Rewarding the Guilty

“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5:18)

Decades ago, I worked at a manufacturing plant in the southwestern United States.  Posted on a number of cubicles within that facility were photo copies of a fictitious and funny “Five Stages of Any Corporate Project”.  The company was working hard to develop a device that would sweep the industry and be approved by the U.S. government.  Eventually, the project failed.  (It wasn’t my fault – really!)  I no longer recalled some of the “Stages” and, on the advice of a friend, went looking for them on the internet.  I found them, but now there are SEVEN stages instead of five (anecdotes grow through the years).  The seven are (in the order they appear within a project):

1. Wild Enthusiasm (We can do this!)

2. Disillusionment (Something’s wrong!)

3. Total Confusion (The project is failing!)

4. Search for the Guilty (Passing the buck!)

5. Punishment of the Innocents (Assigning the blame!)

6. Promotion of Non-participants (Rewarding the guilty!)

7. Definition of the Requirements (It all starts again!)

Unfortunately, ALL our activities in life contain elements of the five (or seven) stages of a corporate project.  Marriages are ruined by “assigning the blame.”  Friendships end, countries go to war, but then, remarriages occur, new friendships are made, treaties are signed, and “it all starts again.”  As Solomon observed (and we should take note of his words), “There is nothing new under the sun” (Proverbs 1:9).  Our gadgets may change through the centuries, but the hearts of people remain the same.

In today’s Scripture verse (Romans 5:18), we learn that God’s “judgment” has come “to all men” (mankind).  We are all tried, convicted and sentenced in the sight of God.  You might think, “Well, I did wrong at one point or another, but otherwise, I’ve done pretty well, and I’m pretty sure God will not hold it against me.”  That’s precisely the problem.  Most in humanity have decided that God holds some kind of “balance” in His Hand.  If our “good” deeds outweigh the bad, it is felt that God will welcome us into “heaven” or wherever our culture and/or religion feels that “good” people will go to after death.

The problem with our religious and cultural ideas is that we do not set the rules: God does!  And it is His judgment that all mankind has fallen utterly fell into sin.  What we call “sin” is based on God’s Law.  He gave many laws to mankind through the nation Israel, and, whatever you may personally think of those laws, we are bound by them.  As He said through Moses, “Therefore you shall observe ALL My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:37).

But it’s much more complex (and also, interestingly enough, much more simple) than just adhering to a set of rules.  Indeed, the problem with Israel (and with the rest of us) is that people prefer to be religious and/or good citizens outwardly, while their hearts remain locked in selfishness.  James discussed God’s viewpoint of you and me, concluding, “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).  The stakes in life are very high and our best efforts fall short.

David observed this problem.  The religion of Israel was based on sacrifice as atonement for sin, and yet he said to God, “You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering” (Psalm 51:16).  He continued, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).  Once our inward selfishness is broken and we look to God instead of ourselves, “THEN You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering…” (Psalm 51:19).  If our heart is made right, God will accept us.

Micah the Prophet wrestled with all this, asking, “With what shall I come before the Lord… Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil?...” Micah continued, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:6-8).  Look at the state of this world: People DON’T “do justly,” DON’T “love mercy,” and if they appear to “walk humbly,” it’s often a mere outward show.

The author of the Book of Hebrews is unknown, but it is obvious that He was a Jewish believer in the Messiah who wrote especially to Jews.  He authored the Book at a time before 70 AD, when the Temple at Jerusalem was still standing, for he said, “every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11).  He continued, “but this Man (Jesus Christ), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).  Jesus Christ paid it all.  He sacrificed Himself for you.  What you cannot do, because you are not perfect, He (the Perfect One) did, by giving Himself in your place.

Have you noticed that, much like the “Stages of Any Corporate Project,” if something can go wrong in life, it WILL go wrong?  That process has been going on since the beginning of time, and it will affect every area of your life.  It’s God’s judgment on this world, which is designed to show us our need of Him.  You can blame others; you can take the credit when the credit is not yours; you can keep making the same mistakes, over and over again, or you can TRUST in the Lord.  Instead of making yourself LOOK good; give everything to the Lord.  You will find a new, better process, in which “through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5:18).  You will want to “do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:6-8), because of Him.

He, the Son, is beside the Father right now, looking at you in love.  When you accept the Son, the Father accepts you.  “Judgment came to all men,” but so also did the “Free Gift,” resulting in “justification of life” in the sight of God – for people like you and me (Romans 5:18).  We are guilty, but we are rewarded – in Him, who finished the project by paying the price we could not pay.

Lord, we’re tired of trying – and failing.  Please take over.  We receive the Son of God, in everything!  We’re Yours, Lord.  Thank You.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchontheNet.org
www.BlessedHands.org
E-mail: Ron@FridayStudy.org
Tel: (562) 688-5559
PO Box 92131
Long Beach, CA 90809-2131
"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)