A synopsis of the sermon delivered by the Rev. David L. Hicks at St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church at the 10:30am service on Septuagesima Sunday, January 23, 2005. Please read I Timothy 6:11-20. In spite of the snowstorm, there were ten people in attendance at the 10:30 am service. I offered some brief comments on the Scripture lessons in lieu of a full-blown sermon.
Generally, people do not like being told what to do. Although, there are many occasions when we know that it is best to follow the rules, we prefer to make the rules ourselves. This, of course, presents a problem when it comes to living the Christian life. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, presupposes God’s rule over our lives and the impending Day of Judgment. In both lessons for today (Deuteronomy 4 and I Timothy 6), the Scriptures address the importance of following God’s commands. In the Old Testament lesson, the Ten Commandments are particularly in view. The New Testament lesson highlights the importance of being faithful to the gospel and struggling against everything that presents opposition to our faith. Paul exhorts Timothy, his son in the faith, to “flee” for ungodliness and “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness” (v. 11). Moreover, he is to “fight the good fight of the faith”, “take hold of eternal life”, and “guard the deposit” entrusted to him (vv. 12, 20).
While the doctrine of Justification by Faith teaches that no one is able to achieve righteousness before God through his own merit in observing His commandments, we should not suppose that Christians are exempt from any attempt to keep God’s commands. In other words, because salvation cannot be achieved through our own efforts at commandment keeping, we are not to assume that there are no other motivations for doing our best to fulfill what God has told us to do. Jesus himself gave at least one command to his first disciples, and by consequence, this command is for us to follow too: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (St. John 14:15), he said. St. John notes that keeping our Lord’s commands is essential to what it means to be His disciple: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (I John 2:3).
However much being told what to do may bother us when it comes from other people, let us remember to obey what our Lord Jesus has told us to do. For we know that His commandments are not burdensome to those who love Him (I John 5:3).
Amen.
