New Year's Eve Sermon

"What Have You Done Lately?"
[I John 3:10-15; 5:1-5]
December 31, 2006 Preakness Valley United Reformed Church

Peter opened his second letter by describing the characteristics of a Christian. Then he wrote, "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall" (II Peter 1:10).

This New Year's Eve: is your calling and election sure? Are you a child of God? Have you been saved by God through Jesus Alone? Are you saved from sin? Saved from the Wrath of God? Saved, made right with God, and even more, made co-heirs with Christ, our Brother? Can you tell the difference between a child of God and a child of the devil? Do you know that you are a child of God? Peter said, make sure you know.

If you knew that when the ball dropped, the skies would roll up like a scroll and Jesus, the Lord God Almighty, would ride down with His angels to gather the elect from the four winds and the four corners of the earth, would you want to make your calling and election sure then? We don't know when Jesus will return. We don't know when we will die. But, it's possible that you and I may never have another chance -- eternity is serious business -- is your calling and election sure?

Adam and Eve had been thrown out of the Garden of Eden, and in time, Eve conceived and bore Cain and then Abel. The brothers shared in the work: Abel was a keeper of the sheep, while Cain was a worker of the ground. One day, on a day of offering, Abel presented his offering -- the firstborn of his flock -- on the altar, and the Lord regarded Abel's offering. Cain's offering, however, was rejected, and Cain was angry with God. God asked Cain why he was angry -- if he had obeyed God's Commands, his offering would have been regarded, as well. So Cain found his brother and murdered him. (Genesis 4:1-8)

In this evening's Scriptures we see that we can be sure of our calling and election. We also see that, unlike what many non-Christians believe, we cannot sin as much as we want and just keep asking for forgiveness. Being a Christian includes being so grateful for our salvation that we zealously do the good works that God has planned for us to do -- not for our salvation -- but in response to it -- not by the power that we have in ourselves, but by the Power of the Holy Spirit working in us.

John said that it is plain to see who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil: first, the children of God practice righteousness, whereas the children of the devil do not, and second, the children of God love their brothers, whereas the children of the devil do not.

The children of God practice righteousness. The children of God are holy. The children of God do not sin. And you might be thinking, "then we have no hope!" But remember, we have been credited with Jesus' Perfect Righteousness -- with His Holy Life. You and I have had every sin we will ever commit paid for on the cross of Jesus. You and I are seen as forgiven in God's Eyes. The child of the devil who hears that says, "Then it doesn't matter how I live or what I do." But the child of God considers God's Work and fights against sin by the Power of the Holy Spirit. The child of God, who has not yet been glorified, mourns for the sins he commits, and like the man in the temple, cries out, "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." And God says, "Of course I forgive you, my child, go and sin no more." The child of God is heartbroken at his giving in to sin, and he strives with everything in him by the Holy Spirit to do only good. Are you a child of God?

The children of God also love their brothers -- and the word that John uses here is agapao which is a love that seeks the well-being of everyone else first. It is a love that does everything it can to make everyone's life better, more joyful, more of a glory to God. It is a love that rejoices with the joy of others and mourns with the mourning of others. It is a love that asks itself, "what have I done for my brothers and sisters in Christ lately," not "what have you done for me lately." And you might be thinking, "But I am the one who needs help" or "But I am barely scraping by, I don't have anything to give to others." We have each been given different abilities, resources, and gifts, and God has given them to us to use for Him. How can we love others like that? Love God, and it will become clear. If we love God, we will love God's children. Are you a child of God?

John tells us that the message -- from the beginning -- is to love one another with the love that seeks others' well-being first. Do not be like Cain. What did Cain do? He saw that his brother loved God, and his brother obeyed God, so Cain proved himself to be a child of the devil and murdered him. Cain proved himself to be evil by murdering his brother. If we hate our brothers, we are murderers, we hate God, and we are not children of God. However, if we are the children of God, if we love Him and our brothers, then the world will hate us, because we have passed from death into life -- the children of God have experienced resurrection! But those who do not love are still dead, and they hate life, and cannot believe in Him. Does the world hate you?

The children of God love God and their brothers. The children of God seek good and work hard to live out their love and gratitude to God. The children of God live humbly knowing that their salvation, their hope, their everything, is from God Alone.

The children of the devil say, "You're crazy, you've got to look out for number one! I deserve a break today -- I deserve more, more, more. You know what they say, 'he who dies with the most toys wins,' and I don't want to be a loser."
What the world and the children of the devil don't know is that we have already overcome the world in Jesus. We are already victorious. We have already won. That's why we can work hard at being the righteous men and women Jesus has bought and is making us to be. We are not to despair, even if we see the world reeking havoc in our denominations. God may allow the devil to raise up children of the devil in our churches, but Jesus is already victorious, and we are already victorious in Him. So we are to live in obedience and in love of God and our brothers.

John explains again in our second Scripture, that, if we believe that Jesus is God's Son, then we have been born of God -- we are the children of God. And if we love God, we love those who are born of God -- the children of God. And if we love those who are born of God, then we must also love God. And if we love God, then we will keeps His Commandments. Why? Because this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments -- that we obey Him -- and His Commandments are not burdensome.

