Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 "Worthy Life"-Temperance Sunday

Romans 6: 12-23
V23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are living in a world, where “worthy life " has become a relative term based on what one feels is good and right. But for a child of God "worthy life "means to live a life that pleases our Creator God. So also "temperance "in the modern day is defined as "moderation "but for a child of God it is complete abstinence from anything that displeases our Creator God. Satan begins the temptation by a simple enticement which seems harmless at first but soon we find ourselves sliding down the slippery slope of sin.
In Galatians 5: 24 we read that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh, the sinful nature, with its passions and desires. They will walk by the Spirit and will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Again in 1 Corinthians 3: 16 we read that we are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in us. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.
In today's passage St. Paul admonishes that we should not allow sin to reign in our mortal body. If the wages of sin is death, and the gift or grace of God is eternal life, why do we keep on sinning? We sin because we yield to temptation, but sinning is more than yielding to temptation. It is us placing ourselves and our faculties in servitude to a false master as Paul notes in this passage. We can either be "slaves to sin or slaves to obedience. Also, sin has no dominion over us because we are not under the penalty of law but under grace. The grace we have is that God has sent His only son to die on the cross for our sins. When we offer ourselves wholeheartedly to obedience to the teaching that we have been entrusted, then we will be set free from sin. It then leads to righteousness and holiness.
In 1 Peter 5:8-9 we read "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, stand firm in the faith.” In Matthew 4: 1-11, we see that Jesus quoted the Scriptures during His temptation by Satan in the wilderness. So, the proactive way to resist temptation and lead a worthy life that pleases our Savior God is to pray, read and study scripture diligently and do what it says and have constant communion with believers. As stated in 1 Corinthians 10:13, with His grace, no temptation is difficult to overcome.

PRAYER
Lord, give us Your grace to abstain from all evil desires and help us to honor You as the Lord of our lives. Amen.
 
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each victory will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.
( Horatio R Palmer, 1868)

                                             
Philip Manuel & Laila Anie Philip
Carmel MTC, Boston.

Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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