"Don't Judge Me" Romans 2:1-16

Introduction

“Folly of Judging Others”

For some reason, it is easier to jump to negative conclusions about people that it is to assume the best about them. when we do this, we ascribe to them bad intentions and evil purposes that may not be true. We also reveal something about ourselves, for the faults we see in others are actually are reflection of our own. H. A. Ironside pointed out the folly of judging others. He related an incident in the life of a man call Bishop Potter.

“He was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purser’s desk and inquired if he cold leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person.

The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, “Its all right, bishop, I’ll be every glad to take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same reason!”

How often do Christians possess the attitude of Bishop Potter? The sad indictment is that most Christians, from the pulpit to the back door harbor a judgmental spirit, manufacturing ideas, intentions, and purposes that are counterproductive to the Christian attitude of grace, love and mercy. All have dealt with or deal the spirit of judgment, whether through participation in judging or a victim of merciless judgment against you. It seems that Christians walk around with a gavel in their hand, awaiting to pronounce sentence of unsuspecting individuals who desire to live the Christian life.

The Big Idea of the Message: There is only one righteous judge—God. Regardless one’s experience, skill or intelligence, no one is qualified to judge another. Jesus warned against judging in Matthew 7:1-5. If we heed Paul

The Argument of Paul

Paul lays out the case as to why God turns people over to a “reprobate” mind Romans 1:17-32 because humanity (1) has no excuse because God’s divine nature has been clearly seen, (2) their thinking became worthless, exchanging God for something else, and (3) exchanging the truth of God for a lie, and (4) conducted themselves physically in unnatural ways. Paul lays out this compelling case that would make any judge swing the hammer and condemn those individuals to life without parole, or death itself. Paul put it on a silver platter for the religious community, especially the Jews in Rome that adhered still to the law of Moses to criticize those “Gentile Christians” who believed through faith in Jesus Christ. Judgmental attitudes are often masked under the “let me tell you something to help you,” but in actuality it won’t help you but harm you. Paul would get a plethora of Amen from the religious zealots as it seems like Paul is preach/writing an awesome sermon condemning the condemned and celebrating the Christian, but....when you look again…is he talking to the condemned sinner or the church?

“The Sin of Judgement—How can you judge me when your’re doing the same thing?”

Romans 2:1-4

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.438 ἀναπολόγητος, ον

pertaining to not being able to defend oneself or to justify one’s actions—‘to be without excuse, to have no excuse.’ διὸ ἀναπολόγητος εἶ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε πᾶς ὁ κρίνων ‘therefore, you, my friend, who pass judgment on others, have no excuse’ Ro 2:1.

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 56.30 κρίνω; κρίσις, εως; κρίμα, τος

to judge a person to be guilty and liable to punishment—‘to judge as guilty, to condemn, condemnation.’

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 56.31 κατακρίνω; κατάκρισις, εως; κατάκριμα, τος; καταδικάζω; καταδίκη, ης

to judge someone as definitely guilty and thus subject to punishment—‘to condemn, to render a verdict of guilt, condemnation.’

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 42.8 πράσσω; πρᾶξις, εως

to carry out some activity (with possible focus upon the procedures involved)—‘to do, to carry out, to perform, deed.’

anapologetos (excuse)

krinos (judges)

katakrinos(condemn)

prasso(practice)

Paul turns the tables, showing the impartiality of God when it comes to judgment. The moralistic Jews were practicing the same things for which they judged others. Paul’s response? When you judge one another, you condemn yourself. God’s judgment is not based on our self-evaluation of our morals, but it is based on the truth. It is complete foolishness to pass judgment on others for what you are doing and to think that you will escape God’s judgment. “Christianity does not automatically provide you right stand with God.” When you judge other, your judge yourselves as well. You may have the sins of the Romans, but that does not provide you an opportunity for self-righteousness and proud. Lest you forget, before God saved you, you were a sinner. And even now, you possibly still sin against God. Have the gavels verdict God out of the building? People look to worship God in Spirit and in truth, no where did he write that people have to worry about judgment. Earlier we learned that Gentiles who rejected the revelation of God in nature were without excuse (1:20). Now we learn that Jews who passed judgment on their pagan neighbors had “no excuse” (2:1). In the very act of condemning others they automatically condemned themselves because they were guilty of doing the same things.59 In fact, they “habitually practice” (Montgomery) them. It is psychologically true that people tend to criticize in others those negative traits of which they themselves are guilty. Psychologists call this “projection.” Nothing blinds a person more than the certainty that only others are guilty of moral faults. The church must be wise not “gavel” people out, lest they find themselves on the outside looking in. Beware of those who use criticism and judgment as “weaponized” spirituality to destroy your confidence in the perfect work God has begun in you.

