Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. Romans 2:1
Paul is challenging the Jews – and us – to check our judgment of others. You see the Jews have carried on the idea from generation to generation that they were God’s chosen people with an underlying assumption that they were morally superior and God would judge them differently than the rest of the world. In turn, they harshly judged non-Jews. Though most of us are not of Jewish origin, as Christians, we too can sometimes assume we have a moral authority to judge others. But Paul is saying this isn’t the case…that God shows no favoritism and all will be judged according to their works. Which in effect means that we are all equally doomed. No matter how “good” we think our lives and works are, they will never meet God’s standard of perfection. We can agonize over the fact that we will never meet the perfect standards of a holy God and feel hopeless because it is impossible. Or, we can look at is as being the most freeing fact in the world. Because God made a way for us. The pressure is off of us. It is all on Jesus. And He did it for us perfectly. If we could even almost do it ourselves, we would never fully surrender. We would keep trying and trying…one step forward, two steps back, but never getting anywhere substantial when it comes to our own salvation. Like the addict who keeps trying to save themselves but keeps falling back into the pit. We are all in this pit of a sinful world and sinful lives…just trying and trying to claw our way out; trying to cover it all up with good deeds and religious activity. But only Jesus can pull us out of the pit, clean off all the dirt we accumulated in it, and give us a new life with new hope and new power. Only Jesus. So, who in the world are we to judge? Challenge: Ask God to forgive you for the times when you have had a judgmental heart (and mouth). When judgment begins to boil up, ask Him to help you immediately look internally instead, grateful for what HIs blood on the cross did for those things we should be rightfully judged for.
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For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Romans 1:18
Where the Acts of the Apostles is an account by Luke of the Holy Spirit partnering with the first Christians for the initial spread of Christianity, the books that follow in the Bible are letters to people and churches, many that were part of that account in Acts. First up, Paul’s letter to Rome. Paul begins with a bold thesis to the Gospel message which he lays out so beautifully in his letter to the Romans: “For I am NOT ASHAMED of the GOSPEL, for it is the POWER of God for SALVATION to EVERYONE who BELIEVES, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) The righteousness of God is given to the sinner – to us – who put our FAITH in Jesus. The wrath of God we deserved was taken by Jesus on the cross. It’s a hard and humbling thing to admit we need a savior. However, as Bible commentator Leon Morris says, “Unless there is something to be saved from, there is no point in talking about salvation.” If we don’t think we are sinners in need of a Savior – if we think we can fix ourselves or we are “good enough” – we will never fully embrace or appreciate what Jesus did for us. We can love Bible study and Jesus, but often not quite grasp our desperate NEED for Him outside of making our daily trials a little easier to endure and hopefully getting a golden ticket into heaven. But it is so much more than that. We need His cleansing. We need His righteousness. Jesus came to die for our sins. He came to take a wrath we deserved and could not bear. And not only that, He gave us His righteousness, making us pure and able to approach God. As believers who put our faith in Jesus, when God looks at us, He sees Jesus. This is the Gospel. Questions: Do you believe you are a sinner in need of a Savior? Are you ever ashamed of the Gospel? In unfavorable circles, have you ever shied away from it? He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. Acts 28:30-31
In this last portion of Luke’s letter we call Acts, Paul and his 276 traveling companions arrive safely on an island called Malta, and after three months of waiting out the winter weather and witnessing miraculous healings, they continue their journey. At last, Paul arrives in Rome! Many Christians warmly greet him, some even traveling great distances to do so – Christians who Paul wrote a letter to a few years earlier. Paul is permitted to live by himself chained to the soldier guarding him while he awaits his trial before Caesar. Great numbers come to his place of house arrest to hear his message. From morning till evening, he speaks to the Jews first about the Kingdom of God and persuading them concerning Jesus from Moses and the prophets. Some were convinced, but others disbelieved. A recurring theme. We are left wanting more. Paul is finally in Rome…what happens? How did his trial before Caesar go? Why the abrupt ending? The truth is, Acts wasn’t about Peter or Paul. Acts is about the charge of Jesus to, ”be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) It is about the Holy Spirit moving in the lives of believers to spread the Gospel. And this ending was just the beginning of those to follow. This ending is OUR beginning. The Gospel has yet to reach the ends of the earth…we still have work to do. We are part of God’s story, and our charge is every bit as important as Paul’s. Challenge: What if instead of simply reading the Bible as an account of church history or instructions on how to live, we stepped into the story and became part of it? In our big or small spheres of influence, we too have a role and a Gospel to spread. Let us do so without hindrance and with the same faith, boldness, and determination of Paul. What would this look like in your life? So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. Acts 27:25
