week of 09/28/11 5th recorded HighQuest Romans 2:1-11

The passage I read was Romans 2:1-11

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+2%3A1-11&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

As I reflect:

Paul is yet5 again making a comparison here for our benefit that we may know that we are no more righteous for our own good morals than those evil doers he speaks of in Romans 1. A humbling though for sure. We, as those with better morals, have no more excuse to tolerate in ourselves the sin placed by the enemy. Remember, “if you break even one law, then you are a law breaker and have broken them all.” (Paraphrased of course). Paul goes right into the topic of passing judgment (not to be confused with righteous judgment – something every discerning believer is called to do in love). Passing judgment is a process by which we condemn; write off, and slam the gavel to sentence a person for their sin. When we do this, we place ourselves in the seat that is meant only for God. We ought to instead make a righteous judgment (an assessment with discernment if you will), and then in love approach our struggling brother and help them to stand, bring them to pray in repentance, encourage them to walk upright before the Lord, and remind them that we too fall on a daily basis and need the Holy Spirit to help us walk. Paul says of the passing of judgment that we (because we also sin) are in fact passing as much judgment on ourselves. When we do this, again we are placing ourselves in a position which is not ours and we condemn ourselves in the act.

Paul drives the point home as he explains that in thinking higher of ourselves than we ought and by placing ourselves as “superiors” over our less moral compadres, we have in fact ignored the very characters and acts of God that were designed to bring us to a humble place of repentance. God’s goodness should lead us to recognize our lack of goodness and thus drive us to repent. His mercy should cause in us a reverence before Him, and His forbearance should cause in us a long suffering before men that we should be compassionate on others as God has long suffered our immorality before Him.

The passage goes into an area that can be confusing to the new believer because it can (at surface value) look like a works based salvation. Paul here is not dealing with works, but with the heart behind them. A heart change is surely required in trusting and confessing Jesus as Lord and repenting of our sins. The point of Paul describing the rendering according to deeds isn’t to suggest that a moral man will receive more than the obvious sinner. Rather it is to point out that the moral man and the obvious sinner alike both have a fearful expectation of wrath be it not for the grace of God. We know this because the verbiage is suggestive that the only way to Heaven is via perfected righteous acts throughout our entire life, living without any sin… But we know that this is unachievable even for the most moral of men and thus we cannot merit Heavenly entrance via our deeds. A great point Paul uses here to re focus us, reminding us that we are just as guilty before our just God and deserve wrath for all of our own evil. What a great way to humble a servant of God and mold him to help others that haven’t yet taken a hold of God’s grace and mercy.

This passage is wrapped up perfectly with a summary of the message as Paul tells us again that God is not partial. He doesn’t show favoritism. He is just. If you sin, a payment must be made for that sin. For the believer, the payment was Jesus’ blood. For the unbeliever, they have only to believe and repent for us to be alike.

My response to the Lord:

I am humbled Father. I have failed in many ways but this one strikes a chord on my heart especially. I have sinned before you in placing myself as a superior of others who turn their head from your Word. I am no better and I repent of such thoughts. Forgive me Father. I pray you continue to mold my view to have more compassion, less judgment, more love, more forgiveness of others… Just as you have had for me. I thank you always for your mercy that you not punish me though I am so deserving of wrath. I thank you always for your grace, that you continuously give good that I am undeserving of. Teach me to be more like you Abba. In Jesus’ name.