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03 in Matthew - Epistle to Romans Ocala 7/10/05 Today, instead of basing my sermon on the Gospel Lesson, I chose to speak on the teaching, which St. Paul offers us, in the first 10 verses of his Epistle to the Romans, chapter 5, which was read earlier by Dr. Pantazis. These 10 verses are most powerful, because St. Paul speaks of our justification, that is. the privilege and honor we have, as reborn children of God through the Divine Grace we received in the Holy Sacrament of Baptism. Also the benefits derived from the Lord's sacrifice on the cross, which once and for all wiped out the sin of Adam and Eve. It was the Lord's sacrifice upon the cross, which was the atonement for the sins of humankind, and the reconciliation with God. It is also interesting to note a parallel example in the Old Testament. Since the Old Testament days the Jewish people celebrated a day of atonement. It is known today as the Holy Day "Yom Kippur." It started in the Old Testament, when the high Priest of the Israelites then, who would make a sacrificial offering of an animal. After the appropriate prayers, he would sprinkle some blood from the sacrificed animal on a goat, upon which he symbolically would load the animal with the sins of the people, and then chase it in a far off unknown territory. This animal was known as the scapegoat. This Holy Day for the Jews, is strictly observed with a fast all day until sundown. In mentioning "scapegoat," I am sure that at sometime you must have heard that a certain person became a scapegoat. It stems from that day, which is better known as the Day of Atonement. In all the verses of today's Epistle reading, St. Paul speaks to the first Christians after their baptism into the new Faith. He says: "Therefore, since we are justified, (that is in essence reborn, and free from all guilt),-- we are acquitted, we are declared righteous, and given a right stand with God, -- through faith, let us grasp the fact, that we enjoy the peace of reconciliation with God, -- to hold and to enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One! Through Him also we have our access by faith into His Grace, in which we safely stand. Let us rejoice, and exult in our hope of experiencing, and enjoying the glory of God." "Moreover," St. Paul continues: " let us also be full of joy now. Let us exult and triumph in our troubles, and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure, and affliction, and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance, or persevering with patience develops maturity of character, that is ---- a strong faith and tested integrity. The mature character produces the joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation." "Such hope never disappoints, or deludes, or shames us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us, as the overseer of the Church." We sense deeply how St. Paul centers everything around God's love, which further in today's Epistle text states: "While we were yet in weakness, that is powerless to help ourselves, at the given time Christ died even for the ungodly. Christ became "a ransom for all people" as St. Paul writes in his 1st Epistle to Timothy, Chapter 2, v6. St. Paul continues in today's excerpt: "Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life, even for an upright person, ---though perhaps, for a noble and loveable and generous benefactor, someone might even dare to die!' But God shows and clearly proves His love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ , the Messiah, the Anointed One shed his Precious Blood for us." St. John the Evangelist gives perhaps the most dynamic description of God's love, which St. Paul was emphasizing in todays Epistle reading. It is the 16th verse in the 3rd chapter: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have life everlasting." In conclusion then of this Epistle excerpt, St. Paul states in the last two verses, that is 9 and 10: "Therefore, since we are now justified, (that is reconciled to God), and brought into the right relationship with God, by Christ's blood, how much more certain it is, that we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God." "For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain now, that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved through His Resurrection." How easily those of us who are put to the test can identify with the core belief of St. Paul, who throughout his life showed invincible strength and suffered as only few for the glory of Christ and the spreading of His Kingdom on earth. Which is the person, who their own chooses to suffer? Of course, no one. But suffering is a part of life and if accepted as a challenge, a person emerges much stronger. As gold is tried by fire, so is the soul tested when adversity comes our way. Christ and his suffering for humankind. should be at the core of our heart, because nothing in this life is worth more, than our unshakeable belief in the Lord. St. Paul became a true model for complete dedication to God. Prior to his conversion St. Paul belonged to the elite of his day. He was very well educated, and when the new faith came into being, he became the most vehement persecutor of the first Christians. But it is the Lord's choosing, that brings people to miraculously make an about face in their life. The arrogant Saul, is on his horse, high and mighty, journeys with his entourage toward Damascus, to round up Christians for the slaughter. On his way, he is thrown from his horse as if by a lightning bolt, and hears the Lord say: "Saul, Saul, why is that you persecute Me? Don't you know that when you kick against the thorns it is you who suffers?" Saul is blinded and fearfully asks: "Who are you?" only to hear " I am Christ, whom you are persecuting." Receiving instructions to visit with the prophet Ananias in Damascus, his vision is restored and he is baptized, to commence his preaching through the middle east, all of Greece, and all the way to Rome. St. Paul suffered much at the hands of the authorities, but he also had an illness, which at times impeded his efforts. He states that he prayed to God three times to heal him, so that he could preach even with greater vigor, and God replied: "My Grace is sufficient for you!" Whereupon the ardent believer and Apostle to the Nations made the remarkable statement, which should be a legacy for all Christians. He declared: "I become strong through my infirmity!" Isn't this a most powerful teaching, especially for those, who in one way or another are being tested or tried? His love for the Lord is without equal. In the last verse of the 8th Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, verses 35 through 39, St. Paul asks the question: "Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering or affliction, or tribulation? Or calamity, or distress? Or persecution, or hunger, or destitution, or peril, or sword?" "Yet amid all these things, we are more than conquerors, and gain a surpassing victory through Him, who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond any doubt, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening, nor things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anyone else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord." By the few, but most powerful and regenerating remarks of St. Paul we sense deeply his love for the Lord, who was the most important Person in his life, and Who is truly worthy of any sacrifice anyone can make for Him. Truly, we marvel at St. Paul! We stand in awe for his miraculous conversion and of course his drive to accomplish four missionary Journeys, working night and day to spread the Gospel of the Lord. To him Christianity owes a great debt. Amen. + Fr. George Papadeas Please note, that when this sermon is published in the coming week's bulletin I would strongly advise you to meditate on all the passages mentioned for your spiritual edification.
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