GOD AND THE N.C.A.A.

Many were stunned and shaking their heads at what the NCAA did to Penn State.  A massive fine. No bowl opportunities. Fewer scholarships. The taking away of over 100 victories.  An unbelievable impact on tens of thousands of students who are there, including many in sports that football subsidized, plus hundreds of thousands of alumni who saw the name of PSU on their diplomas made into the scum of the earth.

I didn't meet one person today who thought this was fair.  It would be absurd to think so.  The students and alumni has absolutely NOTHING to do with any of the controversy.  Secondly, how can you reverse the results of contests won on the field of play after the offending Coach was no longer a coach? Thirdly, with most student-athletes in the biggest money making sports not graduating in many universities, making their teams essentially an unpaid minor-league farm clubs for the pros, with seemingly little consequence from the NCAA, the speed and vengeance of this judgment makes it exceedingly obvious that the NCAA was seeking to make an example of Penn State without the slightest eye toward justice

That said, this should be a warning to people.  How many people think their good deeds outweigh their sins.  Joe Pa held to much higher academic standards than most big name schools.  He lived a humble lifestyle and gave millions away to help others.  Yet people are coming down on him and ripping every memory of him to shreds because they believe he did not do enough and no one has been given the chance to defend him.  He has been convicted because of a report headed by a man who is no stranger to scandals in his OWN department, Louis Freeh.  God is not like Louis Freeh. He is absolutely righteous in his judgments, and he does not weigh the gpod and the bad.  Unless you have the righteousness of Christ, you are consigned to hell.

People think the punishment was disproportionate to the offense.  People think hell is disproportionate to any offense of Joe Pa. The problem is, while people may sue about this decision, there is no challenging God when he brings down his hammer on you.

The thing is, God will judge righteous judgment.  He will not punish you for the sins of your coach or some administrator.  You will rise and fall based upon what you have done with Christ.  If you have repented and been forgiven and trust only in Christ to save you, you will not be condemned.  If you reject the only lamb of God, you will be condemned, and it will be a day 1,000 times worse for you than it was for Penn State.  We need to fear God, and not make any room for sin.  Many think that if they give to the church they can steal time from their boss; if they worship God, God will forgive a little lust; if they read the Bible, they can enjoy a racy novel.  We can make no room for sin.  Our righteousness must EXCEED that of the Scribes and Pharisees - the thing is, we cannot conjure up that righteousness, we must obtain it by grace through faith - it is the gift of God.

So no matter how draconian you may think the NCAA was, and flawed people make deeply flawed judgments, bear in mind that God has no flaw, and when God's wrath is released, you now understand from seeing the wrath of man just how fierce that can be.

I plan to back off from watching much of the NCAA this year - the hypocrisy is simply too galling. I also plan to be harder on myself so that in running this race, I will not incur God's wrath for my behavior or actions. I want to please him in EVERYTHING, and I hope you do as well!