The Good Life
but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew and also to the Greek Romans 2:10
Does Good – Do you want honor and glory and peace? Do you want these more than you want a better job, a bigger house and prestige within your community? Do you want them more than pleasure, security and ease? When the accounting books are ready to be closed, will you have entries that produce GHP (Glory, Honor, Peace) or will you be left with the verdict, “They have received their reward?”
I want GHP results. What else really matters? Money can’t buy me love – and it can’t buy any of the other things that really count either (like GHP). God is gracious. He tells us that GHP is available – and He tells us exactly how to get it. The verb is ergazomai. Oh, if you thought it was about being a good person (doing good), then you didn’t understand the word. The word is about working! It literally means, “who having worked out the good.” You can’t sit around and hope for the best. You have to do the hard work of receiving glory, honor and peace. Don’t be fooled. This is struggle. No one enters the Kingdom without a fight.
Working out the good is a full-time occupation. Yes, I know it’s hard. But did you think that Jesus went to the cross so that your life could be easy? He went to the cross so that your life could be redeemed, not relaxed. And when you live in a war zone, when you are surrounded by the enemy 24/7, when you have a fifth column doing sabotage work inside you, then you know that redemption does not come easily. What Jesus guaranteed is the result. You will make it if you persevere. He insured that. But He did not die a torturous death so that you could skate along into heaven. He died so that you could be called His friend – and join Him in the battle of a lifetime. You are fighting the greatest enemy the universe has every known – Sin (with a capital S). Victory is insured. Jesus saw to that. But the battle is fierce and rages daily. Yes, you have plenty of help. You could not survive on your own. But don’t for a second think that life is R&R. Life is fighting hell on earth, reclaiming the ground for God. Get used to it.
Work out the good. Sweat through those times when the enemy tries to undermine your resolve. Give until it hurts (did you think Jesus shed blood without pain?). Let go of your need for protection, your desire for status, your hope for pleasure. No one goes into a battle thinking they are on vacation. Find out where God is changing things and sign up. Glory, honor and peace are at stake. Or did you think that you could get glory through career climbing, honor through personal alliances and peace through prosperity? Does the Bible lie?
