The Painful Moral Compass

The hard thing about our internal moral compass is that we somehow have an idea of what is right and what is wrong. And with that, we carry a strong feeling of what is 'due' to us from our good works or our mistakes. We internally know what we're "in for it" as our brothers and sisters might have warned or when we "deserved it" as people might say upon a promotion or a job well done.

But it's also what makes life so painful. Although we know what's right and wrong, blessings don't always follow a good job and tragedy doesn't always befall those who've done horrible things. And we cry, "It's not fair," precisely because of our moral compass.


What Isn't Due

13 "Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:

14 However many his children, their fate is the sword;
his offspring will never have enough to eat.

15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
and their widows will not weep for them.

16 Though he heaps up silver like dust
and clothes like piles of clay... (Job 27:13-16)

Brad pointed out to me yesterday as we reflected on this passage that Job not only points out any kind of difficulties that befall the wicked, Job is pointing to things that have happened to him and his family. Job's family felt the sword, fell to plague, loss of money.... He was labeling himself as wicked. Yet, Job later in this chapter points to the fact that God is ultimately just. Though it may not be within the same generation, the wicked will have their punishment in the end... even if they need to wait until judgment day. In the same way, the just (like Job) will have their blessings and their ultimate reward in heaven. Job, despite the cries of his moral compass, the "This isn't fair," Job recognizes that God will make it fair in the end. In the end, justice will reign, because our Lord is just.

And now that we have entered into the New Covenant, we need not fear the ultimate judgment but rejoice in the fact that none of us can ever earn or deserve the fate of the righteous. We need Jesus to take on our sins, to give us a way into the highest heaven. Because although we have moments that our lot doesn't seem "fair", when we recognize our sin we remember that our final lot (our entrance into heaven) is far from "fair"... who are we that God would welcome us into heaven? That is not due to us, but Jesus has made that possible... to me, that's what it takes to take Jesus seriously... which is the theme of conference this year.


What Is Due

21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. (Acts 12:21-23)

Well, here is a case where is seems that Herod got what was comin' to him. He was accepting all the praise, praise that held him up as a god. And to continue the theme, if we constantly remind ourselves to take Jesus seriously, we remember that our whole beings should praise the Lord our God, the Lord who is one, the Lord who deserves all the praise and honor and glory. I'm so much looking forward to our worship service tonight, where we together can worship the One who deserves all the praise. And our moral compass should clearly point to that... to praise for the Lord, Creator of all.