Truth In Love

Secular -

A pastor was reviewing his notes for his message—specifically the part in Romans 2 where Paul addresses hypocritical judgment and pointing fingers at everyone else's sins. As he was going over it, he felt this sudden wave of conviction and inspiration.

he turned to his wife and said, "This message on self-examination is going to be so powerful. It is exactly what half the people in our church need to hear right now."

She didn't even look up from her coffee. She just smiled, leaned over, and said, "Thank you so much for proving the point of your sermon before you've even preached it."

Historical/Cultural Context -

Paul wrote Romans to explain the gospel and to establish the theological foundation of the faith. It was written between A.D. 56-58.

Biblical Text -

Romans 1:26–2:16 NKJV

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Rely on God’s grace, abandon hypocritical judgment, and actively live out His truth with His love for others.

Life Point- Love Sinners, Share Christ

Exegetical -

Romans 1:26–32 BSB

For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.

Homiletical -

I will not apologize for the Gospel. I will love the sinner and tell them about Jesus and that He can free people from their sin. He will do it too.

Paul says for this reason. What reason?

The reason we talked about last week.

People gave up the creator and worshipping Him and worshipped the created. We see that all over the world. People worship money, stuff, themselves and don’t give one iota about God.

He gives them over to their dishonorable passions. He gives them over to depravity.

One mark of a society that has been given over, is homosexuality. It is not only tolerated but celebrated. Which is what is happening in America today.

You ever wonder why Paul points out homosexuality over the others?

two reasons

1) It is because depravity for a society ends with homosexuality

2) Rome was full of sexual depravity.

Paul says they receive in themselves the due penalty for their error. I believe the due penalty is not just a disease but a depraved mind. It is scientifically proven that those who practice homosexuality have a different flow in their brain chemicals.

Now the question people ask is, are they homosexual because their brains are different? or are their brains different because they chose homosexuality?

I choose the latter of the two options.

Now does that mean they can’t be saved? NO it doesn’t.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 BSB

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

God can redeem anyone. He can change the brain.

Now what about the gay Christian movement?

NO SUCH THING. There just isn’t. If your a Christian then you give up sin, you fight it in the power of the Holy Spirit against it in your life. Including homosexual sin.

We ought to witness to everyone who is in sin. Have been doing that?

What else does a society look like when it has been given over to a depraved mind?

Romans 1:26–32 BSB

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless.

I don’t know if you have been keeping track of the murder trial where a woman murdered her 3 children and then blamed it all on the medications she was on. But we have come to the point in our society where not all of them find her guilty. The jury was hopeless deadlocked.

What’s worse is since this has received so much attention there have been 7 copy cats throughout the nation.

Folks this ought not be. How can we call ourselves the home of the free when most of the people are bound by the chains of sin?

Romans 1:26–32 BSB

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.

We ought not approve of any sin. Especially the sins we need to mortify in ourselves. When a new form of evil is invented we are to speak out in love and wisdom against it.

Don’t be rude or arrogant or hateful. Be full of love for someone caught in sin. Tell them the Gospel. The power of the Gospel is the one thing that can change them.

Life Point - Don’t Be A Hypocritical Judge

Exegetical -

Romans 2:1–11 BSB

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek. For God does not show favoritism.

Homiletical -

Now Paul let’s the Christians have it with both barrels. Those that sit in judgement of these people. Well guess what?

You who sit there will be judged on the same grounds you judge others.

That means if you are doing the same sins that you judge others on, you will be judged by God on them.

We shouldn’t just disregard, or forget about God’s kindness to us because of God’s kindness we were lead to repentance.

Because of His kindness Jesus went to the cross to die for your sins so that you don’t have to be condemned with the rest of the world.

That does not give you carte blanch to be the judge over other people’s sin and have an attitude of judgement. Nor does it give you permission to be a gossip about it.

What are they supposed to do then? Well, if they are a brother or sister we restore them gently to the fold. If not, we preach Christ crucified and Him resurrected.

Paul says if you’re being a hypocrite and judging others for the same things your doing and do not repent then you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of judgement.

So what is the difference between a bitter Christian and a joy filled Christian.

Well the one that is bitter you gotta ask if they have been bitter for a long time, did they ever truly get saved? Or did they just adopt a religious exterior.

I don’t believe that the one who is truly a Christian, God will just let them sit in their sin. That He will convict and discipline the ones that are His to get them out of their sins.

Paul says that this applies to all people. Whether Jew or Greek. It doesn’t matter because God shows no favoritism.

Life Point - Live Out The Word

Exegetical -

Romans 2:12–16 BSB

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous. Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.

Homiletical -

So what is Paul talking about sinning apart from the law?

He is coming to his conclusion on those that have never heard the special revelation of God who should know better than to worship the created thing.

So those that have never heard the Gospel will be judged with what revelation they have been given.

Well pastor do we know what exactly that is? Yes and no. Remember Paul already discussed it so they will be judged based on their worship of God vs. their worship of created stuff.

What does that look like? I don’t know because we aren’t told.

I know that according to this text when a Gentile who has never heard of the law does something in the law naturally it is because they are doing what God wrote on the hearts of all men.

For example: Every culture in the world has said that out and out murder is wrong. As a general rule.

Man knows instinctively this to be true. But he can suppress this truth and do evil.

But I do know this. You will be judged on what you did with Jesus. Is He your Lord and Saviour? You within the sound of my voice you have been told about the Gospel, so you are judged by what you do with that message. Your eternity depends on that.

It is not just enough to hear the Bible you have to do something with it. When you are changed by the Gospel you want to live for Jesus, you want to live righteously. Out of your love for Christ.

James 1:22–25 BSB

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

If there is no fruit of the Spirit being demonstrated in a person’s life and no growth in it. Then there is no Jesus.

How do we tell someones fruit? Not by what they say, but by what they display.

Galatians 5:22–25 BSB

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit.

Life Principle– Rely on God’s grace, abandon hypocritical judgment, and actively live out His truth with His love for others.

Call to Action – altar call….