S212-021708 Ro 2a
Alêtheia Christian Fellowship ~ 2/17/08 ~ Romans 2a
Let’s look back to the gist of chapter one…
Romans 1:18-20 ~ 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Paul goes on in great detail how vile the un-Godly people are finishing with this…
Romans 1:29-32 ~ 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
That’s good preaching! Who says that’s good preaching? The Jew certainly did because the un-Godly was everyone else.
In chapter two Paul addresses the Jews of his day, but equally the self-righteous Christian today.
Romans 2:1-4 ~ 1Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
This Chapter deals with religious people – Are you a religious person? You’re not – you are spiritual, okay let’s see just how un-religious you are.
A complains about PowerPoint and B says A doesn’t preach and if he did he would be boring and it’s easy to throw stones and I just want to encourage you pastor.
The point of condemnation in B is complaint and yet B does the same thing!
Narrow path is really between easy Grace and legalism and is more of a rope bridge – you want to focus on the end and stay sober and steady in the middle. We become distracted, even with good things, and fall from the bridge.
Bibliolatry as an example or King James only-ism are distracting and divisive not Godly.
The litmus test is Love. Not a self-righteous warping of love into tough love, but a self-less love that saves another even when they don’t deserve it and especially when they can’t do it themselves.
Do you love this person over here enough to lay down your life? Does the love of God fill your heart; first for God and then for me?
Cart before the horse – Work to do ministry and work intensely and you’ll be working from the flesh. Think it matters what you say and do and you’ll take control. True Biblical ministry is realizing God does not need you and He will accomplish His will regardless of you – The Kingdom plan does not rely on you! Your thoughts, words and actions will change nothing for others (otherwise that could be a defense on judgment day).
We realize that God has invited us to participate with Him in ministry and so we do our very best and leave to Him the rest.
1Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
No excuse – ajnapolo>ghtov, without defense.
Judge is to decide; it means we evaluate another and make an assessment as to their character. A person is evil or unsaved because they behave badly. That’s God’s job, not ours, and it condemns us because we do the same class of things.
We do different sins, but we all sin!
I can’t begin to tell you how important it is in Christianity not to be judging things and especially people.
Some say I need to judge to keep everything on track, but I guarantee that you are in more eternal jeopardy judging that you are in minding your own business.
What’s funny is people who are not judgmental will see what I’m saying, but those who need to hear this will ultimately dismiss it.
2And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.
God’s judgment is without prejudice – His Holy Word stands.
Matthew 7:1&2 ~ 1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
When we went through the Sermon on the Mount and came to these verses a person completely disagreed and quickly gave me several verses about the need to judge. Evidently Jesus was mistaken.
3But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
I’m special, God loves me, He will forgive me so I can do whatever I want, I’m His kid.
Does God expect more from His Spirit-filled kids or less?
4Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
There but for the grace of God go I, John Bradford.
So many religious people become pompous in their right-ness as well as righteousness that they seem to forget that it is God’s mercy that saves them.
Romans 2:5-10 ~ 5But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
5But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
Matthew 6:19-21 ~ 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Here a person is literally storing up condemnation upon condemnation to be revealed at a time when it’s too late.
God is makroqumi>a, longsuffering, but the treasure is being collected, catalogued and stored for that day!
6who will render to each person according to his deeds:
Saved by grace – condemned by works
7to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
Persevere in doing god’s will or do your own will.
Persevere is uJpomonh>, and means to stand firm in the face of something that should cause you to run - it is because you’re disciplined to follow orders rather than your own impulse.
Courage is being scared to death – but saddling up anyway. Marion Morrison, John Wayne.
9There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Not temporal, but by priority of the Jew who has held the special revelation of God so long.
Romans 2:11-16 ~ 11For there is no partiality with God. 12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
11For there is no partiality with God.
Face receiving is what proswpolhmyi>a, is literally and it means that God is not moved by who a person is, but rather by what they are.
12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
In a general sense Paul is stating that all sinners will perish and do so in relation to the revelation they posses.
The Gentile sinner is condemned in chapter one and the Jew who has the law, but does not obey will likewise be condemned.
The question arises, “What if a person keeps the law?” Paul will get to that in short order.
14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Paul stops short of saying that these Gentiles will enter into heaven because his point is that everyone has a conscience including the Jew, but the Jew has so much more.
Therefore if the Jew fails to keep the law they are more condemned than the heathen who occasionally listens to his conscience.
Where do you think Christians rate? With the fullness of revelation and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit – if we willfully sin?
Romans 11:19-22 ~ 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
We can recap with four main points…
1) God’s judgment is according to our own standards Romans 2:1 and Matthew 7.
God is not so interested in the standards we set for ourselves as those we set for others.
How many engaged in premarital sex, yet would be angry at the person who seduced our spouse?
2) Judgment is according to our works
My kids would rather I judge them on their intent, not their actions. Many people want God to judge them on their doctrinal statements, not their failure to live up to them.
We are saved on the basis of faith, but condemned on the basis of works – why?
If we reject the righteousness of God we can only establish our own righteousness and this can only be judged on a performance basis.
3) God’s judgment is based upon our revelation of Him.
If God is fair, He can only judge what a person was capable of doing. Insanity and other forms of incompetence mitigate criminal acts even in our law.
4) God’s judgment is impartial.
God does not look down at sin in His people and simply dismiss it as silly playfulness.
God’s longsuffering is to give an opportunity to repent, not go on sinning.