will give you the love you need to love Him and others, even your enemy if all you do is to pray for that enemy for God to forgive him or her for they know not what they do.

1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

 

[Dave M]

Here is a tip for those that have run out of steam in how to love the Lord Jesus Christ as we ought to. Pray for His help to do that and rely on Him to give you the love you need to love Him rightly.

IMO this should be a daily practice of every believer, good advice brother !!