reflection on 2 Pet 3:15-16

2 Pet 3:15-16

God, who is all merciful, showering us with graces, is not devoid of justice* These attributes are both essential to his nature* Sin is a rejection of God, and consequently a separation from him* Sin is an offence against God* but much more an offensive is mocking God by boasting of our achievements in the act of sin* for instance we boast, attaching a sense of greatness or achievement when we down ourselves beyond limits with alcohol* to drink is not a sin, but when you impede your God given intellect with drunkenness, then it becomes a sin* we boast of the successes we record in our detestable acts and we call it smartness*There are so many other instances we can think of*, boasting about achievements that have a moral question mark on it*

Sin is as a result of the weakness in human nature*But these instances of boasting is different from that of st paul* in 2 cor 11: 30 he said that if he will boast, he will boast of the things that show his weekness* however, in the bible passage I just read, st peter warns against people who in their ignorance and immaturity would twist the words of st paul to their advantage*But unfortunately, st Peter’s exact words are “to their destruction”* If we throw more light on st paul’s boasting of his weakness we would understand more * Because 2 cor 12: 9  he gave us the reason why st paul boast of his weekness, * And what is that reason?* that the power of Christ may abide in me* But we should not forget that he left us a kind of a rhetorical question in Rom 6: 1, when he asked  should we keep on sinning so that grace may increase?* and he answered saying No*

 

When we mock God by boasting of our sins, we do no harm to Him* because we cant add or reduce from what He is*

But we do more harm to ourselves, because we gradually deform our moral conscience* and when we succeed in this deformation, we take to rationalism, in a bid to give justification to those actions of ours* “its nothing nah” afterall others do it,* Fulton sheen would say a wrong is wrong, even if everyone is wrong, and a right is right, even if no one is right*

 

SIN occurs in two ways in omission and in commission* in other words I can sin by what I do or what I fail to do* This omission and commission have three possibilities* thoughts, words and deeds* the church does not place degrees on these possibilities* so we can’t say one sin less in thought and the other more in deeds.* Therefore it can be said that when I contribute to an immoral discussion, I have sinned* when I entertain an immoral thought, or allow an immoral though to entertain me, I have sinned* and when I actualize that fantasy in deed I have sin too* when I inform an immoral thought in the other I have sinned* when I fail to correct the wrong thoughts of the other, I have sinned* remember when I give an immoral support to the other who is doing wrong, or fail to admonish the other who is doing wrong, I am an accomplice in that sin by omission*

 

God is not blind to our sins; he is simply being patient with us* let us hasten to meet his embrace of divine mercy while his arms are still open,* because the opportunity he offers us now won’t be available when he takes his seat at the judgment throne.* the translation in our breviary morning prayer sat, 4^th week says we should think of our lords patience as our opportunity to be saved* instead of boasting of and justifying our sins, we should take steps towards amendment* God deserve my love, and that’s why I should detest my sins* in the act of contrition we say “ I detest all my sins because of your just judgment, but most of all, because they offend you my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love* and we conclude it saying, I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.* Sometimes we put ourselves in those occasions of sin* when we speak such words of prayer without the intentions of fulfilling them, we are commit the sin of perjury* I may say my intention is in my heart, but remember, God who cannot deceive, cannot be deceived.* this is exactly why it wouldnt make any sense saying the act of contrition without making an examination of conscience.

 

In conclusion I repeat the words of st peter, let us see the lords patience as our opportunity to be saved. To avoid the faith of proverbs 5: 11-13 which says “you will complain in the end of your life, when your body and flesh are already devoured. You will say, why did I reject instructions and turn my back on sound advice? Why did I not listen to the voice of my teacher and follow their counsel?

Mother of Good Counsel, pray for us*