Wednesday, March 28, 2012

LOOKING AT OURSELVES FIRST (3)


You are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
– Romans 2:1


Paul wrote the letter of Romans to Jewish Christians who thought they were superior to Gentile Christians.  The Jewish Christians had been raised on God’s holy law, and they looked down their noses at Gentile brothers and sisters whose lives were still pretty rough around the moral edges.  In a blistering argument, Paul nails them to the wall with this simple fact:  having higher standards doesn’t automatically make you better people.  Look at your behavior – that’s what counts.  And, down deep, your behavior is not better than theirs.  You do the same things they do.  Having the laws in your head doesn’t mean they automatically rule your heart.

I read a book on writing the natural way. But having that book doesn’t automatically make me a better writer.  It’s the skill that counts, not how-to manual.

Without the grace of God, we are all on a level playing field when we find ourselves in conflict.  And if we shut God out of our heart, we can be just as mean spirited and selfish as the next person.

God’s kindness leads all of us to repentance.

No comments:

Post a Comment