Category: New Testament

Reason For Lent

Featured ~ Sowmya Gali ~ 2 Comments

Hebrews 6: 7-9

For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

Another season of Lent has begun. Traditionally, people and churches observe Lent by fasting, preparing themselves to remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ during the forty days. Over centuries, new traditions have been added and some old ones have been forgotten. Whatever the case may be, Lent is supposed to be a season of a spiritual cleansing and renewal. Remembering the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the cross for our redemption and reconciliation to our Heavenly Father, should be on the top of the things we must consider while observing Lent.

Over the years, people have instead swerved to the physical aspect of Lent. By giving up a physical desire like giving up sugar, coffee, meat or something else, or placing an old habit on hold for those forty days is not what the writer of Hebrews is writing about. If we claim ourselves to be believers of Jesus Christ, then we must move away from physical aspects of Lent and move towards the spiritual aspects. By giving up certain foods or pausing on old habits is only taking care of the flesh/physical aspects of ourselves. What is giving up sugar or meat do to our souls? Yes, it may improve our health but not have an impact on the heart.

Why do we then invest in this physical body which is going to perish anyway? Why not we invest in the spiritual body which is going to last forever? The author of Hebrews reiterates that we, who are the true children of God should be like rain- soaked soil which brings forth vegetation: a vegetation that will be useful for others. A soil that is tilled for the benefit of others, yielding much fruit and being a blessing to others. That is being a blessed person. Do our souls long for being useful instruments in God’s hands?

What then should we do to accomplish that blessedness? Giving up physical desires may be of little or no help but our focus should be more on how our hearts’ conditions are. Do we desire what God desires? Are we seeing where God is working and following in His footsteps? Are we maturing in our walk with God? Or are we still going back to the old habits after the forty days are over? What earthly desire did we give up to gain a spiritual desire? What godly characteristic did we develop after forty days of fasting and praying? Did we revert back to our old self and succumb to the old fleshly desires because the season of Lent is finished?

By returning to our old self, our lives are analogous to a soil which brings forth thorns and thistles. Useless and void of anything good. As soon as the Lent season ends, if there is no spiritual maturity, if we give up on fasting and praying, or if we give up a spiritual habit we picked up during Lent, then there was no reason to observe Lent in the first place. We are worthless and end up being burned. We are not useful to God and His Kingdom. We are not blessed but accursed.

Hebrews 6: 11-12

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Therefore, we must take that step towards spiritual maturity with every season of Lent that passes by. Being diligent means we are working towards that spiritual maturity like an athlete training to improve his performance. If we are sluggish, then there is no progress. We will be at the same place where we were before we started off. With each passing Lent season, we will never progress towards that maturity, thereby, missing out on the promises which God promised to those who through faith and patience persevered.

Hebrews 6: 1-3

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement. And this we will do, if God permits.

Beloved, now that our foundation is secure, let us move away from the rudimentary teachings to mature aspects of faith. Let us move from milk to solid food. Time is short. Christ’s return is imminent. What then should our focus be? Who then should our focus be? With each passing Lent season, we should be climbing up onto the next rung in the spiritual ladder. Let us take a step forward instead of two steps backward. Let us focus not on the physical but spiritual, because only spirit endures. Our physical bodies are temporary but our souls are eternal.

As Paul declared in 2 Timothy 4: 7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith… , will we also declare with such confidence at the end of our lives? Let us be the rain-soaked soil bringing forth good fruit and in abundance. Let us be diligent in pursuing God. Let us be hungry for God’s truth. Let us always be progressing in faith and not regressing. May this Lent season be a time to take those first steps of progression in faith. With each passing Lent season, may we find ourselves spiritually mature and slowly showing the likeness of Christ. May God be with you as you progress!

Riding On The Coattails

~ Sowmya Gali ~ 1 Comment

Genesis 35: 6, 7

So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.

He built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother.

John 3: 3 – 6

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Noah was the first man to build an altar. He offered a thanksgiving sacrifice to God Almighty for preserving his family through the flood. Abraham built an altar when God spoke to him and he often called on the name of God. Isaac, observing his elderly father calling on the name of God, also built an altar at every new place he sojourned and called on the name of God Almighty often. Jacob was the last man in the book of Genesis to build an altar and call upon the name of God. His twelve sons neither built an altar nor called on the name of God.

Jacob, when he fled from the wrath of his brother Esau, encountered God on the way. He didn’t have means to set up an altar as he was on the run. However, he set up a stone as a reminder. Years later, when he comes back to the region, he first builds an altar at the same location where he first encountered God and calls on the name of the God. He wrestles with God and seeks His blessing. However, Jacob couldn’t instill the same devotion and loyalty to God in his children. Except for Joseph, none of the sons of Jacob worshiped God as their ancestors did. Joseph, for the most part of his life was in Egypt where he quietly worshiped God. He probably didn’t have means to set up altar and worship God. Despite being by himself, Joseph continued to worship God through his work, being kind and trusting God.

Jacob’s sons didn’t have faith of their own. They were riding on the coattails of the faith of their ancestors. Reuben defiled his father’s bed. Simeon and Levi went on a murderous rampage when their sister was defiled. Judah impregnated his own daughter-in-law. The ten sons of Jacob were jealous of Joseph as he was the beloved son of Jacob. Their jealousy even drove them to think of murdering their own brother. When Reuben interfered, they sold him as a slave.

If our ancestors lived righteous lives, then it is a wonderful blessing. Their lives and testimonies could inspire us to walk a closer walk with God. However, their faith cannot carry us into God’s Kingdom. We are on our own. We need to have a faith which is our own. We cannot ride on the coattails of our ancestors’ faith. When Nicodemus asked Jesus about the Kingdom of God, Jesus clearly stated that one needs to be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus never said that the faith of our ancestors is the entry ticket into the Kingdom of God.

We must believe in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He alone can save us. No other name can save us. No other faith can save us. No other deity can save us. Christ alone can save us. In order for us to enter into the Kingdom of God, we must have a personal relationship with Jesus each individually. We must be His true worshipers. At the altars of our hearts, we must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Our ancestors’ faith may be a wonderful inheritance but we cannot ride on the coattails of their faith. We are on our own. Let us embrace this truth and have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Each individual’s journey of faith is unique. Yes, we may draw inspiration from others but unless we submit to Christ’s authority, we are doomed for destruction. Let us quit relying on the prayers and faith of others and trust God on our own. As God weaves a beautiful, colorful robe, let us ensure that we become part of that robe. Let us enter the Kingdom with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving. Let us become the true worshipers of our Savior as we await that great day when we will be clothed in a robe of righteousness, given a crown of glory and reign with our Savior for all eternity.