Three Deadly Mistakes the Christians Make| Romans 2:1–11

The sin of Hypocrisy bars us from seeing the seriousness of our own sin

The first sin Paul condemns in them is the sin of hypocrisy. Paul notes that the Jews were guilty of “passing judgment on another…and practicing the same things.”

John Calvin notes “This reproof is directed against hypocrites, who dazzle the eyes of men by displays of outward sanctity, and even think themselves to be accepted before God, as though they had given him full satisfaction. Hence Paul, after having stated the grosser vices, that he might prove that none are just before God, now attacks saintlings (sanctulos) of this kind, who could not have been included in the first catalogue.”

Hypocrisy is the sin of pointing out the sin of others while either ignoring or excusing the same sin in our own lives. As John Stott notes:

"We are often as harsh in our judgment of others as we are lenient towards ourselves. We work ourselves up into a state of self-righteous indignation over the disgraceful behaviour of other people, while the very same behaviour seems not nearly so serious when it is ours rather than theirs. We even gain a vicarious satisfaction from condemning in others the very faults we excuse in ourselves."

Stott, J. R. W. (2001). The message of Romans: God’s good news for the world (p. 82). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Paul notes that the Jews, who see themselves as righteous, are busy pointing out the sin in others that they are guilty of. But they are more like these gentiles then they know. According to Paul, the Gentiles know what God requires but continue to do the opposite and give their approval to others who do the same, but the Jews, knowing what God requires, they condemn the evil actions of others while doing the same things themselves.

None of us see ourselves as hypocrites. We can’t. One of the subtleties of hypocrisy is that it convinces us that our excuses are valid. So we see someone committing a sin, but we rationalize our own committing of that same sin.

Charles Spurgeon on his sermon on hypocrisy notes:

The hypocrite can speak like an angel, he can quote texts with the greatest rapidity; he can talk concerning all matters of religion, whether they be theological doctrines. metaphysical questions, or experimental difficulties. In his own esteem he knoweth much and when he rises to speak, you will often feel abashed at your own ignorance in the presence of his superior knowledge. But see him when he comes to actions. What behold you there? The fullest contradiction of everything that he has uttered. He tells to others that they must obey the law: doth he obey it? Ah! no. He declares that others must experience this, that, and the other, and he sets up a fine scale of experience, far above even that of the Christian himself; but does he touch it? No, not with so much as one of his fingers. He will tell others what they should do; but will he remember his own teaching? Not he! Follow him to his house; trace him to the market, see him in the shop, and if you want to refute his preaching you may easily do it from his own life.

The sin of Judgmentalism blocks us from our ability to encourage holiness.

Related to hypocrisy, and flowing from it is the sin of judgmentalism.

According to D. A. Carson Judgmentalism is a sinfully “critical spirit, a condemning attitude” (D. A. Carson,  Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World.)

It is an eagerness to find fault with other people, coupled with a slowness to find fault with yourself. Judgmentalism is when I see something in someone else that I don’t like, that I feel is wrong and I attack it as sin.

Jerry Bridges in his book Respectable Sins

The sin of judgmentalism is one of the most subtle of our “respectable” sins because it is often practiced under the guise of being zealous for what is right. It’s obvious that within our conservative evangelical circles there are myriads of opinions on everything from theology to conduct to lifestyle and politics. Not only are there multiple opinions but we usually assume our opinion is correct. That’s where our trouble with judgmentalism begins. We equate our opinions with truth. (p. 141)

Bridges gives three examples of his own judgmentalism in the past—on what Christians wear to church, what music is sung in church, and Christians drinking alcohol.

In each of these, we find the seed of judgmentalism.

Now, let me be clear. We are called as Christians to judge. One of the most misquoted verses in scripture is Matthew 7:1-5. It’s not misquoted because we misread the verse, but because we take it out of its context. The verse says “Judge not, that you be not judged.” But it goes on to say, “for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” Jesus then goes on to encourage us to remove the “log” from our own eyes before we attempt to remove the speck in our brother’s, and here we find the clear distinction between biblical judgment and judgmentalism. Biblical judgment seeks to help a brother remove sin as we fervently seek to remove sin in our own lives.

Judgmentalism seeks to be critical of others while ignoring our own sin, or making excuses for our sin. Judgmentalism is critical of others while not being critical of our selves. It’s condemning, while biblical judgment is restorative and helpful.

The Jews were guilty of Judgmentalism according to Paul because they attacked the gentiles while not condemning the sin in themselves.

This is the great sin of the church, and one we must be careful of. We are called to be holy, and to call others to holiness, but this must be a “come join us in killing sin inside of all of us” and not “you’re wicked and we’re good.”

The poet, James Russell Lowell, mocked the reformers of his time as-

Eager to reform everything but themselves.

This is what it means to be judgmental.

The sin of Presumption blinds us from our need of repentance.

Finally Paul notes:

Those who continue unrepentant, Paul declares, ‘show contempt for the riches of his [God’s] kindness’. Paul uses the verb ‘to show contempt’ in contexts where looking down on or failing to show respect for others is involved. Those who do not repent of their sins in the light of God’s kindness fail to show respect to God and to honor him as they should (cf. 1:21), and therefore invite his judgment upon themselves. To ‘show contempt for’ is much stronger than to ‘presume upon’ God’s kindness, an attitude that is reflected in the following passage found in the Wisdom of Solomon, a passage of which Paul was probably aware:

But you, our God, are kind and true, patient, and ruling all things in mercy. For even if we sin we are yours, knowing your power; but we will not sin, because we know that you acknowledge us as yours. For to know you is complete righteousness, and to know your power is the root of immortality. (15:1–3)

Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 122). Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

Hell will be filled with people who are good people. In hell, are millions of people who have been baptized right now. In hell, there will be millions who did not drink. In hell, there will be millions of people who did not drink. In hell there will be millions of people who walked down an aisle, because none of those things will save you.

Paul was talking to a group of people who had done all of these things, and yet they were guilty. they were guilty before a holy and righteous God because they had not acknowledge the Lord. They had not called on his name to be saved. They had not made him the Lord of their lives.

Hell will be filled with good Christians whose lives were never changed by the gospel and were presuming upon the grace of God to save them. Paul speaks to the depths of this presumption "because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

Listen. Who is God's wrath being stored up against? The Drug Dealer? The pimp? The wife beater? Well, yes, but also the Sunday School Teacher, the good husband, the good father, and the Pastor who, presuming upon the gracious kindness and forbearance and patience of God are storing up wrath for themselves.

So what is the cure to this?

It’s repentance! It’s repenting of our hypocrisy. It’s being honest about our own sin. It’s recognizing our failure, but also recognized the immeasurably great grace of God! We serve a God who longs to forgive and restore us!