OUR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST
by Jean Robison
D&C
95:3a&c “And I give unto you a
commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye
shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God; for he
will give unto the faithful, line upon line, precept upon precept;… therefore, be not afraid of your enemies; for
I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all
things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be
found worthy;”
Let’s
look at this commandment for what He is saying to us. He has given us 7 things
for us to do:
1. a commandment to forsake all evil, and cleave to all good.
2. we are to live by every word that comes from the mouth
of God.
3. to the faithful, He gives line upon line, precept upon
precept.
4. be not afraid of our enemies.
5. He has decreed in His heart he will prove us in all
things.
6. if we will abide in his covenant, even unto death.
7. that we might be found worthy.
1. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 “Abstain from all appearance
of evil.” Here He is telling us not only to forsake all evil, but to abstain from
even the appearance of evil. Do we do
anything we would not want others to know about – are we guilty of going to
movies we know would not be pleasing to God – would you feel guilty if you came
out of it and you saw church members driving by in their car, and they saw
you? How about TV, do we allow those
raunchy programs to come into our homes?
God’s Spirit cannot be in our homes when we allow those things to come
into our homes. We are to cleave only to
that which is good. Road rage is an evil
thing, are guilty of that? Do we go to
the casinos, occasionally, or just to eat?
If so, that appears that you have participated in the gambling. Romans
2. We are to live by all that comes
forth from the mouth of God. He says not to tell a
lie. He that lies and repents not, shall
be cast out, D&C 42:7c. Do we ever
tell a “little white lie,” rather than offend someone? Or, exaggerate just a little, or embellish a
little, to make the story a little more interesting? Who are we really
offending? We are offending God!! We cannot let friendship stand in the way of
us telling the truth. There is no
difference in a “white
lie,” or exaggerating, or embellishing – it is all an untruth! He has created a place for liars. D&C 76:7. Rev. 3:16 “So then because thou
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew
thee out of my mouth.”
3. He will give the faithful, line upon line,
and precept upon precept. There are many scriptures on
study. He instructs us, He gives us
commands and principles. How can we know
the commandments of God if we do not study the 3 books? As new understandings are granted us in our
study, there is an excitement within us to want more and more. We hunger and thirst for more knowledge.
2 Timothy
4.
Be not afraid of our enemies. Romans
12:20-21 “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him
drink; for in so
doing
thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil
with good.” Matthew 5:46 “But I say unto you, Love your
enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for
them which despitefully use you and persecute you;”
This seems rather hard for us to do, but this is required
of us, and He will give us the strength to do what He asks us to do. We just have to be willing and obedient. I want to share couple testimonies. A girl from
Another young lady was leaving her girl friend’s house one night, and decided to go through a back alley, which would make it much shorter for her to get to her house. As she entered the alley, she saw a man’s figure at the other end of the alley. She, too, was afraid. She prayed that the man would not bother her. He did not say anything or make a move, as she passed. The next morning she saw in the paper where a young girl had been murdered in that alley. She told her story to the police – she identified the man, he admitted to the murder. The police asked him why he did not harm the first girl. His comment was that he was not about to do anything to her as she had two large men on each side of her. The Lord had sent angels to protect. Truly He does answer our prayers.
5. He will prove us in all things. Ether 5:7 “Wherefore, dispute not because ye see
not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith, for it was
by faith that Christ shewed himself unto our fathers,
after he had risen from the dead.”
D&C 102:5c “I have heard their prayers, and will accept their
offering; and it is expedient in me, that they should be brought thus far, for
a trial of their faith.”
6.
We are to abide in His covenant, even to death. When we were baptized, we made a covenant, a
promise that we would follow Christ. We
promised to be His disciple, knowing that meant forever. True, we get off the straight and narrow path
all too often, but as a true disciple, we REPENT and get back on the higher
road. When we see a brother or sister in
the faith, on the wrong pathway, we are responsible to help them back on the
right track.
7. That we may be found worthy. D&C 12:3b “Keep my commandments in all things; and if you keep my
commandments and ENDURE to the end, you shall have eternal life; which gift is
the greatest of all the gifts of God.” [emphasis
added]
If we have ought
with a brother or sister, or others, do we take the necessary steps to resolve
that problem? D&C 42:23a-c “And if thy brother or sister offend
thee, thou shall take him or her between him or her and thee alone; and if he
or she confess, thou shalt be reconciled.
And if he or she confess not, thou shalt
deliver him or her up unto the church, not to the members, but to the
elders. And it shall be done in a meeting, and that not before the world.”
If we followed these instructions, there
would be less contention. Alma 2:14-17 “That they began to be scornful, one
towards another, began to persecute those that did not believe according to
their own will and pleasure…there began to be great contentions among the
people of the church; Yea, there were envyings, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to
exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God…the church
was a great stumbling block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus
the church began to fail in its progress.”
Mosiah
9:54 “And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with
another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and
one baptism; having their hearts knit together in unity and in love, one
towards another.” D&C 38:6a “Behold, this I
have given unto you a parable, and it is even as I am: I say unto you, Be one; and if ye are not
one, ye are not mine.”
Romans
Matthew
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy
thoughts shall be established.” It is much easier to have our mind trained on
spiritual thoughts when we are involved in working for the Lord; when we have
regular study habits, and have a prayer on our lips at all times. John 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide
in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
A college man took a framed picture of his girl friend to a photography studio to have it duplicated. In removing the picture from the frame, the photographer saw an inscription on the back of the picture. “My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart. I love you more and more each day. I will love you forever and ever. I am yours for all eternity, Diane. P. S. If we ever break up, I want this picture back.”
