NO FAVORITES

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“For God does not show favoritism.”

Romans 2:11

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

God doesn’t show favoritism which means none of His people have any advantage over another. No group is preferred by God over others. No one person is any more privileged than another.

We know this because God’s word tells us as we look at the single verse from Romans 2.

As for the context against which this truth is applied, Paul mentioned how the Jew and Gentile will equally experience God’s judgment for any sinful, wicked, evil behavior they choose to adopt. Turning away from God and living a life grounded in transgression will only lead a person to punishment exacted by God’s anger and wrath. It doesn’t matter who you are.

Now, we can go into the Bible and see instances where some naysayer might suggest that God does indeed show favoritism. The Israelites were His chosen people because they committed themselves to Him, unlike other nations who chose to worship other gods. But go back to the Old Testament and you’ll see over and over and over again how God brought His judgment on Israel, just as He did any and all nations if it was warranted.

Perhaps someone might also propose that God showed favoritism by choosing Jacob over his brother Esau to father the sons who would lead the twelve tribes of Israel. But we shouldn’t confuse favoritism with God using His will and wisdom in selecting the right people to carry out His purposes.

While the twins were still in Rebekah’s womb, God knew that Jacob would be the one with the gifts needed to lead His people. God equipped Jacob with what he would need to one day be Israel. It wasn’t that He didn’t care for Esau or that Esau was more qualified than his brother but God chose Jacob anyways. That’s what favoritism looks like and we know God doesn’t play favorites. God loves His people, all of them, and He blesses them with gifts to fulfill His purposes. Maybe that purpose isn’t what you would like it to be but it’s not our will that matters. Only God’s does.

You can look at other examples and see how God moves in unconventional ways, using those the world would see as least likely to be the most likely to carry out what He wants achieved.

Joseph, Jacob’s youngest son, gets sold into slavery out of the jealousy his brothers had for him. He goes on to elevate to a place of power in Egypt and eventually is used as an instrument to save the very brothers who wronged him after a sever famine struck Israel.

And when God needed to replace an apostate king, He chose a young shepherd boy named David and made the way for him to be the new king of Israel. No one would have picked David, especially since he was the youngest child in the line of his father Jesse but God doesn’t operate at the whim of the world. Rather, He dictates to the world, choosing who He wants to lead and then blessing that person with all they need to make sure the will of the Lord is carried out.

One more example of how God has no favorites, this time from the New Testament and Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10. Look at these verses as the brother James and John start to believe they may have gained a place of favoritism in the sight of their Lord:   

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” He asked.

They replied, “Let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left in your glory.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

“We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” Mark 10:35-40

There was twelve disciples, each hand selected by Jesus, but as we see, two thought they were worthy of a higher place of honor over their ten peers. The two “Sons of Thunder” as they are also referred to in the Gospels tried to convince Jesus to show them favoritism but Jesus made it clear that wasn’t possible. It wasn’t His place to grant that prestige to them. Only God could do that as He was the only One with the level of authority to make that call.

Jesus didn’t elevate Himself to the right hand of God where He would have the power to rule and reign over all creation with full authority. God was the One who appointed Him to that place.

As we go about our business day by day, let us always do so with a sense of humility toward a God who doesn’t show favoritism, a God who knows the plans He has for all people, people He has purposed to make sure His will and way is carried out.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’”

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Romans 2:6-10

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Study the New Testament enough and you’ll see how it is inextricably linked to the Old Testament.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry we find Him quoting Old Testament scripture over and over again. The total number is near 80 times, most often from the Law and the Prophets.

Following suit, Paul carried on this tradition from Jesus and actually carried it further with more than 180 references to the Old Testament within his letters, a majority of which are found in the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Epistle we are currently studying, Romans.

As Paul continues to discuss God’s righteous judgment at the beginning of chapter 2, we find this quote at the start of our passage for today:

“God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’”

The quote is straight from the Psalms and Proverbs, two of the Old Testament’s wisdom books. Those scriptures read as follows:

David writes:

One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with You, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” Psalm 62:11-12

David’s son, Solomon, then has this to say in his 25th “Saying to the Wise”:

“If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”

“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.”

“If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay everyone according to what they have done?” Proverbs 24:10-12

Take the sum of these Old Testament words of wisdom and you come to this conclusion:

A person will get from God what they deserve.

God is the only One entitled to judge. He is the Supreme Judge over all created things. He knows the hearts of all His people and no wickedness or sin escapes His sight. He will exact His punishment on those who have earned it, those who will deserve it.

Who fits that category?

We turn back to the words of Paul in our passage today for the answer.

For those who are “self-seeking”, choose to “reject the truth”, and “follow evil” will earn the “wrath and anger” of the Lord. The scriptures assure us that “there will be trouble and distress for every human being” who “does evil” and it’s not discriminatory. Both Jew and Gentile (which encompasses all people) will be subject to God’s rage and the consequences for their actions. They will get what they deserve.

Conversely, God is perfectly just and not only disciplines but rewards.

Go back to our passage for today where we learn that anyone who “by persistence in doing good” desires “glory, honor and immortality”, will be given “eternal life” by God. They will experience “glory, honor and peace” for the good that they do.

Here, we find God is the great Redeemer and Giver of every good and perfect thing to His people who pursue His righteousness, that seek and carry out His will in the way that they live. Instead of destruction, those who seek to answer God’s call to be holy as He is holy find their way to salvation and everlasting life. They don’t get what they deserve as sinners but rather are granted grace and mercy and forgiveness, pardoned from the wrath of God destined for the wicked.

