Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Worship to Reflect God's Justice
Isaiah 1:24-31
You shall be called the city of righteousness (Isa 1:27).
The text talks about a just God who demands justice from His people. Here justice us not merely legal justice; it is basically redemptive justice. It has to do with right relationship with God, with other human beings and also obedience to the Law. Let us ponder on two thoughts from the text:
1. God's Wrath: This is revealed in vs.24-25.God's wrath comes out of God's zeal for righteousness and justice. Very often a wrong notion regarding God's judgment is found in Christian spirituality. Some think that God is a heavenly ruler who sits up there in the heavens to punish us when we go wrong. But God is a loving father who is counting on each one of us. Nevertheless, there are some who continuously say " I am on my own. I don't care for God and I am not going to amend my ways. "This self-righteousness invites God's anger. This is to be seen as divine impatience or righteous indignation.Fr. Rayan has a book titled " The anger of God". He points out that we have to celebrate the anger of God as it reflects God's passion for truth and justice. Jesus Christ on several occasions reflected this anger of God. This was out of His preferential love for the sinners and those who are sinned against. In other words, He doesn't condemn the sinners; He wants us to make our repentance realistic and genuine.
2. True Repentance: Repentance is not just saying sorry to God in our worship as a requirement to receive Holy Communion. Rather it's is a U turn in life. But God's grace is not dependent on our repentance. God makes a provision for us the return to Him, to restore our broken relationships. Repentance is at the core of Jesus' ministry of forgiveness of sins, which took Him to the ultimate end, the cross. God in Jesus doesn't condemn us as sinners, though He doesn't want us to continue our sinful life. Sin is both our state of life and our actions. He expects us to make our repentance realistic and genuine.
PRAYER
Lord, enable us to worship you in spirit and truth and to reflect your justice in our life, Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Worship is for liberation.
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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