Aug
28
Climbing the Curve
Filed Under Devotional
Look, I’m basically a good person. This phrase always seems to come before the old, tired-out excuse that God won’t fry me because I’m not the worst of the worst or the best of the best. I show a lot of homes in my profession, and I often use the term, “It has good bones.” This phrase, like the first phrase, means, “Strip me down to the bare studs and I’ll compare well to the other folks.” Underneath, we are all wood and nails, but, like homes, some just don’t make the grade. Dry rot, delayed maintenance, bad foundations, painted over sins are all things that are underneath. The old cowboy song paraphrased, “We all look good at closing time,” just doesn’t hack it.
So, the question is, how good do you have to be? Well, actually, you have to be perfect. Oh, man! Nobody’s perfect! So, who gets to say who glows and who goes? Frankly, I don’t trust anyone else to judge me, do you? It’s kind of important, isn’t it? Heaven or Hell?
Listen carefully:
“I said to myself, ‘God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,’ for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.” Ecclesiastes 3:17
“The Lord arises to contend, And stands to judge the people.” Isaiah 3:13
“For the Lord is our judge, The Lord is our lawgiver, The Lord is our king; He will save us—” Isaiah 33:22
“on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:16
These are just examples of over 100 verses that make it clear who decides. So, don’t parse words and don’t place earthly logic on Heavenly edict. It isn’t a matter of being in the middle of the curve. It’s about gaining wisdom and turning from evil. Jesus Christ doesn’t grade on the curve. He wants you to face the truth wherever you are, begin climbing that curve, and don’t look back. If you die doing that, you win!