“Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:4-5 If righteousness were earned by works, then it would be owed to us like wages are owed to an employee. God would then be obligated to pay us righteousness as wages for our good works. But because it is not work that justifies us and provides us with righteousness, and because the work of our hands is evil and not worthy of any wages of righteousness, God owes us nothing. In fact, God actually owes us punishment. If we were to say to God, “See, I’ve been so good. Look at all my good works. I have earned forgiveness and righteousness because I do good things,” but we also do bad things, and we think bad things, do we really believe we deserve righteousness? We are at war with our sinful desires, and most of the time we lose. Should God ignore all our shortcomings and reward us for the few good things we have done? If you had an employee who ruined your product, lost most of your customers, fought with the other employees, spat in your face and went against everything you told him to do, but gets you a sale or two each year, would you reward him for the good things he had done? Just as an employer would send away any such employee who does evil, so does God with us. Yet worse still, because though an employer may need an employee to do his work and may excuse wickedness for this very reason, God does not need us. If we continue with such a metaphor, God as the employer would be hiring us as employees out of pity for our unemployment. Poor, wretched, naked, and evil he takes us in and says, “Here, find rest and peace in working for me. Be fed and nourished and safe from the wickedness you were born into.” He gives this same offer to all people, and so there are plenty of hands to do His work. He keeps us on staff not because He needs us, but because He loves us. We are the worst employees He could have ever hired. The work of our hands is evil and contrary to the work He desires for us. How justified is He to say to us, “You wicked and evil employee! The work of your hands contradicts the work I have commanded you to do, and you go against My will. You are stubborn-hearted, and you will not listen to Me. Therefore, I am sending you away. Return to the wickedness you were born into—hungry, homeless, naked, poor, blind, suffering. I have enough workers who desire to do the work I have commanded them. My factory is full. I love you, so I gave you time and instruction, hoping you would turn from your wickedness and follow My commands. But your time has run out. I have seen no change in your heart. There is no hope for the evil work of your hands to turn good. So from this day forth I send you away.” But praise and glory be to our God who gives us a way out of such punishment. Though he rightfully sends away those workers who do not seek Him and follow His commands, He looks upon the workers who desire to do what He has commanded them and says, “Well done, good and faithful servants. Though the work of your hands is evil and the desires of your hearts wicked, you have sought after Me, listened to My instruction, and repented from your errors each time you committed them. Because of this, I welcome you into My presence. Toil no more, suffer no more, cry no more.” “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 2:4 God gives us our whole lives to realize this. He shows us kindness, forbears punishment, and is patient with us, revealing Himself to us in everything so that we may turn to Him and repent from our old way of life. I should have been annihilated long ago for going against God’s commands, but He forbore punishment and allowed me to continue living in my sin until my eyes were finally opened. In this life, it’s never too late to turn to God. But he is patient with us until death, and then we face judgment. Better to prepare ourselves now rather than assume we have our whole lives ahead of us. “You never know when God is going to take your life. At that moment, there’s nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?” - Stan Gerlach
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AuthorFighting complacency and advocating change in myself for the world around me. Posts by Date
February 2019
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