But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
Thoughts for Today:Thursday's have become pretty special to me because my eight year old daughter Amanda and I always spend it together, just the two of us. My wife is one of the mentors for our youth group, so while she is at church Amanda and I have the entire afternoon and evening to ourselves -- to get into all sorts of mischief.
One particular evening (following shooting some hoops and walking the dog), I asked Amanda: "What do you want for dinner?" She tested my open-mindedness when she answered, "How about chocolate chip cookies? Then we can make some popcorn and watch a movie." "Sounds great, but let's have some pizza first," I answered (ever the concerned nutritionist).
A few hours later, Amanda said to me: "Dad I don't feel so good, my stomach hurts." Gee what a surprise, a stomach ache following stuffing ourselves full of pizza, cookie dough, chocolate chip cookies, and popcorn. There is probably not one person reading this little story who doesn't know from experience: eating a bunch of junk food will give you a stomach ache (Amanda does now as well). But does that stop us the next time?
I think this attitude of denial is what Paul is speaking to in our passage today -- perhaps if we ignore the consequence it might not happen to us. Unfortunately (unlike Amanda and my experience that night), if we continue with "stubbornness and an unrepentant heart" to stuff ourselves full of sin it will have an eternal cost (not just a stomach ache). Eventually God's "righteous judgment will be revealed" -- it is inevitable.
Questions to Ponder:What are you storing up for yourself? Heavenly treasure or God's wrath? We all deserve punishment for our sins, but mine are covered by the blood of Jesus -- what about yours? Have you been saved? Ask God now -- turn from your sin and ask for the forgiveness offered by the sacrifice made by God's only Son.