A Christian's Highest Priority (reprinted from theologyweb)

Jim Schofield
GODISNOWHERE.org - Ministry of Truth & Challenge



Everyone seems to have an answer. What is the highest priority in a Christian's life, in his walk with God?

Study God's word?

Pray to God?

Worship Him?

Share the gospel?

Help the needy?

To love God?

The theories abound, but there can be only one right answer. There's only one highest calling for a Christian, only one highest priority. The Bible certainly calls us to do all of the above, but some things are more important than others. And some things may even fall under the umbrella of other things. But how do we determine what that highest calling is? By what standard?

Well, this thing must be an end, not a means. All of the other things would eventually work toward that end. If any of the above is ultimately intended to work toward some other, greater goal, then they can't be said to be that highest calling, that highest priority.

Obviously, we are called to study God's word. But to what end? That we might draw closer to our God, that we might understand His will for our lives. Ah ha, His will for our lives! What is His will? Well, studying scripture is part of His will, but it equips us to fulfill His will for us, far beyond that simple act.
Prayer? Much the same thing. Strengthening our relationship with Him, confessing our sins, releasing our burdens to Him, seeking and finding comfort, and seeking His will for our lives.

On the other hand, worship seems to be an end. Praising and worshiping Him through word and song and even dance, we express our love for Him, either individually or especially as a congregation of believers. Scripture and prayer also guide us in discerning how to worship Him rightly, as well. But is this the end all, be all? The final goal? Let's keep looking, and see what else we find.
Evangelizing to the lost is a big one. It is certainly God's will for all Christians, and both scripture and prayer equip us to do it more effectively and righteously. And it has the added benefit of being a means to increase the number of people who will spend an eternity worshiping and praising and serving our God when these brief lives are over! While we should both worship and share the gospel, the latter actually serves His will even more than the former. After all, you can worship now, and then worship for an eternity… or you can evangelize now, be a tool of God to bring others to Christ, and then the whole lot of you can worship Him for all eternity! And at the end of this life, when it comes to worship, you'll "have no less days to sing God's praise than when you first began."

But still, perhaps we can look even further. A crafty bunch of men tried to paint Jesus into a corner once, with a question somewhat similar to this. What is the greatest commandment, they asked? Could this also help us find the answer in our search for the highest calling of a Christian?

Jesus had an answer, and an addendum.

Matthew 22:37-38
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And this is not a simple thing, either. He didn't say just to love God. But to love Him with all your heart. Love Him with all your soul. Even to love Him with all your mind! Loving God with your mind… Studying God's word to understand His truth is a big part of that, indeed. Several things we've listed so far can fall under this umbrella, the greatest commandment. And of course He added…

Matthew 22:39-40
And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

These two things make up what James refers to as the Royal Law. Love God, and love your neighbor. Could this be it? The end goal? And yet, it occurs to me that this has an even higher goal. There is one critical thing that all of the above have in common.

That is to glorify God. To bring glory to His name. To work for the greater glory of God in the highest. At the birth of Christ, a chorus of angels appeared to the shepherds and sang, "Glory to God in the highest!"

Paul wrote in Romans 1 about the guilt of wicked men who changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Luke wrote about how God struck dead the king of Israel in Acts 12, an unprecedented event in Israel's history! Even Mannasseh didn't receive that kind of wrath, and he was the most wicked king in all of Israel's history. Struck down why? Because as king of Israel, "he did not give glory to God."

Paul in Romans 15 admonishes us to receive each other just as Christ received us. Why? To the greater glory of God. And then he adds, "To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever! Amen."

Studying God's word is a way to glorify Him.
Prayer is to His greater glory.
Worship glorifies God.
Evangelism brings more into His presence to glorify Him unto the ages of ages.
Helping the needy? What you do to the least of these, you do unto Him.
And to love God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind!

