This post has 488 words. It will take approximately 2 minutes, 26 secondes for reading it.

2 Cor. 5:20

I shall add one…test of our pretended friendship, a test of which is established by the great Founder of our religion as infallibly decisive in this case; and that is, obedience, or the keeping of the commandments of God. This, I say, is established in the strongest terms by Jesus Christ himself, as a decisive test of self-love. If you love me, keep my commandments. John xiv. 15. Then are ye my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John xv. 14. If any man love me, he will keep my words. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my saying. John xiv. 23-24. this is the love of God, says, St. John, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John v. 3. that is, they are not grievous when love is the principle of obedience. The service of love is always willing and pleasing. Now, my brethren, bring your hearts and lives to this standard, and let conscience declare, Are there some demands and restraints of the divine law so disagreeable to you, that you labour to keep yourselves ignorant of them, and turn every way to avoid the painful light of conviction? Are there not several duties which you know in your conscience to be such, which you do not so much as honestly endeavour to perform, but knowingly and wilfully neglect? And are there not some favourite sins which your conscience tell you God has forbidden, which yet are so pleasing to you, that you knowingly and allowedly indulge and practice them? If this be your case, you need not pretend to plead anything in your own defence, or hesitate any longer; the case is plain, you are, beyond all doubt, enemies to God; you are undeniably convicted of it this day by irresistible evidence. You perhaps glory in the profession of Christians, but you are, notwithstanding, enemies to God. You attend on public worship, you pray, you read, you communicate, you are perhaps a zealous churchman or dissenter, but you are enemies of God. You have perhaps had many fits and starts of religious affection, and serious concern about your everlasting happiness, but notwithstanding you are enemies of God. You may have reformed many things, but you are still enemies of God. Mean may esteem you Christians, but the God of heaven accounts you his enemies. In vain do you insist upon it, that ou have never hated your maker all your life, but even tremble at the thought, for undeniable facts are against you; and the reason why you have not seen your enmity was, because you were blind, and judged upon wrong principles; but if you this day feel the force of conviction from the law, and have your eyes opened, you will see and be shocked at your horrid enmity against God, before yonder sun sets.
Samuel Davies, from sermon: “Sinners Entreated to be Reconciled to God”