02/09/2011 - BE A PATTERN

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In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

Titus 2:7-8

Just like Jesus set the example for everybody in His days on Earth, each Christian today has the obligation to show that they serve God blamelessly. If sinners want to corrupt us, it is up to us not to allow them to do so. Although the circumstances signal that we should imitate those who do justice with their own hands, we must let the Lord be the Judge of the facts. If temptation besets us and we feel that we are about to transgress, we must remain faithful to what we are told in the Holy Book and have the same attitude that Christ would have if He were in our place.
We are guided by the Holy Spirit of God when we meditate on His Word or when we hear the preaching of the Gospel and what we grasp from it is the very doctrine of the Lord for each one of us. From then on, we must present ourselves incorruptible and fulfil what was revealed to us because otherwise we will not be able to walk with our Father and, consequently, we will stride towards the destruction of our souls and then we will lose our salvation.
We must give the doctrine of the Gospel its due consideration. We must not be political with such a serious issue; after all our happiness and that of so many people will be at stake. To allow the enemy to use us is to give him authority to pervert our holiness – which is a virtue everybody must have. Let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no”; “Yes” for what is right and “No” for what is wrong because whatever is more than these is from the evil one (Matthew 5:37).
Sincerity is the pattern to be followed because it gives the Spirit of God the conditions for Him to keep us from stumbling and lead us in triumph. If we fail, we need to confess our mistake and ask the Lord for
forgiveness. Yet, those who make use of lies or excuses depart from the Most High and get close to the tempter.
My brethren, our speech must always be sound and blameless. Therefore sarcasm, mockery or snide remarks on people’s impairments – whether they are physical, mental or behavioral – must not exist among the people of God.
Our adversary must be ashamed by our fear of the Lord. If, in a lapse of faith, the enemy manages to draw you closer to sin, you must rush back to the One who called you to be His and to do His work. You are different because you belong to God! Therefore, you must not let go of your glory for absolutely nothing. Right now you must turn to the Father and repent for any detour you might have taken. Do not let Satan find any reason to speak evil of you because your life was bought at a price (I Corinthians 6:20). Do your best for your life to be a constant reason of praise to God and be a pattern in everything for all people!
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares