ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Sapate Sepitema 10, 2017

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“Ko e talangofua mei he loto hounga‘ia”

Obedience, our response to saving grace

Fehuʻi #7

Ko e hā ‘a e me‘a ‘oku tu‘utu‘uni ‘e he lao ‘a e ‘Otuá ?

(What does the law of God require?)

Ke tau talangofua kakato mo haohao ‘o fai ma‘u pe; ke tau ‘ofa ki he ‘Otuá ‘aki ‘a e kotoa hotau lotó , laumālié, ‘atamaí , mo e iví ; pea ke tau ‘ofa ki hotau kaungā‘apí  ‘o hangē ko kitautolú . Ko e me‘a ‘oku ne tapuí  ke tapu ma‘u pe hono faí , pea ko e me‘a ‘oku ne tu‘utu‘uni ke tau faí , ko e me‘a ia ke fai ma‘u pe.

(Personal, perfect and perpetual obedience; that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and love our neighbour as ourselves. What God forbits should never be done done and what God commands should always be done.)

Mātiu 22:37-40

Pea ne pehē ki ai, Te ke ‘ofa ki he ‘Eiki ko ho ‘Otua, ‘o fai‘aki ‘a e kotoa ‘o ho loto, mo e kotoa ‘o ho laumālie, mo e kotoa ‘o ho ‘atamai. Ko eni ia ‘a e tu‘utu‘uni ‘oku mamafa taha mo tu‘ukimu‘a. Pea ‘oku fa‘ahinga mo ia ‘a hono ua, Te ke ‘ofa ki ho kaungā‘api ‘o hangē ko ho‘o ‘ofa kiate koe. Ko e ongo tu‘utu‘uni ko eni ‘e ua ‘oku tautau ki ai ‘a e Lao kotoa mo e Tohi Palōfita.

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Tohi Vete – Huani Sanisesi

Commentary – Juan Sanchez

‘I he taimi ‘oku tau fehu‘i ai, “Ko e hā ‘a e me‘a ‘oku tu‘utu‘uni ‘e he lao ‘a e ‘Otua?” Ko e tali nounou taha ki aí, ko e talangofua haohaoa! Ko ha taha‘i me‘a mamafa mo faingata‘a fau eni ki he‘etau fanongó . Ka kuopau ke tau mahino‘i ‘a e natula ‘o e foaki mai ‘o e laó. Na‘e tuku mai ‘a e laó ‘i he puipuitu‘a ‘o e kelesí , ‘a e ‘ofa kumi mai ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘i he‘ene fakamo‘uí . ‘I he taimi na‘e fakahaofi ai ‘e he ‘Otuá ‘a e ha‘a ‘Isilelí mei ‘Isipité  ‘o ‘omi ki Sainai pea ne tala, “Kapau te mou fakaongo ki hoku le‘ó  pea mou tauhi ‘eku kovinānité ” na‘á ne talaange leva, “te u hoko ko homou ‘Otua pea te mou hoko ko ‘eku fanau.” Pea ko ia ai, ko e natula pe ‘uhinga loloto ‘o e laó , ko e fakamo‘ui tokamu‘a ‘a e ‘Otuá. Ko e talangofua haohaoa ‘oku ‘eke (tu‘utu‘uni) ‘e he lao ‘a e ‘Otuá , ko ha tali ui pe ia (fakahounga‘i) ki he ngaue fakamo‘ui ‘a e ‘Otuá, pea ko ha tukupā (li‘oa) fai mei he kotoa hoto lotó .

When you ask, “What does the law of God require?” The short answer is perfect obedience. Now, that sounds daunting, but we have to understand the context in which the law was given. It was given in the context of grace, God’s saving initiative. When God rescued Israel from Egypt and brought them to Sinai and declared, “If you obey my voice and keep my covenant,” he essentially then said, “I will be your God and you will be my children.” So the context of the law is God’s saving initiative. The perfect obedience that the law demands is a response to God’s saving initiative, and it is a wholehearted devotion.