Bible
Study: Romans 5, 12 to 21. And Luke 12, 35 to 38.
Adam,
being the first man ever made had a chance to change the entire course of
human history but little did he know that his one act of disobedience would
have far reaching consequences on all men. As St. Paul tells us, “For as by one
man’s disobedience, many were made sinners…”
There is a
social character to sin. For every sin that we commit, we do not only suffer
the consequences ourselves. Sin has a way of affecting others as well and badly
too. Or to put it in another way, sin spreads like oil. When one finger touches
it, it spreads to others as well.
When faced
with temptation or when you are contemplating between having to do what is
right or what you consider beneficial, remember that a single act of righteousness
on your part can change the course of your entire generation, a single decision
to do what is right can change the history of your nation, it can change the
world as a whole. Yes, whatever pain you may experience right now as a result
of your decision to do the right thing is small and in fact, insignificant
compared to the pain that millions may have to suffer as a result of your sin
in the long run.
Our country
is the way it is today because many have failed us in the past; we have had
leaders who were in a position to better the fortunes of this country but were
must interested in personal aggrandizement, they were more interested in
enriching themselves than thinking of the future.
Thanks be
to Jesus, the world as a whole would have been worse if he had not come to save
mankind. His one act of obedience on the cross, his decision to die for us (even
after he prayed: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” in Matthew 26, 39) was the one decision
that saved the world. It was very inconveniencing to him, he felt the pain of
brutality and the weight of the cross, but he kept on, he fell three times but
each time he got up, picked up the cross and staggered on. He had nothing to
lose if he had chosen to abandon us, he had no sin but he accepted to carry a
burden that was meant for us. His obedience won life for us and because of Jesus,
we have become heirs of God the Father.
As Adam’s disobedience
brought sin and death, Christ’s obedience brought grace; that is, the POWER we
need for righteousness. Do good. It is not enough to criticize others for what
they are not doing right. It is for you to realize that your decision to live righteously
can change the world. It is not enough that we call our leaders corrupt and
blame our woes on them, instead it is for us to always be conscious that if only
we decide this very moment to be truthful and sincere at all times, as
insignificant as we think we may be, Nigeria as a whole would benefit from our
goodness.
So be
good. Be good oh, be good. Be good at all times. Never try to select when to be
good and when not to be good because you never can tell, the hour that an
account of your goodness would be demanded for. This is what Jesus tell us in
the Gospel passage today: “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, be like
men waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast… blessed are
those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.”
Let your
loins be girded and your lamps burning! In other words, practice
self-discipline, live a morally upright life, girding your loins means putting
a check to your sensuality. And let your lamps keep burning. You are the light
of the earth. You cannot afford to live a mediocre life, a lamp is not kept
under the table or hidden, you are meant to be on top, you are not meant to
pattern your life according to the standard of the people around you, you are
meant to have higher standards for yourself, you are meant to aspire for
heights in spirituality and holiness far higher than what obtains under the
table where cockroaches and small insects love to hide.
Your decision
to let your light shine today and drop sin behind can change the world for
good. Think not about yourself alone but about the far reaching consequences on
others. Always ask this question when about to take any decision: “How will
this action of mine benefit others and even the millions yet unborn?”
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, teach me to love you above all things and to live well not just for my
sake but for the benefit of others that through me, many more will have a
better life. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
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