Rom 2-Judgment Tolerance & Repentance

| Judgment Tolerance & Repentance! Romans 2:1-4

February 26, 2006 NIV 1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?  NCV 1If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do the same things they do. 2God judges those who do wrong things, and we know that his judging is right. 3You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong yourselves. Do you think you will be able to escape the judgment of God? 4He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives.  NLT 1You may be saying, “What terrible people you have been talking about!” But you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and not judge you when you do them, too? 4 Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?  PRAY Scripture memory:Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. – Romans 12:4-5 NIVIntro: How many of have heard someone accuse God-fearing people of being judgmental? Are Christians judgmental? Are we being hypocritical, as the world around us accuses of being, when we call sin “sin?”  1. Judging OthersWhat does it mean to judge someone?Is there a time when it is right for a Christian to judge another?2. Tolerance and Degrees of SinIs God tolerant of sin?Is there a sense in which Christians should be tolerant of sin?Is some sin worse than other sin?3. The Goal of GraceWhat is God’s grace?What is God’s desire from us in response to his grace? 1. Judging OthersNCV 1If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do the same things they do. 2God judges those who do wrong things, and we know that his judging is right. 3You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong yourselves. Do you think you will be able to escape the judgment of God?Do not judge.Mat. 7:1 – Do not judge, or you too will be judgedRomans 14:4 (NIV) Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls.Romans 14:10 (NIV) You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.We are called to judge.1 Corinthians 5:11-12 (NIV) You must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?James 5:19-20 (NIV) 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. 1 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV) Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?What does it mean to judge someone? Is there a time when it is right for a Christian to judge another?To judge:To sit in judgment – to pass judgment – To condemn, judge as guilty (John 7:50-51 – NIV  50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?”) ORTo form an opinion – To pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong.Based on Scripture ORBased on conjecture / assumptionIt is not wrong To pronounce an opinion concerning right & wrong when that standard is clear in Scripture. The problem comes when we start making assumptions without having all the facts, or when we pronounce right and wrong based on culture rather than God’s Word…. Another problem comes when we become judgmental – more on that shortly…Judging an action vs. judging a heart1 Cor. 4:5 (NIV) Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.Only God knows someone else’s heart.1 Thess. 2:4 (NIV) We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.Rev. 2:23 (NIV) I am he who searches hearts and minds1 Sam 16:7 (NIV) Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heartThere is a big difference between judging an action and judging motive, between calling what a person does wrong and calling the person wrong. I often hear people attribute motives to the actions of others when there is no way they could really know the truth of what they are saying.What do we mean when we say we feel “judged?” When judging is sin:Ø    When we, as individuals, pass judgment on someone else, when we condemn them or judge them as guilty, thus acting as judge and jury. – We often do this with homosexuals and with others whose particular sins we don’t struggle with. Sometimes we do that by excluding others whose struggles are different from ours. We often condemn others because they struggle in ways we don’t. NOTE: there is a big difference between struggling some sin casually partaking in that sin.Ø    When we judge another’s heart, when we purport to know someone else’s heart motive – Sometimes I hear this in the form of “He/she is a liar.” Or, “He/she obviously doesn’t care.” Or, “He/or she did that intentionally.” Or, any time we presume to know WHY someone has or has not done something (unless, of course, they have told us so)What does it mean for someone to be judgmental? – It speaks of an arrogance, a better-than-thou attitude which communicates the thought: “At least I don’t do THAT!” It is no wonder the world sees us as judgmental! To the degree that this is true, we are wrong! We are so prone to dwell on the specks in other’s eyes, while, at the same time, glossing over the log in our own.When judging is not sin:Ø      When we are calling sin “sin” – When we say something is wrong which the Bible says is wrong. – NOTE: there is a big difference between saying that someTHING is wrong (i.e. an action of some sort) and someONE is wrong. It is right and proper for God’s people to judge sin in the sense of calling it sin and wrong. It is another thing entirely for us to condemn a person. Only God can do that. |   | Ø    When we are attempting to turn someone from an action which is, to the best of our understanding, according to God’s Word, sinfulJames 5:19-20 (NIV) 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Ø    When lawful courts (of the church or civil courts) pronounce judgment after careful examination of all the evidenceNCV 1If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do the same things they do. 2God judges those who do wrong things, and we know that his judging is right. 