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 88). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

“The Self in Judging—God is like, I’m Still Here”

Romans 2:5-11

The Jews, you see, had made the same mistake we often do: they mistook God’s patience for his absence. They assumed that if God had not judged them yet, he would not judge at all. God’s kindness towards us hopefully leads towards repentance. He waits to pour out his wrath—not because his wrath is a myth, but because he knows that once it begins, there is no reprieve. Those who do not repent are merely storing up wrath for themselves. This should encourage us when people seem to get away with evil. Their account is enlarging, and the bill will come due in eternity. We should never envy the wicked because all they are accumulating is a greater degree of divine judgment. God, whose judgments are absolutely fair and just, will render to every person on that day of final reckoning that which is appropriate in accordance with his or her deeds. Here we have a basic principle of divine judgment. God will give to each person has done. (Ps. 62:12; Prov 24:12; Matt. 16:27). But you say, I thought Paul thought Paul taught clearly that a person is saved by faith. That is true. A bit later he affirmed that a person “is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” But in the immediate context Paul was not teaching how we are made right with God but how God judges the reality of our faith. Faith is not an abstract quality that can be validated by some spiritual test unrelated to life. God judges faith by the difference it makes in how a person actually lives. A. M. Hunter is right in saying that “a man’s destiny on Judgment Day will depend not on whether he has known God’s will but on whether he has done it.” That is why Jesus taught that those who respond to the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner will be rewarded with eternal life; but those who fail in these down-to-earth tasks will “go away to eternal punishment” (Matt. 25:31-36). God will repay each one according to his works, not for salvation, but to address the level of wrath and anger and affliction and distress his works have earned—or, for those who strive in doing good, for the level of glory, honor, and immortality. Paul’s point here is not that we can saved by works, but that God is an impartial Judge. He does not reward people based on their ethnic background. He looks at each individual specifically. Lest Paul’s Jewish readers miss the point, he makes it clear: salvation can come to the Jew, and also to the Greek. But so can judgment. After all, there is no favoritism with God.

The Savior in Judging—Will You Make the Cut”

Romans 2:12-16

God will people according to the light they have. Thus, those who sinned without the law—that is, the Gentiles will be judged according to the law that is written on their hearts. Although countless Gentiles may not have had the Jewish law, they had their conscience, which was sufficient to either accuse of even excuse them. Gentiles have ignored their conscience and acted wickedly. But Paul highlights the opposite possibly, saying that the ability of the Gentiles to do what the law demands—not perfectly, of course—even without God’s law, was meant to put the Jews to shame. The Gentiles’ obedience was an authentic witness to the Jews, who were often hearers of the law but not doers of the law.

1. Judgment on all men—vv. 12–15. We are sinners—Isa. 53:6. All sin must be punished—Rom. 6:23. The “small and great” shall stand before God—Rev. 20:11–15. If man sincerely seeks God, he will find God—Jer. 29:13.

2. Judgment on all motives—v. 16. All must die, then comes judgment—Heb. 9:27. We will be judged by the use of our abilities—Luke 12:48. We will be rewarded according to our works—Rev. 22:12. What we sow, we will reap—Gal. 6:7, 8.

God will judge all sin, whether in the life of a sinner or a Christian who has become cold. If the sin is not confessed and forsaken, God’s judgment will fall on that person. It will mean separation from God. Paul advises us to examine ourselves—1 Cor. 11:28.