8/6/14 (Wed) LOOKING AT OURSELVES FIRST (4) Romans 2:1-11 You are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Romans 2:1 There, but for the grace of God, go I. These words speak a deep truth thats essential for all conflict resolution. In other words, down deep in my heart I am equally capable of committing the same evils I see others doing— even the things being committed against me. Paul wrote the letter of Romans to Jewish Christians who thought they were superior to Gentile Christians. The Jewish Christians had been raised on Gods holy law, and they looked down their noses at Gentile brothers and sisters whose lives were still pretty rough around the moral edges . In a blistering argument, Paul nails them to the wall with this simple fact: having higher standards doesnt automatically make you better people. Look at your behavior—thats what counts. And, down deep, your behavior is no better than theirs . You do the same things they do. Having the laws in your head doesnt mean they automatically rule your heart. I carry a guidebook in my golf bag. But having that book doesnt automatically make me a better golfer. Its the skills that count, not the how-to manual. Without the grace of God, we are all on a level playing field when we find ourselves in conflict. And if we shut God out of our heart, we can be just as mean spirited and selfish as the next person. Gods kindness leads all of us to repentance. Prayer Lord, protect me from a spirit of superiority in all my relationships. Open my eyes to see the ways I offend others, and break my heart over them. In Jesus name, Amen. chinesetodays.org/?d=8/6/2014
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 22:35:18 +0000
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