Religion
Dear Children of God! how are you? How is life at home and school? Hope you are having pleasant time with your families and friends through obedience, faithfulness and good endeavors. We also hope you are doing good in your education and spiritual life.
Dear Children of God! last time we have thought you about our religion entitled “Orthodox Tewahedo/Incarnation/ Religion.” On this lesson, we will see further more about the meaning of religion.
Religion in the Doctrine (teaching) of the Church, is believing in the existence of God and being faithful to Him. Believing in the creator of all creatures is to have faith in Him being the Lord, the creator of the world and all creatures in it, His Laws and commandments for us to obey and live by it. Any person who is said to follow the Orthodox Incarnation (Tewahedo) Religion shall have faith in His Lord (creator), obey His law and order. If we have faith in God, He saves us from any harm and takes us out from any tribulations (problems).
God, our Lord is not visible or touchable. He is known to us by all His creatures, work, miraculous and through His chosen children, Saint Angels, Saint Father, Prophets, Apostles, Monks, Martyrs and all the righteous, for they thought us His existences, character, about the natures of His creations and works or miraculous.
Children, Our Lord, God is the one who created the world and all within it. He created the heavens and earth, The angels, man, all the plants and animals on the earth and inside the sea. He created all His creatures with His Divine (almighty) Will within the six days of the weeks and rested on the Seventh Day which He made Holiday to us. We learn about God’s creations by His silence and word on the Books of creation in the Holy Bible, Genesis and Book of Aximaros. Thus foremost, we acknowledge Him through His work of creation.
Then, we learn about Him from the words of Angels, forefathers and prophets as in scripted primarily in the Old Testament. He then gave us the ten commandments through Prophet Moses, which is our guide to spiritual life.
The ten commandments are: –
- I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:2–3).
- You shall not make for yourselves a graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them (Exodus 20:4–5).
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain (Exodus 20:7).
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work (Exodus 20:8–10).
- Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you (Exodus 20:12).
- You shall not kill (Exodus 20:13).
- You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14).
- You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15).
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16).
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s (20:17).
The law of commandment is also applicable in the New Testament for us Christians. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17-48)
Children, our Lord has thought us to keep His commandment in order to live in religion. Our Orthodox Incarnation (Tewahedo) Religion has the Doctrine of keeping the law in living in faith, obedience and persistence. It is very vital to know and live by them because they are our guide, safeguard and key to the kingdom of heaven. Keeping God’s commandment is our way of obeying Him.
Dear Children of God, you shall know the ten commandments and live by them so that you could be good children of God, enter heaven and inherit God’s Kingdom.
Farewell, we have finished for today and hope to meet you for next time.
May God be with you, Amen!