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

2 Corinthians 4:15
For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

So, we've found the treasure of wisdom we seek. Haven't we? Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God! Or… can we narrow it down even further, even more specific? Is that even possible? But we know God isn't just one Person. He is three. Does this apply to God as a whole? Are the members of the Trinity (or Triunity) equal in all respects?

All are equally God, yes. All three are deity. All three were present at Creation, all three were present at the baptism of Jesus, and all three raised Christ up on the third day. But, equal in all respects?

Jesus consistently diminishes Himself in order to magnify the Father, and accedes to the will of the Father. Just as in Luke 22, this is portrayed perhaps most clearly in the garden at Gethsemane, in Matthew 26.

Matthew 26:39, 42
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."

And let us not forget who truly made the sacrifice of the cross. Was it the Son? No, the Son was the sacrifice. Who made the sacrifice? The Father. He sacrificed His Son, for all our sake. Who can forget John 3:16? But that's not the only scripture that says this.

John 5:19
Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

John 8:28
Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

1 John 4:14
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

By the same token, the Holy Spirit acts the same in relation to the Son. Who sent the Holy Spirit to believers after the resurrection? Did He come of His own accord? The Son sent Him.

John 14:16-17
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

But, the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father, as well.

Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

It is interesting that while there are countless examples of scripture that naturally speak of the Father as God, there are only some that can be used to prove that the Son is God. And only one or two that can truly prove the Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is the member of the Trinity (or Triunity) that inspired God's word. Scripture is "God-breathed," and the Greek word used for Spirit can also be translated as wind or breath. The Holy Spirit glorified the Father the most, and the Son to a significant degree, as well. And He put in just enough evidence for His own deity to get by, leaving the spotlight for them.

The Son and the Spirit both glorify God to the greatest degree, and they lead us by example. So should we. Therefore, the highest priority, the highest calling of any Christian is to ultimately bring glory to the Father. Through studying scripture, through prayer, worship, witnessing to unbelievers, loving our neighbor as we help the needy and loving God with every part of us. It is to Him, to the Father that we pray. It is by doing not some of these things but all of them, always keeping in our minds and hearts that the Father is owed the greatest glory.

Some have said, "It's all about Jesus." Not only should we not forget to include the Father in our worship, prayer and service, but we should put Him first and foremost.

John 14:13
[Jesus said,] And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

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Did you find this article useful? Here’s some info about GODISNOWHERE:

We are a street evangelism and apologetics ministry whose primary mission is equipping the saints with the ability to effectively witness and evangelize in everyday life. Based out of Denver, we began taking God’s truth to the street about 10 years ago, across eastern Colorado.

We challenge people to defend what they believe, regardless of what that is, and we invite them to challenge us back. Sometimes, we won’t reveal we are Christian for five minutes, ten, thirty, forty-five minutes into a discussion. Sometimes, we will play the role of atheist, pagan or something else, but we always bring it around to the absolute Truth of Jesus Christ. And we challenge Christians hardest of all. Sadly, the vast majority of Christians can’t defend their way out of a wet paper bag… and that is exactly why we exist. To challenge them to be able to defend their faith!

1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

In 2002, GODISNOWHERE’s mission expanded in a new direction. We now provide a free seminar on basic “street-level” apologetics to Colorado churches and college Christian student clubs. Whether we come for a two-hour class or once a week for a month, we teach a style of apologetics that is, above all else, applicable in everyday life, from classical arguments to evidentialism to presuppositionalism. While some apologetics sources get caught up in the intellectual pursuit of apologetics studies that one would use in a formal debate, we are more concerned with effective, solidly-based solutions for real life situations.

We reject “lifestyle evangelism.” We reject blind faith in favor of a reasoned faith, based on evidence, logic and reason. We believe the greatest threat to the Body of Christ today is not from without but from within – the insidious enemy of postmodernism and relativism in our churches and members. It is in every denomination, in every city. It is worldly, it is evil, and it is highly organized.

Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. You cannot know God if you do not know the Truth.

Are you a truth seeker?

[and if you want to do as you’ve done in the past]