My friend and our former interim pastor Dr. Randall O'Brien, President of Carson-Newman University, preaches a great sermon about the three stages of Christian development from "Thou Shalt Not" to "Thou Shalt" to "Thou . . ." In my experience there is some movement back and forth in the stages. How easily we default to Pharisaical positions in which we see relationship with God about what we don't do and what we do. Why? Is it easier to keep score that way? Remember the old line, "I don't drink or smoke or chew . . ."
From that we may progress to "A good Christian reads the Bible and prays and goes to church." I opened an old book recently and found an offering envelope which gave percentage grades for attendance, reading Bible daily and giving. In some ways this implied that the measure of Christian growth was not what we refrain from but what we actually do. Isn't it better to be known for what we do instead of what we don't?
In our passage today, the Apostle Paul gets to Randall's third category. Beyond "Thou shalt not," and "Thou shalt," we come finally to the "Thou" himself. Paul reminds us to answer the question, "Why do we do what we do?" The Shorter Westminster Catechism defined our purpose this way: "The chief end of (persons) is to glorify God and enjoy him forever!"
Paul reminds us that more important even than our omission and our commission is our mission to do all that we do for God alone. Relationship with him transcends our negative and positive rules. We cannot reduce our lives to lists of behavior. His love points the way for us to live lives of love. Before we do anything today, let us commit together that we will do all we do in word and deed in the name of Jesus Christ for his glory alone.
