Be Not Allured by Worldly Lusts
The sermon emphasizes the importance of repentance, mutual help, and obedience to God's commandments, while warning of the consequences of rejecting God and the reward of serving Him with a whole heart.
Clement of Rome emphasizes the importance of repentance with our whole heart to avoid perishing, urging believers to not only follow God's commandments but also help and uplift one another in faith. He warns of the day of judgment when the Lord will gather all nations and tongues, rewarding the righteous and condemning the unbelievers who rejected salvation. The righteous, witnessing the fate of the ungodly, will give glory to God for their faithfulness and endurance in the face of trials.
Text
Let us, then, repent with our whole heart, that no one of us may perish amiss. For if we have commands and engage in withdrawing from idols and instructing others, how much more ought a soul already knowing God not to perish. Rendering, therefore, mutual help, let us raise the weak also in that which is good, that all of us may be saved and convert one another and admonish. And not only now let us seem to believe and give heed, when we are admonished by the elders; but also when we take our departure home, let us remember thecommandments of the Lord, and not be allured back by worldly lusts, but let us often and often draw near and try to make progress in theLord's commands, that we all having the same mind may be gathered together for life.
For the Lord said, I come to gather all nations and tongues. This means the day of His appearing, when He will come and redeem us-- each one according to his works. And the unbelievers will see His glory and might, and, when they see the empire of the world in Jesus, they will be surprised, saying, Woe to us, because You were, and we knew not and believed not and obeyed not the elders who show us plainly of our salvation.And their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle unto all flesh. It is of the great day of judgment He speaks, when they shall see those among us who were guilty of ungodliness and erred in their estimate of the commands of Jesus Christ.
The righteous, having succeeded both in enduring the trials and hating the indulgences of the soul, whenever they witness how those who have swerved and denied Jesus by words or deeds are punished with grievous torments in fire unquenchable, will give glory to their God and say, There will be hope for him who has served God with his whole heart.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Repentance with a whole heart
- Rendering mutual help and supporting one another
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II
- Believing and heeding the commandments of the Lord
- Avoiding worldly lusts and making progress in the Lord's commands
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III
- The day of the Lord's appearing and redemption
- The great day of judgment and punishment for the unrighteous
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IV
- The righteous and their hope in God
- The glory of God and the reward for those who serve Him
Key Quotes
“And not only now let us seem to believe and give heed, when we are admonished by the elders; but also when we take our departure home, let us remember the commandments of the Lord, and not be allured back by worldly lusts, but let us often and often draw near and try to make progress in the Lord's commands, that we all having the same mind may be gathered together for life.” — Clement of Rome
“Their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle unto all flesh.” — Clement of Rome
“There will be hope for him who has served God with his whole heart.” — Clement of Rome
Application Points
- We should repent with a whole heart and genuinely turn away from sin and towards God.
- We should support one another in our faith by rendering mutual help and encouraging each other to make progress in the Lord's commands.
- We should remember the commandments of the Lord and not be allured back by worldly lusts, but instead draw near to God and try to make progress in His commands.