Ahh….but the goodwill of conscience shall exceed excuse.
The path of duty has been lost along the way. There is no shame in taking that which doesn’t belong to you. Compunction isn’t even a deterrent anymore; why should it be? We all deserve what is ours…..as long as it is good?
Knowing what we really deserve is a key component to the argument.
Rationalization or negotiation may well inhabit a temporary goad of our conscience but sooner than later the truth will hit us. What we do with that truth is a definition of our character.
There is no excuse for wrongdoing. There is no crowd to follow or ladder to climb to bolster our ego of evil. The trepidations of believing what you wish will only land you in a mine of bombs waiting to be detonated. It might well be described as pursuing it even when you know it is wrong. Unfortunately for the ill deceived God isn’t in the business of bargaining.
Proverbs 10:2 “Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.”
The makings of any “fiscal cliff” are based on procrastination, mismanagement and quite often a communication default. But wrong policy will never replace the truth and neither will “I deserve this because I am who I am.” We all deserve hell no matter how much good we have done simply because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Negotiating with God simply does not work. He isn’t running a Bargain Basement.
It either is, or is not.
For all the reasons one may conjure up to reward themselves, it is a waste of time if it diverts the slightest from God’s truth. There is no peace for the wicked. (Proverbs 13:21) Peace is a non-negotiable entity; an irreplaceable, no-exchange reward. The peace that passes all understanding is priceless.
Potiphar (played by Ben Kingsley) in the movie “Joseph” says, “Joseph is free no matter where he is because of his God.” How did he attain this freedom at the hands of his betrayers? How did he keep this freedom while imprisoned for 13 years in a foreign land?
Joseph knew his God. He understood what his God represented. He also knew God would never leave him.
Reading a blog post today by a 14 year old named Joshua caught my eye with these words he wrote: “See, when hard times come, we don’t really have to believe God is with us, so much as Christ has died for us.” http://goldenbible.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/knowing-god-is-near/
If we can wrap ourselves around the cross of Christ, his presence becomes a walk in divine peace.
The crux of the matter always gets down to one issue; Jesus.
Christ is the centerpiece; a central core or focal point for everything and everyone.
We all possess a conscience that God gave us. For a season you might be able to ignore it and end up resolutely with a very hard heart. That doesn’t mean the conscience cannot be re-ignited; it may take a bolt of lightning for some but so be it.
For many who deepen their conscience with truth, ignoring for a season becomes an extended, chronic pain or guilt only relieved by repentance.
Jesus climbed Calvary and finished the job he came to do. Thankfully he never stopped to re-think his position.
So why should we?
When you discover the freedom, the peace that comes with knowing all Jesus sacrificed for you, the reason for negotiation is non-negotiable.
It is love.
http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/the-atonement/
http://jsparkblog.com/2012/12/29/where-is-justice/
http://trishadm.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/faith-and-why-i-would-lose-my-mind-without-it/
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good writing, makes so much sense
“…Joseph knew his God…”
Because Joseph knew God, he also knew God could not lie and would keep His prophetic words, spoken to Joseph through his dreams. The dreams eventually came to pass.
Great quote from MLK!