God is Kind but Not Soft

Call in the New Testament Jesus and His Calls in Ministry Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)    Called to Significance Romans 2:1-11 The Message God Is Kind, but Not Soft 2 1-2 Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn’t so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you’ve done. 3-4 You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others, you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness, he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change. 5-8 You’re not getting by with anything. Every refusal and avoidance of God adds fuel to the fire. The day is coming when it’s going to blaze hot and high, God’s fiery and righteous judgment. Make no mistake: In the end, you get what’s coming to you—Real Life for those who work on God’s side, but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire! 9-11 If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you’re from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. But if you embrace the way God does things, there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from or how you were brought up. Being a Jew won’t give you an automatic stamp of approval. God pays no attention to what others say (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind. For Reflection Have you ever rubbed your hand against the grain of a piece of unfinished wood? Splinters hurt. The common saying, "but for the grace of God, go I." is really an expression of underserved pride. Do you compare yourself to others and think I am better than he or she? If so, be ready for a surprise. God sees you as you are and sees others as they are. to experience the awesome transformation of your life, one has to let go of such comparisons and follow Christ. Pray Pray, so you will hear and answer the call of Christ to become what God intended you to be. Pray and find the wisdom that can only come by tempering reason and emotion with spiritual awareness. Forward to a friend