Romans 2:1
You 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?
5 But no, you won’t listen. So you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, 6 will judge all people according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on sinning – for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good – for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
12 God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God’s written law. And He will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. 13 For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God’s approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God’s sight. 14 Even when Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show in their hearts they know right from wrong. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written within them, for even their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right. 16 The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life. This is my message.
As the church leaders read this letter to the congregation, for the first time, there is no doubt that heads were nodding in agreement when Paul was finishing up (what would become) the end of chapter 1. They were feeling pretty good about themselves in comparison to those filthy pagans that Paul was describing. Then all of the sudden, Paul does a 180 and points right back at all of them and says that they are just as bad, and they have no excuse.
Periodically through this study, I will be reminding you that this letter was written to the Christian Church in Rome
One of the biggest hurdles to get over when speaking to non-Christians about our faith, is helping them get past the image that they have of Christians in general. Why? Because Christians rarely ever resemble Christ to the world. Christians are often seen as bigots, hypocrites, and fanatics. They are seen as intolerant - the ones that protest gay marriage, abortion, and liberal thinking. It’s rare these days to actually find a Christian that has the love of Christ pouring out of them – one that actually reflects the light of Christ to this dark world.
What would Jesus do? Well, I can assure you that He didn’t walk around with a WWJD bracelet on His arm, and a cross around His neck. He lived love. People were drawn to Him because He truly loved everyone. He hung out with sinners, but He never judged them. Think about that; the one person in the entire universe that is qualified to judge, didn’t judge. Instead, He showed them how to live by the way He lived, and how to love by the way He loved.
His message was basically to hate the sin, but love the sinner. We should stand up for what is right, but not by tearing down the one who is wrong. We are all sinners – every single one of us.
One of the most quoted scriptures by non-Christians is Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, lest you be judged.” Jesus spoke these words during His sermon on the mount. But, He continued, “For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about the speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, “Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye”, when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye, then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” (Matthew 7: 2-5 NLT) Metaphorically, the log and the speck are sin. We all have it, whether it might be big or small. And it is up to us individually, to deal with the sin in our own lives. Then, perhaps, we can help others with theirs.
Have you ever had a complete stranger ask you if you are a Christian? Why not? They should be able to tell by the way you live.
In the beginning of this study, we talked about how we demonstrate our faith by our actions. As Christians, we learn to focus on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and live our lives according to His standard. Paul later wrote to the church in Ephesus
“Since you have heard all about Him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous, holy, and true.” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT)
Paul went on to say, “For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.” (Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT)
We need to understand that becoming a Christian involves the real presence of the Spirit of God indwelling us. This is a very real and very present relationship with God Himself. And, it is through this indwelling that we are able to make the changes in our lives. It is the hope and blessed assurance that every person seeks throughout their life here on earth. It gives our lives the purpose that we all seek. It changes the way we see ourselves in this world.
The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts when we come to faith in Christ. His awesome power gives us the strength that we need to overcome the sins in our lives. But, we have to use it.
Too often I see Christians suppressing this power. Rather then going to God in prayer, and asking for His help in overcoming a situation, they try to stay as close to their old sinful life as they possibly can. Then when they fall into sin, they shake their fists at God and ask why He didn’t help them. Eve was standing right next to the one tree that God told them to avoid when the serpent found her. When God asked her why she did it, she said the serpent tricked her. Why was she even there? She should have been as far away from that tree as she could possibly be.
We are all sinners, and the only difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the Christian recognizes the need for a savior. We only become holy and righteous because of what Christ did for us, not because of anything we did. As long as we are alive on this earth, we will continue to sin. But, what Paul was saying was that we should live our lives as believers in Christ. We have the light of Christ in us and it should shine out for all the world to see. We should avoid sin because it darkens the light of Christ. There is a big difference between stumbling with sin occasionally, and continuing to live in a sinful lifestyle. Continuing to live in sin is a rejection of the gift that God has offered to all of us through Jesus Christ.
By His death on the Cross, Jesus Christ paid for every sin that ever was and that will ever be. Can you imagine that? Every sin is, right now at this very moment, marked with a claim check that reads, “Paid in full by the blood of Christ.” All we need to do is ask for His forgiveness, and that claim check is logged in our account.
In the final judgment, we will all be judged on every sin that we ever committed. The books will be opened, and every sin will be revealed. Those who have asked forgiveness will see those claim checks next to every sin, but those who never asked will be judged according to their sins. Have you asked for forgiveness? What a shame it will be to see all of the claim checks that were never claimed, and the look on the faces of the lost when they realize that all they had to do was ask. For, “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32 NLT)
God is being patient and kind to us, giving us time to turn from our sins. But, we need to understand that He is being patient while we make the turn, not while we start the turn. We need to get started right now. Don’t wait another minute. Get moving.
Paul finished up verses 12 – 16 by pointing out that we don’t honor God by knowing the law, we honor Him by obeying the law. But understand that the key word is honor. We honor God by doing what is right. We are not saved by doing what is right.
There are two parts, or steps, to being a Christian. Salvation (or Justification) and Sanctification.
Salvation is the blessed assurance that when we die we will immediately be in the presence of the Lord. It is the act of becoming a Christian. It is believing that Christ died to pay the debt that we could not pay, and He rose from the dead to give us eternal life in heaven with Him. It is believing that we are made righteous before God by what Jesus Christ did for us, not by anything that we have done. It is purely by the grace of God, through our faith in Jesus Christ. It is a gift, not a reward.
Sanctification is the act of being made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. It is being cleansed and set apart for sacred use. It is the change that Paul spoke about in his letter to the Ephesians. It is the renewing of our minds, our hearts, and our thoughts. It is letting the light shine through us for all of the world to see. It is living our lives for God.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote: “If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He is the one who has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:28-32 NLT)
These people in Ephesus
Study Questions:
Are you holding back the Holy Spirit by clinging to your sin?
To repent means to turn away and go in the opposite direction. Repent is actually the opposite of retreat. To retreat is a defensive move. To repent is an offensive move. Have you repented of the sin in your life or have you just learned how to avoid it? Now is your chance to take charge, turn away, and get as far away from your sin as you can. The Holy Spirit will help you.
Are you bringing sorrow to the Holy Spirit by the way you live?
The Holy Spirit doesn’t want to live in a junkyard. We grieve the Spirit when we don’t take advantage of the gift that He is offering. He has the power to help you overcome the struggles in your life, and to get rid of all of the junk. Ask for His help, and watch as He transforms you into the new creation He has planned for you.
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