Original Entry: August 10, 2008
McMinnville, OR
God “will
give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good
seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who
reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Romans
2:6-8
Let us not
become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we
do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Just as
man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, Hebrews 9:27
The high
school students sat mesmerized as I displayed dozens of my lifetime trophies
that filled an eight foot long table. I
went down the table on which they rested explaining what they represented,
“This is my 1983 Morro Bay High School Athlete of the Year, and this bigger one
is for being Athlete of the Year in 1984.”
Down the line I went bragging about my accomplishments until I got to
the end of the table.
What I did
next shocked the students.
I lifted
the table high in the air and all my trophies came crashing to the floor in a
glorious explosion. It was a lesson they
will never forget; I hope!
Inherent
in every man is the quest for glory. Even the man of God may struggle at times
if he is totally honest. Seeking the
glory that the world has to offer is short lived and no matter how good you
are. Someday the cheers will stop, the stadiums will empty, and the memories of
you will be forgotten.
True “glory, honor and immortality” (Romans
2:6-8) is found in the quest to change a life for the King. Verse
8 talks about men “who are selfishly
ambitious (NASB)” but at first glance it appears that there is no
difference between being selfishly ambitious and those who, “seek glory (and) honor.”
However, careful
examination of, “to those who by
persistence in doing good,” reveals that there are religious men who have
crushed their worldly trophies in pursuit of the souls of men. Besides our great hunt for God, watching a
man’s “forever” change is the greatest trophy in heaven.
Men are
stubborn. Men don’t want to change. Hearts are not easily turned from self to the
Savior. In fact, no man can change a
human heart. That is God’s job. We are simply His conduit.
The quest
for “glory, honor and immortality”
is an eternal one. It is a quest to be
sent by the King and recognized in heaven as a man who fought well (2Timothy 4:6).
