Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Honouring the Body as Temple of God
Matthew 5:21-30
Matthew 5:21-30
Philip Manuel & Laila Anie Philip
Carmel MTC, Boston, MA
24. leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be
reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
The above verse is taken from 'The Sermon on the Mount' of Jesus - which emphasizes His moral teachings to His disciples. This exhortation of Jesus equips and challenges us to live in today's secular and changing world where morality is a relative term based on one's desire and passion.
The Bible enunciates that we are created in the image of God. (Gen. 1: 26-27). St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states that we are God's temple and God's Spirit lives in us and admonishes that if anyone destroys this sacred temple, God will destroy him.
1. Be Holy:
To keep our body holy and sacred as the temple of God, we have to nurture our body spiritually and physically. For this we have to live a disciplined life and the Word of God is the blueprint to help us navigate. As we are the sacred creation of God, misuse of our bodies is the misuse of the image of God.(Lev. 19:28). We should abstain from deceptive foods and drinks(Prov. 23:19) which can alter our cognitive ability for discernment. So we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God and not conform to the pattern of this world.(Rom. 12:1-2)
2. Repentance, Reconciliation, Relationship and Worship:
Since Christ dwells in us and we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we have a great responsibility and obligation to preserve the sacredness and sanctity of this temple through repentance, reconciliation , relationship and worship. Repentance is saying "yes" to God and "no" to sin with our whole being. Reconciliation is the restoring of proper relationship with man and God and it brings a sense of inner peace and spiritual healing and this in turn enables physical healing for the mind, body and soul. In this context our worship will become more pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God.(Matthew 5:24)
The Mar Thoma Church has instituted public confession prior to partaking in the Holy communion. By participating regularly in the public confession and Holy Communion and sacrificial giving of our time, talent and wealth, we publicly acknowledge our obedience to God. As part of our private worship, to rejuvenate and refresh our spiritual and physical body , we need to ensure regular studying of the Word of God, individual and family prayers, daily exercise and consuming of healthy food.
The above verse is taken from 'The Sermon on the Mount' of Jesus - which emphasizes His moral teachings to His disciples. This exhortation of Jesus equips and challenges us to live in today's secular and changing world where morality is a relative term based on one's desire and passion.
The Bible enunciates that we are created in the image of God. (Gen. 1: 26-27). St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states that we are God's temple and God's Spirit lives in us and admonishes that if anyone destroys this sacred temple, God will destroy him.
1. Be Holy:
To keep our body holy and sacred as the temple of God, we have to nurture our body spiritually and physically. For this we have to live a disciplined life and the Word of God is the blueprint to help us navigate. As we are the sacred creation of God, misuse of our bodies is the misuse of the image of God.(Lev. 19:28). We should abstain from deceptive foods and drinks(Prov. 23:19) which can alter our cognitive ability for discernment. So we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God and not conform to the pattern of this world.(Rom. 12:1-2)
2. Repentance, Reconciliation, Relationship and Worship:
Since Christ dwells in us and we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we have a great responsibility and obligation to preserve the sacredness and sanctity of this temple through repentance, reconciliation , relationship and worship. Repentance is saying "yes" to God and "no" to sin with our whole being. Reconciliation is the restoring of proper relationship with man and God and it brings a sense of inner peace and spiritual healing and this in turn enables physical healing for the mind, body and soul. In this context our worship will become more pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God.(Matthew 5:24)
The Mar Thoma Church has instituted public confession prior to partaking in the Holy communion. By participating regularly in the public confession and Holy Communion and sacrificial giving of our time, talent and wealth, we publicly acknowledge our obedience to God. As part of our private worship, to rejuvenate and refresh our spiritual and physical body , we need to ensure regular studying of the Word of God, individual and family prayers, daily exercise and consuming of healthy food.
PRAYER
Help us, O Lord, to
always walk in Your ways and be a blessing to others. Help us to
preserve our bodies as the Temple of the Living God. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on
his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2