Our thoughts, if known by others, should be such that they would give us praise and commendation for them. Our thoughts should be about things that are approved of by God and other people. We should avoid all thoughts that are worthy of blame, condemnation and criticism.
* See also Think On These Things
but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
In the previous verse, Paul described the consequences of doing evil. Now he describes the blessings that come from doing good.
When we truly do good, we are acting like Jesus and will receive glory similar to His. The good that we do and the glory we experience are all a result of being changed into Jesus’ likeness. This is the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives and is the reason He came to live within us.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:18)
The word honor literally refers to the value or worth placed on something. When we do good our lives have value to God and He rewards us with honor and respect. There is no greater honor in this world than to be honored by God for doing good.
The peace that results from doing good is first a peaceful relationship with God and also a peace of mind that comes from that relationship. This peace is a tranquility and quietness of mind that goes beyond circumstances and even our own ability to understand it.
Just as God’s punishment of evil begins with the Jewish people, so does His blessing of goodness. In God’s spiritual economy, the Jewish people are still a privileged people, His chosen nation. So, when He blesses the good, He begins with Israel and proceeds from there to all other peoples.
How often do we think excellent thoughts? So many of the things I think about are average everyday things and trivial pursuits. Our lives today are filled with general information and trivia that consumes all of our thoughts. It is amazing how much information we have to deal with. Technologies like the internet and television, with hundreds of stations and 24 hour news, are causing us to drown in information. It is impossible to keep up.
God does not want us to drown in trivia, He wants us to think excellent thoughts (Phil. 4:8). Excellent thoughts are morally good and righteous. They are worthy of our time and attention as children of God. They stand out from and above the common thoughts of people as more virtuous and valuable. They are the kind of thoughts that Jesus thinks.
* See also Think On These Things
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
There are consequences for the way we live our lives. If we do things that are evil, sinful and wrong then the consequences will be difficult and painful.
When we practice evil, one of the consequences is tribulation. Tribulation is the extreme pressure God puts on us to let us know our actions are evil. This pressure is caused by physical and emotional suffering that our sin brings into our life. We should respond to this pressure by repenting of our evil acts and changing our ways.
Another consequence of our evil actions is distress. Distress results from being stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard spot. Distress is the agony, strain and anxiety we experience because of the tribulation our evil actions caused. This agony can be felt physically, mentally and emotionally.
Because Israel is God’s chosen nation, everything goes through them first and then flows to everyone else. Sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes it is a bad thing. In this case, it is bad. God judges Israel first because they have been the most privileged people in the world, receiving the prophets and scriptures before everyone else. The rest of the world does not escape though, the judgment that begins with Israel will continue on to everyone who does evil.
We are to have thoughts that God and other people would speak well of us for having. If we are thinking commendable thoughts then we should be able to say them out loud. When other people heard those thoughts, they would respect and admire us for what we said. If we would be condemned or lose respect for saying what we are thinking then those thoughts are not commendable.
* See also Think On These Things.
but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
In the previous verse, God promises eternal life to those who seek well-doing. In this verse, He promises wrath and fury to those who seek their own selfish ways that are contrary to truth and righteousness.
Self-seeking people are those who live their life by their own rules and for their own purposes. Their manner of life is leading them away from God. In fact, their lifestyle is resistant to God and the way He expects us to live our lives. They tend to become contentious and hostile when told that their lifestyle is contrary to truth and righteousness.
Self-seeking people refuse to live in line with truth. God is the source of truth. He reveals it to us through the Holy Spirit and the bible. When we refuse to obey the truth, which He has clearly revealed to us, then we are self-seeking.
While self-seeking people refuse to obey the truth, they are quite willing to obey unrighteousness. They have actually become convinced that their unrighteousness is right and true. Unrighteousness is any act that is contrary to laws and standards of right and wrong. God is the ultimate standard of righteousness.
