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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
If God grades on a curve I might have a chance, but it isn't a chance that I want; its surety. Today's text (Roman’s 2.1-4) settles whether or not God grades on a curve. First, let's look at the text: “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2.1-4).
The problem with being human is that we are human beings! We all sin! No matter how nearly perfect we are (or claim to be), we never reach that plateau; we sin each and every one of us. It is at this point that a system of works fails to achieve salvation. We may talk about how much better we are than others (and from a works viewpoint, we might be), but God doesn’t grade on a curve. Almost justified is lost. Almost godly is ungodly. Almost persuaded is unpersuaded.
To illustrate, imagine God offering His hand to save us from a deadly fall, just how close to His hand would we want to be? Would a few feet be close enough? Obviously not! We want Him to have a firm grasp of our hand so He can save us from sure death. Well, how about a few inches? How about a fraction of an inch? How about actually touching Him, but yet outside His grasp? While all of these imagined positions of relative nearness to God have their points of attraction, they all fail! Death would be the result. In a similar manner, the salvation of our souls is not a matter of nearness to God; it must result in actual oneness with God in order to achieve the desired effect. The problem with being human is that we are human!
That is Paul’s message to the Jews in Rome who perceived themselves as having some advantage over others as a result of their “nearness” to God. A near miss is still a miss! In their condition, regardless of how they saw it, they were yet lost apart from the righteousness of God and the salvation that was offered through the gospel. It is interesting that in the original language, Paul used the exact same word to refer to the Gentiles as he used in referring to the Jews. The Gentiles were “without excuse” (Romans 1.20) while the personified nation of the Jews was “inexcusable O man!” Bottom line: Neither Jew nor Gentile could be saved from God’s judgment by their own works! According to Paul and the Holy Spirit who inspired him to write, both were without excuse!
How should Israel have interpreted the fact that God had favored them and preserved them throughout the centuries? Was their preservation a mark of God’s approval? Could they boast of righteousness merely because of their closeness to God? Paul put these questions to rest: “Or do you [personified Israel] despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2.4). Israel needed to see things as they truly were. It was His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering that God intended to showcase by Israel's preservation, not their goodness!
To take one’s physical circumstances as evidence of God’s approval is a fatal error! God simply does not grade on a curve. We all deserve death; anything which we receive short of that comes from His good character and not ours!
Questions
1. What does it mean to grade on a curve? What would that do for a "works based" salvation?
2. What effect do you think the Holy Spirit was trying to have in using the same word “inexcusable” in referring to the Jews as well as the Gentiles?
3. How did Israel’s preservation throughout the centuries prove God’s goodness, longsuffering and forbearance?
4. Why is it a fatal error to attempt to prove one’s righteousness by the positive physical circumstances that prevail at the moment?
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