As we have seen in other places within this study of Romans, there are only two options here.

One can reject God, sin at will, and find themselves getting what they deserve, the very wrath and anger of God raining down on them like sulfur engulfing Sodom and Gomorrah.

Or a person can always allow the Lord to lead them to living in goodness, fulfilling His desires for their lives and gaining His favor and blessing in return.

As you read this today, where do you find yourself?

If you’ve strayed away from the way and will of the Lord, I encourage you to make a change right now and recommit yourself to Him.

If you’ve never had a relationship with God in your life, now is the day to start one. He’s waiting for you with open arms.

And if you’re already dedicating yourself to the Lord with your life, continue to do so and grow more and more in His image, the image He created you in (Genesis 1:26).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A STOREHOUSE OF WRATH?

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“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.”

Romans 2:5

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We all have storehouses in our lives, places where we accumulate things that have value. It’s a truth that has existed as long as mankind has walked the earth.

In His infinite wisdom, our Savior Jesus knew this and so He sought to address the matter during His first formal public teaching, what we know today as “The Sermon on the Mount.”

Note in His words from Matthew’s Gospel that He was encouraging His listeners to make sure they were accumulating things that would endure, spiritual riches that would not be destroyed by insects or animals nor pilfered by thieves. These were treasures that would not only pay dividends in the now but in the eternal future held by those who placed their faith and belief in Jesus for salvation.

Compare and contrast that with those who only were centered on the wealth of the earth. Their treasure was vulnerable to destruction and theft. It was vulnerable to loss and, of course, would not accompany its owner when death came knocking. Everything tangible possession a person has is left behind when they draw their last breath on earth.

Through these words of Jesus, we can see how different kinds of treasures can be accumulated and amassed by people. But as we look at today’s single verse from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, we see where there are other things that can be stored up as well. Look again at his words here:

“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.”  Romans 2:5

Paul started the second chapter of this letter with a stern warning about judging others. Essentially, no person had the right to point out the flaws in others when they had just as many imperfections present in their own life. Since no one is perfect, no one has the right to judge another and doing so was nothing short of sinful behavior before a God who despises sin.

And yet, some Romans insisted in pointing out the errors of others and this is what had Paul fired up. He calls out these people and exposes their wicked behavior.

Of interest, Paul, like Jesus before him, addresses the matter of the heart. In this case, he pinpoints an unrepentant heart as the cause of wicked disobedience toward God. Those who were judging did so out of “stubbornness” and an “unrepentant heart”. They weren’t storing up earthy or heavenly treasures but rather God’s wrath that would be taken from storage and applied to the transgressor on the day of the Lord’s choosing, the day when “His righteous judgment will be revealed.”

All this leads to the following questions:

What are you storing up in your life?

Are you storing up treasures in heaven or on earth?

Or are you storing up God’s wrath against yourself?

How you answer these questions will chart the future course for your life.

If you are storing up treasures in heaven, continue to do so. Jesus urges us all to do so.

If you are storing up treasures in earth, what’s the point? Why would you invest so much of your time accumulating riches that you won’t be able to take with you when death comes knocking at your door?

And if storing up treasure on earth is bad, storing up God’s wrath against yourself is just plain foolish. For no one stands a chance if they become an enemy of the Lord Almighty. Destruction is assured through His unsurpassed power exacted in judgment.

My prayer today is that if you aren’t already committed to storing up heavenly treasure, you will do so immediately. Now is the time to step out of the crosshairs of God’s punishment and place yourself in His good grace. You may not get another chance.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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DON'T JUDGE!

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

“Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

Romans 2:1-4

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If there’s anything most people are very good at, it’s judging others.

Conversely, the same people are usually the worst at assessing their own shortcomings.

In the end translation, it’s easier to point out the flaws in others than it is to realize and acknowledge one’s own defects.

But what does God think of this behavior? Does he approve of people who adopt judgmental attitudes?

As we see in just four verses from the opening of Romans 2, we see where he disapproves and this isn’t the only place in the Bible where we see this. For the following message from our Lord’s message is heard loud and clear throughout the scriptures as He demands the following:

“Don’t judge!”

As we look at the words of Paul, we see where anyone who passes judgment on another is heaping condemnation on themselves. This is because it’s absolute hypocrisy to call out people for their imperfections when the person doing the calling out is just as imperfect as the person they are judging. This is why only God and Jesus are the only Ones worthy to judge because they both are perfectly righteous in every way. There is no sin found in either.

So what is the penalty for judging others?

Going back to our scripture passage we learn that it’s God’s judgment. Anyone who chooses to criticize another, failing to show grace and mercy, shows disdain for God’s “kindness, forbearance, and patience” which He has shown over and over and over again to the person doing the judging. This is something the Lord is not going to accept.

So the message here is easy but one we had better take to heart. The scriptures are warning is that if we choose to judge others then we can expect that God will judge us and that’s a judgment no one should ever welcome. It was true in New Testament times and it remains true today.

We all have room for improvement. Rather than point out the inadequacies of others, we need to ask God to expose the weaknesses in our character and then help us overcome those weaknesses to be more the people He wants is to be, a people who are obedient to His Word and will which clearly tell us not to judge others.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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