According to the Bible, God loves humanity, and He desires humanity to love Him in return. In this post then we will consider, from a biblical point of view, what it looks like when people have a heart of devotion to God.

Our Bible Quotation of Focus

In exploring a heart of devotion to God, let us focus on the following Bible quotation. “God is the LORD, which hath shewed [showed] us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” Psalm 118:27.

For those who are new to Bible notation, “Psalm 118:27” is a reference to the Bible, which is a collection of books. In the Bible, each book consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. The quotation referred to as “Psalm 118:27” is taken from the book of Psalm in the Bible, the 118^th psalm (chapter), and the 27^th verse.

The Living God

God is a Family of three divine Persons, namely, the Father, the Son called Christ, and the Holy Spirit. This Family is known as “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) in the Bible.

“The LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8), “is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king” (Jeremiah 10:10) of the universe.

“God is love” (1 John 4:8) which means that God has a character of love which defines what is love.

God’s Devotion to Humanity: The Need for Light from God

God created the first human pair, Adam and Eve, with a character of “perfect love.” 1 John 4:18. However, Adam and Eve fell into sin which is evil and wrongdoing and all their descendants have inherited their sinful nature.

All humanity then are born sinful and so are “hateful, and hating one another.” Titus 3:3.

But God is devoted to humanity and will not leave them in their spiritual darkness. So, every human being can say in truth, “Thou [God] wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” Psalm 18:28.

Now God has been seeking to supernaturally put His love in human hearts from the time of Adam and Eve. For this is the only way that humanity can have a change of heart from selfishness to love.

Nevertheless, few among humanity have taken hold of God’s gift of love and almost all of humanity have remained in spiritual darkness. 

God’s Devotion to Humanity: God Gives Us Light

There came a time, over 2,000 years ago, when Christ came to the earth to reconcile humanity to God.

That is, Christ was born as a baby boy named “Jesus” (Matthew 1:21) for the express purpose of demonstrating the love of God and to die for the sins of every human being.

If Christ had not done so, the whole human race would have become extinct “for the wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is annihilation]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

Thus, when Christ was on earth, He said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12.

So, it is then that that they are some people who can say of themselves in truth, “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God [God’s character of love] in the [expression of love in the] face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7.

So, God says, “Ye were sometimes [once] darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord [God]: walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8. That is to say, “walk [live] in love.” Ephesians 5:2.

God then with His heart of unconditional love and unswerving devotion to humanity says, “How shall I give thee up” (Hosea 11:8) to eternal death (annihilation)?

God’s Devotion to Humanity: God Draws Us

God is heartbroken about humanity’s sinfulness, and the fact that the whole human race is destined for eternal death (annihilation) if they do not have a change of heart.

Thus, God says, “I drew them [humanity] with cords of a man, with bands of love.” Hosea 11:4. “Yea, I have loved thee [humanity]with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3.

“For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of…[humanity], saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.” Jeremiah 13:11.

Notwithstanding humanity’s near total rejection of God, each person can say in truth, “His [God’s] banner over me was love.” Song of Solomon 2:4.

But only those people who have opened their hearts to receive God’s gift of love, can say, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [children] of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” 1 John 3:1.

So then, God never ceases His drawing of humanity to him in love for He is devoted to them. But there will come a time when judgment day comes, when the probation God offers to the human race will be closed.

God’s Devotion to Humanity: The Sacrificial System

In a wonderful symbol of God’s love, mercy, and justice, God gave the sacrificial system to Adam and Eve. In this system, an innocent animal was killed to symbolise the promise to humanity of the death of Christ, as humanity’s divine Sin Bearer and Substitute.

The sacrificial system pointed to the future death of Christ for the sins of all humanity in order to save them from eternal death (annihilation). So, Christ is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29.

O “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height…[of] the love of Christ, which passeth [surpasses] knowledge!” Ephesians 3:18, 19.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man [Christ] lay down his life for his friends [for humanity].” John 15:13.

Such is God’s love and devotion to humanity. It knows no bounds.

God’s Devotion to Humanity: The Sacrificial Death of Christ

In later years, God gave the sanctuary and its services to ancient Israel as a teaching tool for them and for all future generations of humanity, concerning the promised salvation (the saving of the human race from eternal death) through Christ.

In the sanctuary service, there was an altar of burnt offering with “horns…upon the four corners thereof” (Exodus 27:2) upon which the sacrificial animals were burned with fire.

Now, according to God’s plan, “when the fulness of the time was come” (Galatians 4:4), in the year 31 (this being the year 2021, it was almost 2,000 year ago), “Christ died for our [humanity’s] sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:3.

Thus, “God commendeth [demonstrated] his love toward us, in that, while we [humanity] were yet sinners, Christ died for us [for humanity].” Romans 5:8.

Christ died by crucifixion wherein His hands and feet were nailed to a t-shaped wooden structure known as a cross.

So, God says of Christ, “His brightness was as the light; he had horns [symbolizing the altar of burnt offering in the sanctuary] coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.” Habakkuk 3:4.

Here God says Christ was a light to the world which revealed the true nature of the love that had power over supreme selfishness and self-love. For Christ voluntarily “humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:8.

That is, “Christ…hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring [reconcile] us [humanity] to God, being put to death in…[human] flesh.” 1 Peter 3:18.

