Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Striving For Full Restoration
Robin T. Varughese
Epiphany MTC, NY
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!
Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in
peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”- 2
Corinthians 13: 11
“I
accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior,” a phrase we have all once
uttered as we embraced the journey of discipleship with Christ. But through the
weight of constant demands, distractions, and encumbering stresses of life, we
often find ourselves losing sight of our “first love”, perpetuating a downward
spiral that leads us to complacency in, or the deviation of, our faith
much like the Corinthian Church.
Paul
writes to the Church at Corinth with the purpose of admonishing and reminding
them of their foundation in Jesus Christ. The Corinthian Church experienced
much difficulty with the flux of alternative versions of the Gospel being
spread within the Church. As a result, many believers fell prey and wandered
from the Church, warranting Paul to write again to the Corinthians to urge them
to stay founded in the truths of the Gospel.
Paul urges us
to remember our first reforming encounter with Christ, that we are not only
justified by His Blood, but also sanctified and called to be “ambassadors of
Christ” wherever we are. This involves actively pursuing a relationship with
Him, to align our self such that His Desires become our desires, and His Way
becomes our way. Although this is a work in progress, the responsibility we, as
Christians, are given should not be taken lightly. By bearing the name of
Christ as a Christian, we ought to exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit-
defining characteristics that sanctify us in our growing relationship with
Christ and spiritual maturity. We, as humans, are not perfect- there is nothing
redeemable in us to warrant such an amazing gift in the Grace of God, but the
intentions - to strive for restoration in a relationship with Christ - is
what God continually calls us to do. He beckons us to come before Him and to
become one in heart and mind as we continue to strengthen this relationship
with Him and with our fellow believers.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we
thank You for never letting go of us when we stumble. We ask that You equip us
with Your Holy Spirit to help us foster a closer relationship with You. Restore
us and sanctify us to remain faithful in our relationship with our true and
first love. All these things we ask in Your Name. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
How can we strive for
restoration and refinement in our relationship with Christ today?