Direction XX - God As All

taken from Scripture Studies.com

by Richard Baxter

See that your religion be purely divine, and animated all by God, as the beginning, the way and the end; and that first upon thy soul, and then upon all that thou hast or dost, there be written "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD;" and that thou corrupt not all with an inordinate hypocritical respect to man.

To be holy is to be devoted to God, and appropriated to Him, and His will and use; and that our hearts and lives be not common and unclean. To be godly is to live to God, as those that from their hearts believe that He is God indeed, and that "He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him," (Heb. 11:6, KJV); that He is "our God all-sufficient, our shield and exceeding great reward," (Heb. 11:6; Gen. 15:1 ; 17:1, KJV); and that "of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things," that all may give the glory forever unto Him (Rom. 11:36, KJV). As God is infinitely above all creatures, so living upon God, and unto God, must needs advance us above the highest sensual life, and therefore religion is transcendently above all sciences or arts. So much of God as is in you and upon you, so much you are more excellent than that highest worldly perfection can advance you to. God should be the First, and Last, and All in the mind, and mouth, and life of a believer. God must be the principal matter of your religion. The understanding and will must be exercised upon Him. When you awake you should be still with Him (see Ps. 139:8). Your meditations of Him should be sweet, and you should be glad in the Lord (see Ps. 104:34).

Click here to read the rest of this wonderfully God-centered direction.

Such thoughts and statements from Baxter and others is no doubt where I got my "every sphere of life" emphasis in my own life and ministry.