Immense Is the Reward
The sermon emphasizes the importance of following God's will and striving to be found in the number of those who wait for Him in order to share in His promised gifts.
Clement of Rome speaks about the blessed and wonderful gifts of God, such as life in immortality, righteousness, truth, faith, and self-control, which are within our understanding now. He urges believers to earnestly wait for God to partake in His promised gifts, emphasizing the importance of faith, seeking what pleases God, following His blameless will, and walking in truth while rejecting unrighteousness and sinful behaviors. Clement warns against engaging in wickedness, deceit, slander, and hatred towards God, reminding that those who take pleasure in such actions are also condemned. He highlights the need for repentance and praises the sacrifice of praise that glorifies God and leads to His salvation.
Text
How blessed and wonderful, beloved, are the gifts of God! Life in immortality, splendour in righteousness, truth in perfect confidence, faith in assurance, self-control in holiness! And all these fall under the cognizance of our understandings [now]; what then shall those things be which are prepared for such as wait for Him?
The Creator and Father of all worlds, the Most Holy, alone knows their amount and their beauty. Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those who wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised gifts. But how, beloved, shall this be done? If our understanding be fixed by faith rewards God; if we earnestly seek the things which are pleasing and acceptable to Him; if we do the things which are in harmony with His blameless will; and if we follow the way of truth, casting away from us all unrighteousness and iniquity, along with all covetousness, strife, evil practices, deceit, whispering, and evil-speaking, all hatred of God, pride and haughtiness, vainglory and ambition. For they that do such things are hateful to God; and not only they that do them, but also those who take pleasure in those who do them. For the Scripture says, "But to the sinner God said, Why do you declare my statutes, and take my covenant into your mouth, seeing you hate instruction, and cast my words behind you?
When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and made your portion with adulterers. Your mouth has abounded with wickedness, and your tongue contrived deceit. You sit, and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I kept silence; you thought, wicked one, that I should be like you. But I will reprove you, and set yourself before you. Consider now these things, you who forget God, lest He tear you in pieces, like a lion, and there be none to deliver. The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me, and a way is there by which I will show him the salvation of God."
Sermon Outline
- The Gifts of God
- The Creator and Father of all worlds knows the amount and beauty of these gifts
- How to be found in the number of those who wait for Him
- Fix our understanding by faith
- Earnestly seek the things pleasing and acceptable to Him
- Follow the way of truth and cast away unrighteousness
Key Quotes
“The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me, and a way is there by which I will show him the salvation of God.” — Clement of Rome
“For they that do such things are hateful to God; and not only they that do them, but also those who take pleasure in those who do them.” — Clement of Rome
“But I will reprove you, and set yourself before you. Consider now these things, you who forget God, lest He tear you in pieces, like a lion, and there be none to deliver.” — Clement of Rome
Application Points
- We must fix our understanding by faith and follow the way of truth to be found in the number of those who wait for Him.
- The sacrifice of praise will glorify God and show us the salvation of God.
- We should consider our actions and remember God, lest He tear us in pieces like a lion.