Topic: We receive grace to discipline our body, soul and spirit during this 40 days journey and subsequently.
Texts: 1 Cor. 9:27; Gal. 5:16.
EXPOSITION:
“We receive grace…” in the topic is a definitive, assertive, and faith-laden phrase; it is a declaration too, and the Bible in Job 22:28 says, “You shall also declare a thing, and it shall be established for you…”. May it so be for us according to our declaration in the name of Jesus.
In the secular and sacred realms, discipline is required to succeed in all realms of life. The importance of discipline of the body soul and spirit, particularly in such a season as we are cannot be over emphasised. It is in time of fasting, when we deny ourselves of pleasurable things that the temper would want to dangle before us colour-coated, sugar-coated flashy things that ordinarily will be difficult to resist. It is in a situation like this that we see and know the difference between a disciplined and an undisciplined Christian.
Paul, because he knew his target, the goal he aimed to attain said, “…I keep my body, and bring it under subjection… in order not to be disqualified or castaway”. In this vein, we also, during this season must always bring to subjection everything in us that the flesh can use to cause us to miss our goal and cause this spiritual exercise, the sacrifices, the denials that go with it to be futile. May God help us to work and walk against this.
In Hebrews 12:1 we are admonished to “… lay aside every weight, and the sin easily beset/ensnare us…”. Ensnare here means to entrap. The sins we are often not aware of because they are subtle, and often unnoticeable, we take them for granted and before we know it, we have been entrapped in them – such as in thought, idle talks, in what we eat and drink, the type of companies we associate with, the type of films/movies we watch, music we listen to. These are easy pitfalls we must avoid and, it takes discipline of our body, soul and spirit and the grace of God above all, to be able circumvent round these successfully.
As we would pray on this issue today, the Lord will hearken to us; He will endow us the enabling grace to do the needful throughout this season and subsequently in the name of Jesus.
God bless you. SHALOM.
