Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

68On Sin 135 136Quintessence of Religious Doctrines(d) 2Cor. 9:7. Each of you must make up your own mindabout how much to give. But don’t feel sorry thatyou must give and don’t feel that you are forced togive. (L.B.)CommentGod does not intend any body to be a sinner. Likewise Hedoes not induce any body to do good. Performing good orbad things is definitely due to the exercise of the free will ofthe human beings. It is not on account of God’s working thata man commits sins and incur punishments. Conversely, it isnot God who pushes a person to righteousness as to receiverewards. Ultimately it cannot be gainsaid that reward andpunishment are the results of the individual’s own actions.No proxy or excuse of any sort can be adduced in this.6. But God instructs man as to which is good and bad, promptshim to turn to righteousness; He helps man to do good whiledoes not aid him to do evil.Ref: (a) Mic. 6:8. No, the Lord has told us what is good.What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, toshow constant love and to live in humble fellowshipwith our God. (G.N.B.)(b) 1Tim. 2:4. God wants everyone to be saved and toknow the whole truth... (L.B.)(c) Rom. 8:28. We know that God is always at work forthe good of everyone, who loves him. (L.B.)CommentAlthough committing of evil or performing of good isexclusively the responsibility of the individual, God did notfail to instruct mankind as to which is good and which is bad.God had done this from time to time through His envoys andemissaries with the full consummation of it in Christ the Lord.The answer that Jesus gives to the wealthy man in the parableof the rich and Lazarus is indicative of this fact. So, whilealive, obey the saying of the saintly persons and pay heedto the preaching of the prophets.7. Leaves everyone to his choice.Ref: (a) Acts 14:15. Why are you doing this? We are humanslike you. Please give up all these foolishness. Turnto the living God, who made the sky, the earth thesea and everything in them. (L.B.)(b) Ps. 81:12. So I let you be stubborn and keep onfollowing your own advice. (L.B.)CommentThe undertone is that, whatever befalls a human being is hisor her own making. It signifies that, human being is given thefreedom to steer clear of the pitfalls by judiciously exercisingthe free will.8. Satan is not given the authority to coax anybody to commit sin.Ref: Jas. 4:7. Surrender to God! Resist the devil and he will runfrom you. (L.B.)CommentAn answer to those who say that evil is perpetrated by theworking of the devil. The S.O.C. refutes that Satan is giventhe power to coax any person into committing evil. Satan isnot man’s master.9. Satan leads men to the death trap of sin by seducing. As, faith,good works etc. do have gradation into small and great ones,Ref: Eph. 6:11. Put on all the armour that God gives, so you candefend yourself against the devils’ tricks. (L.B.)CommentSatan, although helpless to coax, may tempt and seducesome persons. The week in will and the dull in intelligencewill fall easy preys to the ways of Satan; but the strong willedand the vigilant will emerge victorious. Satan is crafty andcunning enough to work on this fact of gradation of humanbeings. So it is the responsibility of human beings to grow instrength of the will. All religious and spiritual exercises, moraland ethical instructions are aimed at achieving this goal.