We who have been baptized have professed our love for God. We belong to Christ. There can be no P.S. in our relationship with Him. We are His, we can never break up with Him.
Many
think of Communion as being something we do on the first Sunday of each month,
when in reality, communion is something we should be involved in daily communing
with Christ and our Heavenly Father in prayer.
When
we partake of the Sacrament on the first Sunday of each month or at any other
time, we are making a sacred pledge that we are reaffirming the commitment that
we made when we entered into the waters of baptism and this commitment was that
we would keep the commandments.
What
does it mean to “Yield Our Hearts To God?” (Helaman 2:31) It means to purify and sanctify
our hearts to God’s will. We are dead to sin, that is freed from sin. (Romans
6:7) When we yield, we give way – give
way to God’s will in all things. What a
glorious day for all who achieve that level.
D&C 42:8a “If
thou lovest me, thou shall serve me and keep all my commandments.”
There
is much to be learned from the parable of the ten virgins. First of all, Repentance and Preparation are necessary for entering the
Kingdom. This can’t be made at the last
minute – there is no death bed repentance!
Second,
we can’t expect to enter the Kingdom on someone else’s preparation – in other
words, “ride in on someone else’s coattail.”
We each must make our own preparation, during this probationary
period. We cannot live on the success of
others, we must each be our own success story.
Third,
we learn that we who fail to make preparation, will be shut out, by the time we
make a try to make last minute preparation (going to buy oil), the door will be
shut. Our repentance, our preparation is
something we cannot put off to a more convenient time. If a man is doing his duty, however simple
his duty is, he shall have much joy, and it shall go well with him.
D&C
32:3d “And the
Book of Mormon, and the Holy Scriptures, are given of me for your instruction;
and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things; wherefore, be faithful,
praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that
you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom; for behold, verily, verily I
say unto you, that I come quickly; even so. Amen.”
D&C
58.9c “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I,
the Lord, remembereth them no more.”
D&C
24:4b “Keep my
commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this,
where I am thou canst not come.” I think that is very clear to us!
D&C
42:8a “If thou
lovest me, thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments.”
D&C
l00:7a “All
victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence,
faithfulness, an prayers of faith.”
D&C
81.3b “I, the
Lord, am bound when you do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have
no promise.”
Saints, we have been given the
commission in the Restored Gospel to “bring forth and establish the cause of
He gave this commandment at least 4
times in the D&C. (6:3a, 10:3a, 11:3a, 12:3a)
D&C 102:2c “And Zion can not be built up unless it is by
the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom, otherwise I can not receive
her unto myself; and my people must needs be chastened until they learn
obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer.”
This tells us we are not living the celestial
law! I want to share a portion of a
prophecy given by Brother E. J. Gleazer:
“You will
see the day come when your reserves will dwindle, pass away, and in your
poverty, you will build Zion, not poverty of Spirit, but will give strength to
be found keeping the commandments of God.”
D&C
1:5f “for I the
Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless, he
that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;”
Are we the peculiar people we are
called to be?
Saints, I think we should examine our
lives, our very souls, and see how we stand in the sight of God; and make the
necessary changes that will bring Zion to this city.
THE SURRENDERED WILL
Laid
on thine altar, O my Lord, Divine,
Accept
my gift this day, for Jesus’ sake;
I
have no jewels to adorn thy shrine,
No
world-famed sacrifice to make;
And
here I bring within my trembling hands
This
will of mine, a thing that seemeth small;
Yet
thou alone canst understand
That
when I yield Thee this, I yield Thee all!
38:6a “Behold,
this I have given unto you a parable, and it is even as I am: I say unto you, Be one; and if ye are not
one, ye are not mine.”
36:2h “And the Lord called
his people
32:3d “And
the Book of Mormon, and the Holy Scriptures, are given of me for your
instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things; wherefore, be
faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with
you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom; for, behold,
verily, verily I say unto you, that I come quickly; even so. Amen”
24:4b “Keep
my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt
receive. And except
thou do this, where I am thou canst not come.”
81:3b “I the Lord, am bound
when you do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”
87:5d-e
“Be not ashamed, neither confounded; but be admonished in all your
highmindedness and pride, for it bringeth a snare upon your souls. Set in order your houses; keep slothfulness
and uncleanliness far from you.”
100:7a “All victory and glory
is brought to pass unto you through your diligence, faithfulness, and prayers
of faith.”
102:2c “…and Zion cannot be
built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom,
otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself; and my people must needs be
chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which
they suffer.”
77:1f-g “…for if ye are not
equal in earthly things, ye can not be equal in obtaining heavenly things; for
if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must
prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of
you.”
58:9c “Behold, he who has
repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I ,
the Lord, remembereth them no more.”
42:8a “If thou lovest me,
thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments.”
John 15:7,12
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you.” “This is my
commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved
you.”
Romans 6:7 “For he that is
dead to sin is freed from sin.”
1 Corinthians 3.16 “Know ye
not that ye are the
Ephesians.
2 Timothy
Mosiah 1:88 “And moreover, I
would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those
that keep the commandments of God.”
Mosiah 2:21-2 “And humble
yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord
daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which
was spoken by the mouth of the angel; And behold, I say unto you, that if ye do
this, ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always
retain a remission of your sins;”
Helaman 2:31 “Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft,
and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in
the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation,
yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which
sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.”