Saturday, June 15, 2013
2 Corinthians 5:14-21, Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12, Matthew 5:33-37
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/061513.cfm
DYING TO LIVE
"The love of Christ impels us who have reached the conviction that since one died for all, all died." -2 Corinthians 5:14
We Christians have reached the conviction that, because of Jesus' death and our appropriation of His death by Baptism and faith, we have died. We "have been crucified with Christ" (Gal 2:19). "After all," we "have died!" (Col 3:3) Because we are dead, "baptized into [Christ's] death" (Rm 6:3), we see life differently. We live no longer for ourselves but for Him (2 Cor 5:15). The life we live now is not our own; Christ is living in us. We still live our human lives, but they are lives of faith in Jesus (see Gal 2:20).
We haven't died physically, but our motivations, priorities, desires, reactions, and attitudes are so different that clearly our old nature has been drowned in the waters of Baptism. The Lord has given us a new birth. We can't be born again until we have died to our old life. We can't be new until the old is dead. We can't rise from the dead until we are dead. We have reached the conviction that death precedes life and in Jesus' death we all can die in order to live with Him. Alleluia!
Prayer: Jesus, may Your saving death be the center and preoccupation of my life.
Promise: "Say, 'Yes' when you mean 'Yes' and 'No' when you mean 'No.' Anything beyond that is from the evil one." -Mt 5:37
Praise: Warren, a family physician, repented of prescribing abortifacient birth-control pills.
(To grow in dying to live in Christ, read the Bible daily. For encouragement, order any or all of these audio or video tapes: "Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ", AV 82-1, V-82, "How to Pray the Bible" on audio AV 82-3 or on video V-82, "How to Read the Bible" on audio AV 46-3 or on video V-46, "Principles of Bible Interpretation", audio AV 79-1, video V-79, "Biblical Counseling", audio AV 13A-1, AV 13A-3, AV 13B-1 or on video starting with V-13A.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from June 1, 2013 through July 31, 2013
?Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 18, 2013
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2013 Presentation Ministries
To add your e-mail address to this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp
To remove your e-mail address from this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp?mode=r
No comments:
Post a Comment