FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
THE CULTURE OF LIFE
(Part 29)
GOD’S DESIGN – 8
February 21, 2021
Today’s readings:
Genesis 9:8-15
Psalm 25:4-9
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:12-15
The basic war in the world today is the culture of death versus the culture of life. It is a war between Satan and God. This conflict in the spiritual realm gives rise to contrasts: darkness and light, lies and truth, evil and good, death and life. These contrasts are what revolve around the life of man throughout the history of salvation.
First we see the element of water, which destroys and which saves. Humankind is destroyed by water, as when all were “destroyed by the waters of a flood” (Gn 9:11b). But then there is the water of “baptism, which saves you now.” (1 Pt 3:21a). It is God, who alone gives and takes life, who saves and destroys.
Second, we see humanity attacked by Satan but assisted by the angels of God. In the case of Jesus, he was “tempted by Satan” but “the angels ministered to him.” (Mk 1:13). The spiritual war rages all around us, and we are the “prize.” Satan attempts to bring us down (often successfully) while God sends His angels to guard and guide us.
Third, in our fallen flesh we are dead to sin, but in the Spirit of God we are brought to life. “Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.” (1 Pt 3:18b). The flesh and the Spirit are opposed. We choose one or the other.
Fourth, we choose unrighteousness or righteousness. This choice becomes clear when we come to Jesus, who himself “suffered for sins once …. that he might lead you to God.” (1 Pt 3:18). Once led to Christ and starting to live Christ, we also help others to meet Christ as we share Christ. Thus we do the work of “the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous” (1 Pt 3:18).
Fifth, we look to making it to heaven, avoiding hell, but needing to pass through Purgatory. Thus Jesus “also went to preach to the spirits in prison”1 but “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God” (1 Pt 3:19,22a). Avoiding the clutches of Satan, we ultimately make it to the embrace of God.
How do we assure that we do make it to heaven? We “repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1:15b). We turn away from sin and turn to live our lives in and for Jesus, putting our faith in him. We enter into covenant with God. This was God’s means of restoration after the flood, as He said to Noah: “I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you” (Gn 9:9). We today are descendants of Noah.
In living the covenant, we are to know God’s ways. And God does teach and guide us. “Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me by your fidelity and teach me” (Ps 25:4-5a). This way, we will experience the salvation of God. “For you are God my savior.” (Ps 25:5b). God indeed is good and merciful. We can pray with confidence, “Remember no more the sins of my youth; remember me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, Lord” (Ps 25:7).
For our part, we must humble ourselves before God to be able to know and accept His will in our lives. “Good and upright is the Lord, therefore he shows sinners the way, He guides the humble in righteousness, and teaches the humble his way.” (Ps 25:8-9).
Satan continues to tempt us to sin and therefore fall, but God provides us what is needed to resist temptation and not fall into sin. But it is a continuing struggle—between pride and humility, between violating and living the covenant, between unbelief and faith, between damnation and salvation.
Oftentimes, the lines have become blurred, especially with modernism that has come even into our Church. The bad has become good, and the good has become bad. Many Catholics are confused. Perhaps one egregious example is how the diabolical LGBT has co-opted the rainbow as a symbol. It was, and still is, a sign of God’s covenant. “This is the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you and every living creature with you for all ages to come: I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Gn 9:12-13). But today, for most people throughout the world, including Catholics, the rainbow (flag) is the symbol of LGBT.2 What was holy has been re-imaged into the diabolical.
With the rainbow, God promised never to destroy humankind again by flood. “When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and every living creature—every mortal being—so that the waters will never again become a flood to destroy every mortal being.” (Gn 9:14-15).
Never again the flood. In its place, the fire.
1 These include those who died prior to hearing the gospel of Jesus.
2 The rainbow normally is shown as having 7 colors, while the LGBT flag has 6 colors. Right there is the symbol of perfection versus imperfection, the one of God and the other of Satan
