“July 15, 2024 - Judging or Repenting”

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Judging or Repenting?

Reading:  Romans 2:1-11
    
    Paul’s letter takes a fascinating turn here.  Where he has been discussing the Gentiles’ descent into widespread sin (Rom 1:18-31), he now changes his focus to the Jews who were looking down on those sinners.  “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges.  For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things”(Rom 2:1).  His Jewish audience has set themselves in the judge’s seat but will only end up condemning themselves.  Just as the Gentiles are “without excuse”(Rom 1:20), so the Jews "have no excuse”(Rom 2:1) because they know God will judge sin (Rom 2:2), including their own.  “Do you suppose…that you will escape the judgment of God?  Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”(Rom 2:4).  If we sin, we too will be judged; we cannot “presume on” God’s grace and think our sins will be forgiven just because we’re us.

    So Paul loudly reaffirms that God’s judgment is impartial.  “He will render to each according to his works…There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.  For God shows no partiality”(Rom 2:6, 9-11).  This is different from human courts.  God cannot be bought off.  There is no separate line for the rich or intelligent or successful.  Jew and Greek are equal before him.  The world’s inequities are ignored at God’s judgment.  This means that my sin is a far more pressing issue for me than someone else’s sin—no matter who I am.

    I believe that Paul’s words are directed at Jews (perhaps even Jewish Christians) who look at the sin in the world and judge others.  They cluck their tongues and shake their heads, scandalized by the depravity of others—yet they steadfastly ignore their own sins.  God’s grace is not intended to lead us to judgment, but repentance (Rom 2:4).  We can take warning from the mistakes of others, search our own hearts for similarities, and beg God for pardon lest we fall into their errors.  But if we are only judging and never repenting, a fearful doom awaits us.

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One Thing to Think About:  Why are we quicker to point out guilt in others rather than ourselves?

One Thing to Pray For:  God’s kindness to lead me to sincere repentance 
 

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