I must remember that God has called me, not to a “succeeding” life, but to an “exceeding” life. Success is something entirely out of my hands, but excess is a matter to which I must give diligent attention. Unless my righteousness shall “exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.” said Jesus, I will not “enter” (Matthew 5:20. KJV).
My Master did not come to earth to match earth’s best, but to produce heaven’s better. He does not call disciples to equal the flower of man, but to produce the glories of God. What value is my discipleship if Socrates faces death with better hope than I? What good is Christ to me if Marcus Aurelius shows better resignment to his circumstances than I? In what way am I better spiritually than my unsaved neighbor if he manifests a more tranquil, gracious spirit than I?
Jesus Christ is in the business of producing superlatives. The saint, says F. J. Huegel, missionary to Mexico, is the “fairest flower.” The two sins of Israel, basically, were forsaking God and not glorifying Him enough. There were multitudes of Israelites who were not idolaters, but the same could have been said of many non-Israelites. The sin of Laodicea was that which made it so attractive to the world—balance, sense, moderation—the very thing that makes Jesus nauseated.
I must exceed. I must be an overflowing lake, not merely an infilled one. I must be so righteous that I sting, rebuke, and shame the world as Noah did. Unless I feel the jealousy or antagonism of the world, I am a poor disciple of Jesus Christ. I must make the world either despise or desperately long for the righteousness of Jesus Christ working within me. I can do this through Him who is “made unto us … righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30, KJV).
“Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man. fearing God and turning away from evil” (job 1:8).
Daily with the King 