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I see 4 classes of people in Romans 1-5. (These actually correlate to 4 horses in the book of Revelation)
The first group are people who rejected the instinctive law of God within their conscience resulting in a continuous degradation deeper and deeper into open sin.
The second group of people are religious people who trust in their knowledge about religion and compare themselves with the open sinners through judgment in order to make themselves appear righteous.
Third group are those who do not know much about God, are not part of the religious establishment but who listen and follow their conscience quietly led by the Spirit of God unknown to them.
The fourth group are those gathered from all the previous groups who have accepted the reconciliation to God provided by Jesus, trusting in His righteousness fully and not at all in their own, and who seek for God's glory. Their focus is on God and what He does and believe in His abilities to do what He says He can do in our lives. Like Abraham they hope even when there is no apparent reason to hope, they praise God for who He is and not just for His obvious blessings – they live a life of faith that is a response to the faith God has in them. Instead of condemning others in judgment over them they celebrate what God can do for them. Instead of pious boasting about their own “righteous” lives they glorify God for His righteousness, goodness, faithfulness, grace and mercy. As they believe in God's ability to do the seemingly impossible they themselves come to be considered righteous in the eyes of heaven. As a result this righteousness in their hearts accepted by faith starts appearing in their life in the externals. They find themselves at peace with God, something that the first three groups do not experience. (see 1:18-22, 2:3-6, 2:15, 5:1)
Hey, which one am I? None of the four seem to fit me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouraging note at my site about my mom. (It's safer responding here.) Today is the big day and I'm a wreck. Can't stop tears from running down my face. Need someone to talk to that won't laugh at me.
As you often write, the mind is a powerful thing. I'm almost 60 years old and all I'm feeling right now is that I'm not going to be able to please my mom! Perhaps the same feelings I felt at 3-years of age when she left us and I thought I had done something wrong to make her go away... You'd think I could control those absurd feelings!
I appreciate your prayers and support all week.
I would not presume to judge which category you are in for obvious reasons from Romans 2, even though I might have an opinion. I found a teaching about the four horses in Revelation very insightful many years ago when I audited a class on Revelation and I see a close parallel with these groups here. There are some people who may move from one group to another over time. But eventually even the four groups end up in the end as only two groups - the lost and the saved.
ReplyDeleteIt would be disastrous and foolhardy to try to categorize people into "saved" or "lost" right now because the polarization of end-time events and pressures have not clearly delineated them yet. That is the height of judgment and there are some who presume to do that today even though Jesus clearly stated that is out of bounds. Likewise I would be very reluctant to try to place someone in one of the four preliminary groups without being able to read their heart clearly like only God can do. The the four groups do exist and may be helpful for us as we examine our own hearts and the condition of our soul and maybe choose to move to another group by the grace of God.
Your feelings about your mother are so very normal. Age has nothing to do with unresolved pain and embedded lies in old memories except to sometimes make them harder to excavate. What I have been learning the past few years is that when these things surface very strongly it is important to view them as wonderful opportunities to seize them while they are exposed and bring them to Jesus kicking and screaming to be healed. I remember the demoniacs who came screaming and threatening to Jesus who were healed immediately. He was not intimidated or insulted by their wild outbursts and foul language. He saw the pain in their heart and could read the real desires behind the mask of demonic control and answered their real request camouflaged as the opposite in their outward behavior.
Our circumstances may or may not be that extreme, but God is always intensely interested in anyone who simply shows up in front of Him no matter what condition they are in. He is our only hope and He is the source for real reconciliation.