Throwback Thursday: Stumbling on Works

Throwback Thursday is a series of posts, wherein I will on (some) Thursdays post a piece of writing from back in the day. Generally not from this blog. I will edit lightly for readability, but my intention is to allow each piece to stand basically as written. Over the years my mind has shifted on many things, as my knowledge of life, the Scriptures, and myself has grown. I'm not in the business of hiding this fact, so these will probably contain some things which even I think are crazy.


Originally Published on Facebook as, "I just felt like writing..."
April 14, 2008 at 2:24am
I don't know why. I don't really feel like I have anything to say, but maybe some intelligable gibbersh will come out.
I guess I'll talk about core group tonight. We went over the first two chapters of Romans. And it kinda struck me in verse 5 of Chapter two when Paul says, "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." I have always heard about doing good and storing up treasures in heaven. But that was the first time I had thought about storing up judgment for oursleves. I guess it's just one of those verses you read a thousand times before you actually read it. And it really made me pause. All of those times I have hardened my heart to God, and done things I knew were wrong, I was storing up judgement for myself. And yet I don't have to pay for them, because of what Christ has done (1 John 3:5). 

 It's really convicting for me when I think about it. Christ gave absolutely everything for me, not just physically, but allowed Himself to be shunned by God, so that I could be free from sin. Yet I choose to harden my heart to Him and heap up "treasures" of judgment for Christ to pay for. Really great way of showing my gratitude, isn't it? Maybe instead of taking his sacrifice for granted I should spend more time thinking about it. I don't know. I mean I have to be breaking his heart every time I sin. He laid it all out for me, yet I spit on that. Why? Why would anyone in their right mind not gladly accept what He has done, then follow it out with action? James 2:17,18 say "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

 I guess I stumble when I get too caught up in works. But then I go to the other extreme where my works are severly lacking. I really need to find that balance where I'm trusting God and it's coming through in my actions.

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