Remember what Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus is, of course, speaking to those who believe in Him and any who come to believe in Him, when He says this. Jesus is denying the perversion of the Law taught by the Pharisees and Sadducees, and He is speaking to those for whom the Law is no longer condemnation.

It is true: there was a time when we were slaves to sin -- a time when the law was a grievous task-master. There was a time when the law condemned us and was a greater burden than we could ever carry. But Jesus took upon Himself that condemnation -- the Wrath of God for our sin -- and He paid the whole of our debt, so now, the children of God no longer fear the Law as a burden.

Robert Candlish writes, "Thy yoke, O blessed Jesus, easy! Thy burden light! The yoke that Thou didst take on thyself when thou didst consent to serve and obey, even to the laying down of thy life for us, -- was that easy? The burden thou hadst to bear when, all thy life long and in thy death, thou hadst, in obedience to the Father, and as his servant, to carry our sicknesses, our sorrows, our sins, -- was that light? Is it that yoke of thine that thou invitest us to take upon us? Is it that burden of thine that thou callest us to bear? And is it in taking upon us that yoke of thine, and in the bearing of that burden of thine, that thou assurest us we shall find rest unto our souls?"

The Law of God is no longer burdensome, because Jesus has carried our sin and suffered God's Wrath, so we are able to serve and obey, by the Holy Spirit, carrying what is now a light yoke. The yoke that we are given is the easy yoke of the beloved to the Lover. And if we love God, we will obey Him. If we are the children of God, we will obey Him. If we are the children of God, Jesus has made obedience to God light, no longer a burden, no longer condemnation.

Yet, the world comes in again, and the children of the devil call to us again, "Obedience to God is not light! Come, join us in this pursuit, in doing this, don't worry about neglecting that -- this feels better, this is more pleasurable, this is a light burden -- what the world gives us to bear." And the world is sly and vague and deceptive -- and the devil is the father of lies.

John tells us that everyone that God gives birth to has already overcome the world -- the world has already lost -- every promise the world makes is a lie, because it is already defeated, it cannot offer anything -- there is no possibility that the world will win, because it has already lost. So, if we have been born of God, we are the children of God, and God has given us the faith to believe, the faith to love, the faith to obey -- which has already overcome the world.

It's not always easy to tell what is from the world, and what is a matter of Christian liberty. Here, then, is a test, if you are presented with the chance to do, to be, to enjoy something, and there is no law against it, ask yourself, "Does this pursuit cause me to love God and the children of God more? Do this give me joy and the peace that passes all understanding?" If the answer is "no," this may be something that you ought do without; it may be a part of the world that you need to overcome. Be in prayer over such things and do not rest, but keep praying until God has given you clarity on whether it is a good thing for you to do.

Again, listen to Robert Candlish, "O child of God, wouldest thou overcome the world? Is it thine earnest, anxious, longing desire so to overcome the world that it shall never have power any more to make thee feel any one of God's commandments to be grievous? Is it a distress to thee that such a feeling still prevails so much and so often in thy secret soul; that thy walk before God, thy fellowship with God, thy service to God, are all so marred, tainted, cramped, and hindered, by the ever recurring suggestion that this or that thing required of thee is hard? Yes; it is hard to cut off a right hand and pluck out a right eye; hard to deny self and take up the cross; hard to go forth unto Christ without the camp bearing his reproach; hard to forego a seemingly harmless pleasure; hard to part with one dearly beloved; hard to bear excruciating pain; hard to die by premature decay; hard to lay down life for a brother Ah! Is it a grief to thee, a sore mortification and disappointment, that thou art so easily moved by the world; for thy love of the world, or the world's power over thee, that moves thee; thus to think, thus to feel, if not even thus to speak? Here, and only here, is the remedy. Believe, be always believing, that Jesus, so called because he saves his people from their sins, is the Son of God; that it is as the Son of God that he saves thee; and that he saves thee so as to make thee a son; being himself the first-born among many brethren. Rise to the full height of that great position. Realize its greatness; the greatness of freedom; 'the glorious liberty of the sons of God.' That is 'the victory which overcometh the world,' even such faith as that."

Candlish reminds us that it is easy to give in to temptation; it's easy to sin; it's easy to believe we deserve something other than what our Heavenly Father has set before us. We ought pray to be disgusted by such easy things and instead, stand firm and resolute, confident in knowing that we are the children of God, that God Himself has delivered us from such sinful pursuits. Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ has made us His brothers and sisters and given us His Victory, and we are free from bondage and slavery. We are victorious over the world. And we cannot fail, because it is all by Him, all for Him, and all to His Everlasting Glory.

It is with that confidence that we are invited, called, and come to into the presence of the Almighty God and call Him, "Abba, Father." We who know we are the children of God, because we have faith in Jesus the Son of God, because we love God, because we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, because we keep the commandments of God -- though none of this yet perfectly -- we are come through the Body and Blood of Jesus, meeting Him even now in our worship, receiving from Him the Grace that we need to continue to mature into Him in all things.

So let us pray:
Almighty God, we ask that Your Grace would be applied to us by the Holy Spirit as we meet with Jesus, even here and now. We ask that You would give us the confidence in knowing that, despite our imperfection, we are Your children, whom You are perfecting for Your Name's Sake. Grow us in love of You and each other, keep us from the temptations of the world, and make us keep Your Commandments that we might find full satisfaction and joy always in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen