God does not judge as we judge. We judge according to the deeds done in the flesh. If a person seeks to do good and does good or positive things in life, we believe that person is good. In fact, we might consider him or her without fault. But God shows no favoritism in his judgment. He not only looks at our good deeds and activities, He looks at the thoughts and considerations of the heart for those who persistently seek him. Are we always doing good in our hearts? Are our intentions positive and constructive? Is there any waywardness from God’s goodness in our hearts? The condition of the heart is the essential component in God’s evaluation of us. But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Who is unrepentant? There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:11) We are unrepentant when we do not honor God’s authority and seek his will at all times. Of course at all times is the contract breaker. Outside of Christ, the man and woman of the flesh tends to do what is right in his or her own eyes. If we feel someone has treated us unfairly, we strike back. If someone’s words have hurt us, we retaliate, either actively or passively. Of course, we could go on indefinitely, describing the reactions of the flesh in this world of conflict and trouble. God’s will is definitely not done consistently in anyone’s life. If we were each a blank sheet of paper with God’s will written on the paper, the story would always be good and positive, but we are not a perfect record. There are black spots and smudges on our papers, times when we have crossed out lines or even paragraphs in our remembrances because we cannot face the reality of those events, for they were self-serving, corrupt, dangerous to others and ourselves. No, the will of God is not recorded on our sheets of paper at all times. Sadly, THERE IS NO ONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE remains a truism before God’s timeless, penetrating eyes. Regardless of our culture, race or ethnic group, God looks favorably on those who attempt to do good the majority of time through his grace and mercy. We were made to do good, not evil. We were made to rest in God’s domain, for God is at rest. We are to be at rest, at peace, with the world and each other. We were not made to strive, compete, and battle with each other for a place of recognition or worth, too work by fleshly means to be good and not bad. Pastors and teachers often remind us we are made in God’s image. That is the truth, but God is at rest. We are not: we are possessed with turmoil and struggle, often working every day to succeed, to protect our self-will and worth. However, our daily existence should be in harmony with God’s purposes, comfortable with his will for us. We need to enter that place of Sabbath rest by faith. Our striving, our struggle, our works do not please God, but the fruit of his work in us through Jesus Christ pleases him. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrew 4:9-11) As Christians, we rest in God’s work. His hand through Jesus Christ has been writing the tale of the redeemed on the pages of our lives, and those pages are completely acceptable to God. As we follow the Lord, we will do as He commands. When Jesus sent the disciples out to preach the Good News, the Bible says, And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. (Mark 16:20) They went about doing good.
Yes, there will be signs following a believer. But when Jesus described the way into the kingdom of heaven to Nicodemus, He did not express how many good works he needed to earn heaven. Jesus told him he must be born again. Of course that idea confused Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee whose life was based on doing good deeds, following the law of God. What Jesus expressed to him was an anathema to his lifestyle. Why be born again? And how does one become born again? How could a human and his nature be changed into a new form of being? Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8) In this passage we see God the Son telling Nicodemus that there is a MUST in his life, and that MUST is that he be born again. Of course, later Jesus tells Nicodemus that He is the gate to eternal life, to the kingdom of God: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) What then is the key to Paul’s proposition in today’s focus? Is it that those who do mostly good in their lives shall inherit eternal life or is it as Jesus said, you must be born again? When we look at our verses, Paul writes, But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. If all have gone their own way and do what is right in their own eyes as the scriptures state, we fall into Paul’s description of self-seeking. Of course, this is hard for us who believe we are rather good people. We do not swear, we do not strike back, we are patient, caring, loving people for the most part. How can we be judged so harshly? We must remember that God is without sin. He will not accept sin into his domain. All sin must receive recompense or judgement. No sin will enter his presence; all sin must be dealt with; no cancer of sin will be in his kingdom. Later on in Romans, Paul tells us how to eradicate sin permanently, and that is through the cross that dealt with sin, so we might enter into fellowship with God without contaminating his presence. Believers place our faith in Christ, and the just live by faith.
Dear friends, as you leave this breakfast table, understand that IN CHRIST you are completely free from the eternal consequences of sin. Christ paid the price for your sins. As we read in the Bible: So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) However, your love for Christ should compel you to live a life free from overt sins. Your daily life should be dedicated to Christ. You are, as Paul and the disciples were, a bond-slave to Christ. You no longer live for your own purposes, but for Christ’s purposes. Your claim of being a Christian should be demonstrated by a wholesome, upright life. Paul warned Christians to guard their freedom in Christ, not to go backwards but to move forward as soldiers of the cross: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1) Christians should want Christ to be honored in every part of their lives. We do not want to take away from God’s work in us, and we do not want to confuse or to distract others by behaving in ways that do not honor Christ. We are eternal beings, heaven bound. The writer of Hebrews says, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2) When we were raising our children, the older three often played school when they were young. Christine, the oldest, was the teacher, and Jeff and Doug her pupils. One day Jeff came in bemoaning the fact that he never got to be the teacher. He had a strong argument to support his bid for change: “Don’t you think if Christine was a real Christian, she would let me teach sometimes?” Now his logic may have brought a smile to my face, but it also made me think that our testimony does need to line up with our behaviors. And Christine was easily persuaded to give Jeff a turn at teaching without casting blame on her witness for Christ. Jesus is the light of the world. We bring ourselves to Jesus, casting all our cares on him, trusting him to use us for his glory. Today is the day of rest, in the year of the Lord’s favor. Today is the day to completely bury yourself under the blood of Jesus. Today is the day to celebrate your new life in him while doing good to all people. As the children of light, let us bring that light to the whole world for God. Your Savior lives, and you live in him for God’s purposes in glory, honor and peace. Amen!
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