 |
| Saint John Paul the Great |
"We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son Jesus"
- Saint John Paul the Great
(Audio)
how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the gift of justification
come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.
Let's do a brief self-assessment. Are we reigning in life? No? Well, according to Paul we should be,mo more and more. He tells us we are more than conquerors (see Romans 8:37). Yet many of us live lives that look defeated, subject to the winds of circumstance. John agrees with Paul that Christians should not appear thus.
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith (see First John 5:4).
Perhaps the problem is that we let sin and darkness overwhelm us because we don't believe Paul when he said "Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more". We need faith to believe and receive the fact that there is grace enough for any challenges we might face in life. When we come to truly know this we will no longer be the somewhat pathetic pushovers of circumstance that we all allow ourselves to become at times. We can reign in life. We can walk in victory.
We need the attitude of victory if we want to remain vigilant to await the master's return. By the second or third watch of the night those who aren't walking in victory are starting to fall asleep, that is, back into the habits of sin and seeking satisfaction in temporary things.
Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding
It is precisely only the grace of the Holy Spirit that keeps these lamps lit. It is this light that keeps us awake and unafraid. There is enough for any depth of darkness, for any watch of the night. Let us receive it.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."
No comments:
Post a Comment