How does Paul have such strong faith after being rejected countless times, stoned nearly to death, beaten, in prison unjustly for over two years, and now stuck at sea in a storm without food for two weeks? How can we keep going during our storms? When our minds are messing with us. When the depression is unbearable. When that prodigal child slips deeper and deeper into destruction. When the healing doesn’t come. When our circumstances never seem to change. How can we, like Paul, have the peace of God and the assurance of His love, protection, provision when outwardly everything is a mess? “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8 The only thing I know is to get as near to God as we can. To position ourselves to feel His presence. To crawl under His wings. And though things don’t necessarily get better or go away, we know we aren’t alone. We let Him carry our burdens and lighten our load. We just know He is near. And we beg Him to open our eyes to the doors He is opening for us to walk through in this season of our life and trials. We trust His direction and leading. And we obey. We do what He says. Because He alone is the source of all things good and whole. And with Him beside us, we will get through the fires of life. This is Paul’s journey. His life was far from easy. His circumstances were more often unfavorable. He suffered immensely. But he always drew near to God, and he always knew God was near. He positioned himself to hear and feel and see God. And though sometimes afraid, knowing God was right beside him gave Paul what he needed for each next step. Challenge: If you or someone you love is suffering today, pray that God feels so intimately close today. That you so powerfully feel His love and protection over you, even in the eye of the storm; that you experience peace – even in the trial. Write in your journal, “Take heart, soul, for I have faith in God…I know He is with me and He keeps His promises.” Then Agrippa said unto Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Acts 26:28 (KJV)
Almost has to be one of the saddest words. Almost getting the promotion, the cure, the ring, the win, the prayed-for child, the thing. Almost. A little less than. Nearly. Short of the mark. Almost. Paul makes his case to King Agrippa. And though Agrippa is intrigued and likely even believes, he doesn’t go all the way. Instead, he walks away. The saddest almost of them all. He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost. Time and again we are told there are two sides, two paths, two gates and you can’t almost be on one. There is no third middle group. It is eternal life or eternal suffering. A sheep or a goat. Agrippa was almost persuaded, but he wanted to keep living his sinful life. Agrippa was almost persuaded, but he didn’t want to look the fool like Festus thought of Paul. Agrippa was almost persuaded, but he was too proud to submit. Agrippa was almost persuaded, but he saw his life in pomp and Paul’s in chains. Who knows what was keeping Agrippa from going from almost to heck yes. Life after death for Agrippa will lack pomp, freedom, joy, goodness, peace, love…because of almost. How often does “almost” keep us striving to do things on our own without God. We almost find that joy. We almost find that peace. We almost are content. We feel like we are getting so close; we can see it and taste it. But the line keeps moving. There is always that one more thing that keeps joy, peace, contentment at bay. The only way is wholehearted full surrender. Are you almost or all in? Questions: Ask yourself these questions today… Am I almost in or am I all in? Is Jesus almost the Lord of my life? Am I almost surrendered? Am I almost submitting? Am I almost witnessing to those God has consistently nudged me to witness to? Pray for God to turn your almost into a yes. So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Acts 25:23
From a Roman prison, Paul is given the opportunity to make his case – make the Gospel case – to King Herod Agrippa II and Bernice (his sister and also his lover according to most historians). Herod Agrippa II, whose father Herod Agrippa I had the apostle James murdered. Herod Agrippa II, whose grandfather, Herod Antipas, had John the Baptist beheaded. Herod Agrippa II, whose great-grandfather, Herod the Great, had all the baby boys in and around Jerusalem killed in an attempt to kill Jesus. Agrippa and Bernice arrive with “great pomp” to question the prisoner Paul. Isn’t it interesting how from our vantage point we can clearly see the insignificance of the “great pomp” Agrippa was so proud to walk in? Earthy power is fleeting. The great-grandson of the one who tried to kill the infant Jesus is hearing of Jesus the Messiah, and Paul GETS to be the one to deliver it. Though circumstances look bleak, God is sovereignly working to grant Paul an audience with the most influential Roman and Israelite leaders of the day to share the Gospel. Steven Cole says, “Often the greatest opportunities for ministry that God gives us come disguised as frustrating or confusing circumstances where we seem to be restricted from reaching our goals. If we view those circumstances from the human perspective, as just so much ‘bad luck,’ we will grumble in discouragement and miss the opportunity for ministry. But if we submit to God’s mighty hand, He can use us in such a way that He alone gets the glory.” What a reminder to me that I can grumble and pout about my circumstances and not being where I want or think I should be…or I can press into it, put my head down in prayer and my eyes up to the Master Orchestrator, and with expectation, be used where He has me. Challenge: If you are wrestling with some unfulfilled desires and closed doors, ask God for eyes to see His hand at work. Journal your prayer. |
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