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"Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever." -Paul

10 March 2008

Romans 2

one of the things that stuck out to me today:

in relation to Matt's condemning series:
"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. God "will give to each person according to what he has 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."

-a few things about this. first off, I'd never noticed the quotes in verse 6 before, which apparently are quoting other Scripture. The reference here is to Psalm 62:12. Which, along with the Sheep & the Goats passage the Matt blogged about awhile ago, would seem to indicate that our final resting place is more about works than faith. Which is exactly the reason why it's so important to read Scripture in its totality, in light of other Scripture. I heard it put well recently that while salvation comes by grace & faith, sanctification, the growing and maturing of a Christian, comes by doing. You don't accidentally or automatically grow in your faith.

another thing I noticed was the word "persistence." He doesn't just say "those who by doing good seek glory, honor and immortality." It takes persistence. I find this to be encouraging because I think I still expect to some day reach some sort of plateau where I can just coast on in my growth. I think that if I make all the effort to go the "amusement park of God" that I can just sit on the roller coaster and God will drag me, screaming or not, to the top of the hill. I just have to do enough first to get to that point. And so I get frustrated with myself when I feel like I'm stepping backward, like I'm failing, like I don't have the passion or energy to continue. But it's exactly in these times that we should continue to push. Because our faith takes persistence. Because God's not going to drag us kicking & screaming to the top. And because I don't really want a roller coaster Christianity anyway.

The next chapter after Psalm 62 begins "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."

Of course it's not always going to be easy. But persistence and earnest seeking will win the day. I need to tattoo my forehead "Never Give Up!"

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