Some of you reading this blog are in the process of becoming successful. Some are already successful. Others are... VERY successful.
Think with me for a minute about some of your accomplishments. From the sandlot to the board room. From kindergarten to grad school. From diapers to the marriage altar.
Academic excellence. Athletic victories. Political power. Business connections. Wealth accumulation. Social justice. Ministry growth.
Maybe your greatest accomplishment is that you are still married to the same person after all these years. That accomplishment alone gives you superhero status in today's world of disposable relationships.
Even on a bad day when we feel like total failures, if we stop to think about it, we realize we have actually accomplished some important things.
Or, have we?
A few thousand years ago a wise old long-bearded white-haired prophet had an interesting perspective on success and human accomplishment:
"all that we have accomplished, You have done for us." (Isaiah 26:12)
In other words, all I think I have accomplished through my cleverness, discipline and superior intelligence actually had little to do with me. God did it all. And he did not need my help, my cooperation or my permission.
The only question that remains is will I acknowledge his role, or will I continue to pretend I do it all on my own?
There are basically two ways to serve God:
1. "The Old Way of the Written Code" (Human effort, good works, religious duty)
2. "The New Way of the Spirit" (Grace, faith, power of the Holy Spirit)
Paul, a very religious man, finally figured out he had spent his entire life serving God the old way, living by the written code. He then tried to explain his new revelation to the Romans. "We have been released from the law so that we serve in the NEW WAY OF THE SPIRIT, and not in the OLD WAY OF THE WRITTEN CODE." (Romans 7:6)
This is one of those either/or things, not a both/and thing. We can't do both. We can't live the old way and the new way at the same time. We either trust in God's grace or we trust in our works. We either trust in what God did for us or what we do for him. Either/or.
I know you are serving God, but are you doing it the old way or the new way?
Reading Romans on my early morning Nashville to Minneapolis to Calgary flight... (I hate early morning flights!)
In chapter 2 Paul writes about what many modern preachers are afraid to talk about: JUDGMENT.
Sorry, but the J word is all over the Bible, so we can't just ignore it and hope it is edited out of the next translation. We must preach it, teach it, tweet it, blog it, prepare for it, and help others prepare for it.
Romans 2 teaches us four facts about God as Judge and about Judgment Day.
1. No Excuses Accepted.
"You, therefore, have NO EXCUSE..." (Romans 2:1)
I've heard and created lots of really good excuses to disobey and dishonor God, but none will ever be good enough.
2. No Escape Possible.
"...do you think you will ESCAPE God's judgment?" (Romans 2:3
No one in history has ever escaped God's judgment. And no one ever will. Not me. Not you.
3. No Favoritism Extended.
"God does not show FAVORITISM." (Romans 2:11)
It does not matter how popular you are, how much money you have, who you are related to, or who owes you one - none of that helps on Judgment Day.
4. No Secrets Unknown.
"...God will judge men's SECRETS (Romans 2:11)
You know that thing you did and got away with and no one else on the planet knows about? God knows.
Are you ready for J Day? Pastors, are you helping people get ready?
"Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear." (1 Peter 1:17)