Priorities

Samuel Davies

Quoting Samuel Davies:

Consider how earnest and active men are in other pursuits. Should we form a judgment of the faculties of human nature by the conduct of the generality in religion, we should be apt to conclude that men are mere snails, and that they have no active powers belonging to them. But view them about other affairs, and you find they are all life, fire, and hurry. What labor and toil! What schemes and contrivances! What solicitude about success! What fears of disappointment! Hands, heads, hearts, all busy. And all this to procure those enjoyments which at best they cannot long retain, and which the next hour may tear from them. To acquire a name or a diadem, to obtain riches or honors, what hardships are undergone! What dangers dared! What rivers of blood shed! How many millions of lives have been lost! And how many more endangered! In short the world is all alive, all in motion with business. On sea and land, at home and abroad, you will find men eagerly pursuing some temporal good. They grow grey-headed, and die in the attempt without reaching their end; but this disappointment does not discourage the survivors and successors; still they will continue, or renew the endeavor. Now here men act like themselves; and they show they are alive, and endowed with powers of great activity. And shall they be thus zealous and laborious in the pursuit of earthly vanities, and quite indifferent and sluggish in the infinitely more important concerns of eternity? What! Solicitous about a mortal body, but careless about an immortal soul! Eager in pursuit of joys of a few years, but careless and remiss in seeking an immortality of perfect happiness! Anxious to avoid poverty, shame, sickness, pain, and all the evils, real or imaginary, of the present life; but indifferent about a whole eternity of the most intolerable misery! Oh, the destructive folly, the daring wickedness of such a conduct! My brethren, is religion the only thing which demands the utmost exertion of all your powers, and alas! Is that the only thing in which you will be dull and inactive? Is everlasting happiness the only thing about which you will be remiss? Is eternal punishment the only misery which you are indifferent whether you escape or not? Is God the only good which you pursue with faint and lazy desires? How preposterous! How absurd is this! You can love the world, you can love a father, a child, or a friend; nay, you can love that abominable, hateful thing, sin: these you can love with ardor, serve with pleasure, pursue with eagerness, and with all your might; but the ever-blessed God, and the Lord Jesus, your best friend, you put off with a lukewarm heart and spiritless services. (“The Danger of Lukewarmness in Religion”)

Pursuing The Heart Of Christianity

What should we consider to be the heart of Christianity? What does the Reformed faith teach us about this question? To be Christian is to be God-obsessed; that is, a delight in God-centeredness is a primary attribute of the Christian man or woman. There is that awareness in one’s life that God is satisfied with you because you find that all you need is most satisfied in Him. God is at the center of Christianity and the Christian life. He is the satisfaction that is missing from so many lives.

The Reformed Christian faith is a God-centered faith. Our beliefs are governed by this premise. For example: Our great salvation is seen in the light of the glory that it brings to God. Would you truly want to go to heaven if God was not there? Of course not! Heaven would not be heaven without the presence of God! Sin is sin because it is rebellion against the glory of God.

You probably have never wondered what the most used word in the book of Romans is. If you were asked to guess, what would you say? Would you guess that it was “Love”, “Predestination”, “Salvation”, or “Grace”? Most of us would probably answer wrongly, but according to Leon Morris the most used word is “God”!

If you truly understand the doctrines of Christianity, you will live in awareness of the glory of God and this awareness will be a great joy to you. This will result in a life directed toward holiness. You will not only want God’s glory, you will seek His fellowship and presence. The Spirit of God will also give you a burning desire to pursue the moral character of God in your own life.

Christians attend church with many issues of their own to work out. Some ask, “Is there a good single’s program?” Others want to know – “Will the music be modern and upbeat?” There are many such questions that may be asked. However, the most important questions to ask yourself about the church you choose to attend are: “Will I grow to know God better in this place?” and, “Do I see God glorified here?”

God, himself, must be our greatest concern. We carry out The Great Commission to obey God, glorify God, and to tell the story of the coming of God’s Kingdom. Evangelism, community outreach, Bible study, small groups, preaching, and music must all be God-centered to lead us to greater communion with God. Otherwise, we have no right to expect the blessing of the Holy Spirit upon our endeavors.

Therefore, God is the Heart of Christianity. In our modern world, we often believe that everything should be about me, for me, and make me look good. The great protestant reformers throughout history knew that Christianity does not abide this attitude. John the Baptist illustrates this when he speaks of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) Paul explains it thus: “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:19-20) To “live by faith in the Son of God” is God-centered theology. Such a happy state is truly the heart of Christianity.