God’s response to self-seeking people is scary. Wrath is a hot, fierce and explosive anger. Fury is an ongoing angry disposition toward someone that results in punishment for wrong doing. Now matter how you look at it, this is not where we want to be in our relationship to God.
The are so many ways we can go in life that end up destroying us and so few that end in a fulfilling life. Ironically, the ways that seem easy at first end up being the hardest in the end. The ways that end in peace and joy begin as difficult and restrictive. Jesus taught this lesson, illustrating it with a gated pathway.
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matt. 7:13, 14)
Jesus begins by commanding us to enter through the narrow gate. The one that is difficult and restrictive.
The wide gate is easy to get through and the pathway is easy to follow. Most people go this way so the path is well worn. If we live our lives doing what everyone else does then we are on this path.
The wide and easy way represents the way of the world, the way that Satan has so masterfully prepared to destroy people. The wide way is a trap and its apparent ease is the bait. Most of us blindly enter in, lured by the bait of ease, and are caught in the horrible trap of sin, destroyed by our own choices.
The narrow gate is difficult to get through and its pathway is hard to follow. There are not very many people going this way and they are a bit unusual. The people on this path are the ones following the leading of the Holy Spirit and making decisions based on God’s teaching in the bible.
The narrow and hard way represents the way of God. His way is contrary to our sinful nature and that is why it is so difficult. Jesus is the only person to live His entire life on this path. Yet, we are capable of following this path because Jesus is willing to live His life through us. In order to experience His life we have to give up our own, we have to take up our cross daily and die to our self.
The narrow gate and hard path is the one that leads to God, godliness, righteousness, peace, joy, life, blessing and reward. Lets all get on this path today and follow it for the rest of our lives.
When we look at God’s creation we see beauty everywhere. We see beauty in the sun, moon, stars, oceans, mountains, canyons, flowers, trees, birds … this list can can go on and on.
God wants us to think thoughts that have the same kind of loveliness and beauty (Phil. 4:8). Lovely thoughts are acceptable to God and other people. They are pleasing and likable. If our thoughts are not lovely then they are ugly, offensive and unacceptable.
Lovely thoughts will result in a lovely lifestyle that will attract people to us and to Christ in us.
* See also Think On These Things.
to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
God is looking for consistency in people’s lives. He wants us to do things that are good and beneficial to ourselves as well as to others. We are to do good constantly and continually throughout our lives, showing endurance and perseverance in well doing without giving up. The test of our patience in well-doing comes during difficult times and in dealing with difficult people.
Our motivation for doing well should be our desire to find glory, honor and immortality.
Glory in this life means that God and other people have a good opinion of us and our lifestyle. Ultimately though, the glory we seek is that state we will enter into when Jesus returns and we are with Him, fully experiencing Him and His life in us.
Honor is the recognition we receive for patience in well-doing. It is the value God places on the lifestyle we live. Our desire should be to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Immortality may be better translated incorruption, purity or sincerity. It is a lifestyle that is beyond reproach and results in a clear conscience before God and other people.
God’s reward for those who endure in well doing is eternal life. This is the kind of life that God experiences and He is the only one that can give it to us.
The effect our mind has on our lives cannot be overestimated. Everything that we feel, desire, do, and say begins with thoughts in our mind. As a result, we must make sure that our minds stay fixed and focused on God.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isa. 26:3)
A mind that is stayed on God is one that is strengthened, supported and sustained by Him. A “stay” is a brace, support, or prop to keep something stable and in the right place. For our mind to be stayed on God, we must rest and lean upon Him for support at all times.
When our mind is stayed upon Him we will have perfect peace and contentment. We will not worry or complain because we know that He is working everything out for our benefit by making us more like Jesus. We will have a quietness and tranquility of mind that is way beyond normal human experience.
Becoming stayed upon God begins with trust. Are we willing to trust Him with every part of our lives? Do we depend on His leadership and support in all our personal and professional decisions? Are we attached to Him in such a way that our relationship with Him influences everything we do?