3You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong yourselves. Do you think you will be able to escape the judgment of God?In other words, “there, but for the grace of God, go I.” When we see others sin, it should not prompt arrogant pride in us. Rather it should prompt repentance, gratefulness and worship… 2. Tolerance and Degrees of SinNIV 4Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience…?F   Is God tolerant of sin? Is there a sense in which Christians should be tolerant of sin? Is this passage calling us to a greater tolerance of sin? If we are not to judge “those who do wrong things,” does that mean that we should just mind our own business and ignore the sin of those around us, as long as it doesn’t seem to be hurting anyone?We saw last week how we are not even to associate with those who call themselves believers and yet continue in blatant, unrepentant sin. We are told to “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11).God is holy, and as such, cannot abide sin. He calls us, also, to be holy, even as He is (1 Peter 1:16). Therefore we can have nothing to do with sin. And yet…F   Is some sin worse than other sin?Last week: My point: We find it easy to condemn homosexuals as more reprobate than we are. And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we are all guilty of the worst of sins, that which is intentional, is against God and is harmful to others.Clarification: Sin is sin. Sins of the heart make us every bit as guilty before our holy Lord as sins of action or word. Sins against people are sins against God and, in that respect, are every bit as bad as sins which are only against God.However, there are some sins which we have an obligation to confront. There are some sins which we have an obligation to act against, while there are others which, while we acknowledge them as sin, we don’t attack as aggressively.i.e. We cannot leave the sin of sexual immorality or dishonest business practices go unconfronted. However, if we confronted each other every time we sinned in our words or every time we failed to follow through on our word, we would be constantly doing so. We are obligated to bring to trial sins involving sexual immorality and other such sins. However, it is very unlikely that we would bring to trial someone who was guilty of gossip, unless perhaps if it became a serious enough problem. And that is not even to mention those sins which only God and we know, namely those of our hearts.In summary: Sin is sin, whether of the heart or in action. Sin against other people is, first and foremost, sin against God. We are all sinners. We have a responsibility to deal with sin in our own lives, as well as to help each other turn from sin. We are not to pass judgment on someone else, but we are to call wrong what God calls sin. 3. The Goal of GraceNIV 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?F   What is God’s grace?His kindness, tolerance and patience…Ø    God’s kindness:It speaks of not merely goodness as a quality, rather it is goodness in action, goodness expressing itself in deeds; as opposed to goodness expressing itself in indignation against sin. (Vines) God’s kindness is seen in His abundant provision, in the abundance of things we have to be thankful forWe show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness by being slow to give Him thanks, by complaining, by not nurturing a grateful spirit. Ø    God’s tolerance:forebearance“a holding back” – a delay of punishment – It represents a suspense of wrath which must eventually be exercised unless the sinner accepts God’s conditions. (Vines)How far can we push this? – like the game of straws – or like driving on “Empty” – like knowing “how to push his/her buttons”We show contempt for the riches of God’s tolerance by treating sin lightly, by casually excusing our sin because of grace.2 Cor. 6:1 – NIV As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. – Vain grace – empty grace – grace which is worthless, without substance Ø    God’s patience:Makrothumia – long-suffering – Do we realize that our sin causes God to suffer? He is holy…Patience, biblically, speaks of suffering an offense for a long time. God is deeply offended by our sin, and yet He patiently continues to work in us the image of His Son. He does not give up on us.We show contempt for the riches of God’s patience, once again, by treating sin lightly, by casually excusing our sin because of grace. We forget how seriously God takes sin, even in the lives of His children. How can we profess to love God and yet casually continue in known sin? F   What is God’s desire from us in response to his grace?Repentance, not judgmentalnessHis grace is not meant to motivate us to point out all the sin which surrounds us, to look with disdain on the world around us, or on our brethren around us either. Rather it is meant to cause us to look at our own hearts and lives. We should be constantly humbled by God’s kindness, tolerance and patience. They should drive us to our knees in humble adoration and an ever increasing desire to be what He died to make us.Our tendency is to look at those around us and think, “I sure hope THEY are hearing this!” or “So and so really needs to hear this!” DON’T GO THERE!God is patient with us. He does not give up on us. He does not want us to give up or become discouraged. He wants us to deal with our sin, to turn from it. In fact, it is our very desire to do so which is the greatest evidence of a child of God…“Repentance unto life is a saving grace, by which a sinner, being truly aware of his sinfulness, understands that mercy of God in Christ, grieves for and hates his sins, and turns from them to God, fully intending and striving for a new obedience.” Westminster Shorter Catechism in Modern English – Question 87As time permits: the gospelA Truth to Remember: God convicts us of sin not to discourage us, nor to make us condemn those around us. Rather He does it to bring us to turn from that sin to Him. He will not give up on us. A Challenge to Consider: Are there any areas in your life where you have or are taking God’s grace and patience and using them to ignore the problem? |