Conforming to God
Conforming to God's truth is essential for continued insight and avoiding the consequences of sin.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the importance of maintaining a close relationship with God, emphasizing that our sins and iniquities can create a separation between us and God, hindering His saving power and presence in our lives. She warns against having hidden sins that we are unaware of, which can distance us from God without our knowledge. Tileston highlights the necessity of aligning our actions with the spiritual truths we already know, as deliberate rejection of God's truth can lead to moral deterioration and a weakening of our spiritual insight, making us more susceptible to external influences and passions. She stresses the importance of striving for the best according to the light and understanding God has given us, as settling for anything less will eventually lead to negative consequences.
Text
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot bear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from You.
--ISAIAH 59:1,2
ONE thing alone, dear Lord! I dread;--
To have a secret spot
That separates my soul from Thee,
And yet to know it not.
--FREDERICK W. FABER
IT is a condition of enjoying continued insight into the laws which govern spiritual truth, that we should conform our moral being to that measure of truth which we already see. A deliberate rejection of duty prescribed by already recognized truth cannot but destroy, or at least impair most seriously, the clearness of our mental vision. A single act may thus involve grave inward deterioration; it may land the soul upon a lower level of moral life, where passion is more imperious, and principle is weaker; where a man is less his own master, and more readily enslaved to the circumstances and beings around him.
--H. P. LIDDON
It is a strange but inflexible spiritual law, that those who aim at anything short of the best according to their conception, as God has given them light, will sooner or later come to grief. It is merely a matter of time.
--CHARLES H. BRENT
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Conformity
- The Relationship Between Conformity and Insight
- The Consequences of Settling for Less
- Aiming for anything short of the best leads to trouble
- It is a matter of time before consequences are felt
Key Quotes
“Behold, the Lord''s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot bear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from You.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“To have a secret spot that separates my soul from Thee, And yet to know it not.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“It is a matter of time before consequences are felt.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Make a conscious effort to conform to God's truth in your daily life.
- Be aware of the consequences of settling for less than the best according to God's standards.
- Seek continued insight into spiritual laws by living in obedience to God's truth.