Friday, February 19, 2010

61

Romans 2:4 (New King James Version)

"And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"

Paul is a straight shooter. He is writing to the Romans, and in true Paul style, the point is clear. In a nutshell: Don't you dare have the nerve to judge. Whether you like it or not, the thing for which you judge others, you will end up doing yourself (yowza). He goes on: Who do you think you are? Do you think just because you call yourself a Christian you will get away with it? Just because you have undeservedly experienced this beautiful magnificent grace of God, you think you can slip through the cracks of His judgement on you? Nope, God watches you every day (and He is more than in love with you) but you won't get away with stuff. Brutal but true. I'm not in a mean mood or anything, I'm just reading the Bible.

It's the goodness and kindness of God that leads people to repentance. It's His goodness that first brought you to a place of wholeness and restoration, and that alone is how we are all rescued from this world and from ourselves, and saved. Here's the other side of the coin: you don't have to sell Jesus to people. It's His goodness and sweetness that they will see (hopefully in you) that will make them come to Him and repent and believe. So live a judgement-free lifestyle, seeing every person as God sees you, completely and undeservedly living under the grace and kindness of God. People will see the kindness of God in you and ask you who He is and what you're about. And Jesus (maybe or maybe not through you) will bring them to a place of repentance. He is kind, but firm.

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