We Who Have Been Given Much

Romans 2: 17-24 

But if you bear the name "Jew" and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 
and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 

Now if you call yourself a Christian, and you go to church, and you agree with everything your pastor preaches; 

and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those in darkness, 
a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the Truth, 

If you've been given every advantage, and you know the Bible so well that you even counsel others who have problems and teach a Sunday School class, and you do good deeds like help with the kids or in the nursery, or help distribute the donated groceries to the poor families, or even knock on doors handing out tracts; 

you, therefore, who teach another do you not teach yourself? 

Are you just going through the motions, do you not really take to heart how much God Loves you and has done so much for you? 

You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 
You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 

If you're teaching honesty, do you cheat on your taxes? If you're telling your companions how wrong it is to be unfaithful, are your own eyes wandering? If you're inviting people to your church, are you putting down other denominations that have different practices than yours?

You who boast in the Law, through breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 

If you think you're doing so well following all the details of the rules, but you allow your thinking to dwell on something uncharitable about someone else; 

The Law is like a chain, if you break one little link, then the chain is broken. And it's noticed. 

For "the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," just as it is written (II Samuel 12: 14). 

King David had "a heart after God," but when he slipped and tried to cover it up, this gave occasion to the Nations around them to say that Israel's God was no different from their idols. 

Does our life look any different from our neighbors? Are our attitudes any more positive than the negativity around us? Are we demonstrating how our God is Light and Love and generous? 

Can others point to our lives and say that we are just the same as they are, there's no difference between our God and their religion? This insults God. 

We as Christians live in glass houses. Everything we do is apparent to our neighbors. We are on the spot, high on a pedestal, in full view of all the others who are wanting to justify themselves by pulling us down. 

O my Father, please help us who do study Your Word, to be extra careful, to really take to heart what we're learning. We who have been given much, much is required of us. Strengthen us to remain pure and faithful to Your ideal, and forgive us when we mess up. May we unconsciously display Your character, Father, the traits of our Lord Jesus, to other people we encounter daily. 

Teach us how to love You back, Father, and to love others as You have Loved us, to show them how much You Love them, too. To love them into Your Kingdom. 

And send us out, Father, into Your fields white to harvest. Send out all Your workers, to plant and sow, and to reap and harvest, until every person alive has heard and understands enough to make an informed decision to either accept Your great gift, or to reject You. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!