"Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!" (Rom. 4:7-8).

Then the person realizes what a gracious gift he has received. Who could want to give away such a precious gift unless he loves the person much. When such an awesome realization dawns upon the person, how then not to be happy!

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body ..." (Lk. 12:4). "Those". Does it mean those outside ourselves - men and women waiting at the periphery to destroy us?

Or is it more a call for us to put on the practice of self-denial, to deny ourselves the many selfish wants and pleasure seeking impulses so that we can keep our bodies and souls pure and holy before Him who made us according to this own image?

By exercising the spirit of self-denial and self-control we can then come to the experiential knowledge of ourselves as true children of God, the "new creation" and not remain "the old man" of unbridled passion.