Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0259A recorded on November 30, 1980 teaching from Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – Let Us Hear the Conclusion of the Whole Matter: Fear God, and Keep His Commandments: for This is the Whole Duty of Man.
Pastor Cyril A. Stevens argues that human pursuits such as intellectualism, physical pleasure, and professional industry are ultimately vanity and cannot provide lasting fulfillment. He posits that since life is fleeting like a vapor, the whole duty of man is condensed into the “irreducible minimum” of fearing God and keeping His commandments. Stevens emphasizes that true transformation requires a total commitment of the whole person—including one’s mind, emotions, and desires—rather than a superficial attempt to improve one’s old nature. By highlighting the power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate and illuminate the soul, he challenges listeners to count all worldly achievements as loss in exchange for an eternal, saving relationship with Jesus Christ.