Reading: Romans 3:1-4
Reflective Thoughts
Are you a fan or a follower?
Today the glow of Super Bowl victory has not faded from the faces of some. Others are indifferent or disappointed. Their teams after all didn’t make it to the playoffs (or were defeated in the process.) Some of you may have been tempted not to watch the big game at all.
There is a difference between being a fan and being a follower. Fans tend to increase when success seems imminent. Followers, however, look at the big picture. On Saturday the jerseys of the losing fans were folded and put away. The jerseys of the followers, however badly their teams performed, were still being worn.
This describes how some of Paul’s audience may have been tempted to feel. Paul had driven home the point in Romans 2 that the Law– God’s set of standards for His people–won’t save them. They may have asked, as Paul posed: “What good is there in being a Jew anyway?” That’s when Paul shifts the focus from man’s failure to God’s victory as the only righteous One. In fact, our failure to live out the truth–and for some, even to believe the truth–just proves that there is only One true and righteous Being, God Himself. When you fail; when life doesn’t work out the way you planned, do you fold up your team jersey-or are you looking for the big picture?