Christ’s death exhausted the penalty of death for the human race so that God can forgive their sins. However, only those people who have become repentant (which is to have deep sorrow for their sins) and who have faith in Christ will be qualified to receive forgiveness of sins by God.

O the infinite love of God! O God’s boundless devotion to humanity!

Our Devotion to God and Our Love for God

God’s gift of love in your heart enables you to “be able to comprehend with all saints [all those who have received God’s gift of love ] what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth [surpasses] knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Ephesians 3:18, 19.

The result will be that “the love of Christ constraineth [compels] us” (2 Corinthians 5:14) to turn away from all sin “because we thus judge, that if one [Christ] died for all [humanity], then were all [spiritually] dead” (2 Corinthians 5:14) and, therefore, destined for eternal death (annihilation).

Then it will be true of us that our “soul…was knit [bonded] with the soul of…[God] and…[we] loved him [God] as…[our] own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1), “being knit [joined] together in love.” Colossians 2:2.

In other words, we “above all…things [would have] put on charity [love], which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:14.

That is, we have a true and deep love which is devoted to God.

Our Devotion to God and Our Self-Denial

Christ says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23.

So it is then that our love for God will cause us to say of ourselves, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” Philippians 3:7.

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Philippians 3:18.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the [steadfast] faith of the Son of God [Christ], who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

That is to say, through God’s leading us to repentance and to exercise His gift of faith in Christ, we are able to receive God’s gift of love in our hearts and so, we deny ourselves and we put the supreme selfishness of self to death. Now everyone receives the gift of faith from God but without repentance people have a superficial faith and not saving (correct) faith that takes proper hold of God’s truth by the working of the Holy Spirit.

In essence then, we have sacrificed self whereby we who “are Christ’s have crucified the flesh [the sinful nature] with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24.

In other words, our love for God is demonstrated in our lives by a sacrificial devotion to God.

Our Devotion to God and Our Loyalty

God says, “Thou shalt fear [reverence] the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.” Deuteronomy 10:20.

“Let love be without dissimulation [be sincere].” Romans 12:9. For God desires of all humanity “that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.” Acts 11:23.

The language of our hearts then should be “God is the LORD, which hath shewed [showed] us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” Psalm 118:27.

That is, we should be sacrificially bound to God with cords of love because we are drawn to God in love by “the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27), which symbolise the death of Christ for our sake.

With unswerving commitment and devotion to God, we should say of ourselves, “For to me to live is [to live for] Christ, and to die [saved] is gain.” Philippians 1:21.

Our Devotion to God and Our Thanksgiving

When we are devoted to God we will “in every thing [every circumstance of life] give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) to God.

For we will say to God, “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.” Psalm 116:17.

Our thanksgiving is a sacrifice because it is unconditional, not dependent on our circumstances.

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet [qualified] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [transferred] us into the kingdom of his dear Son [Christ].” Colossians 1:12, 13.

Our Devotion to God and Our Praise

Our devotion to God will cause us to say wholeheartedly, “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15.

So, our lips will be unsealed and, in view of the love of God for humanity, we will offer unconditional praise to God for His goodness and mercy toward us.

Our praise is sacrificial it springs up from a heart of devotion to God in all circumstances of life.

For God says to those who have had a change of heart from selfishness to love, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him [God] who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” 1 Peter 2:9.

Our Devotion to God and Our Joy

Our devotion to God will cause us to say, “I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:18.

“We…joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [our reconciliation to God through Christ’s sacrificial death].” Romans 5:11.

“Now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his [God’s] tabernacle [Temple] sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.” Psalm 27:6.

Nothing can take away the joy and devotion to God of those who have received God’s gift of love and who are, therefore, destined for eternal life.

Their joy is sacrificial because it sustains them in the face of all life’s circumstances, even when there is the threat of death.

Our Devotion to God and Eternal Life with Him

God says, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man [nor Satan and his evil angels] put asunder [break apart].” Matthew 19:6.

It is God’s gift of love that causes us to be “knit [joined] together in love” (Colossians 2:2) with Him.

Adam and Eve, and as a result the whole human race, fell out of love with God because of Satan’s temptations to sin.

Who is Satan? He is an angel who was of high rank in heaven, and who rebelled against God’s rule over the universe by a law of love. Satan was joined by some of the angels in his rebellion and they were all eventually cast out of heaven.

So, God, looking into the future, says, “Ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are [eternally] alive every one of you this day.” Deuteronomy 4:4. This is the reward of those who receive God’s gift of love.

Such could say of themselves while living in a world of sin, “Thou [God] wilt shew me the path of [eternal] life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11.

What a glorious destiny for those who have received God’s gift of love and, hence, have a heart of devotion to God! They will live happily together forever with God.

Conclusion

God is devoted to humanity. He loves them unconditionally. God desires them to live eternally with Him and not experience eternal death (annihilation) for their sins.

Since humanity is naturally estranged from God, He has spared no effort and has given all heaven in the gift of His Son, Christ, as humanity’s Sin Bearer and Substitute to save them.

That is, God has caused Christ to suffer death as a substitute sacrifice for the all the sins of the human race so that their sins may be forgiven.

Furthermore, God offers to humanity His gift of love in the heart so that they love can God and have a heart of devotion to God.

Seeing that God has spared nothing for your salvation, I urge you to see to it that you receive God’s gift of love in your heart and so be qualified for eternal life with God.

Image: Siora Photography at unsplash.com.