The Year I Turned To Jesus, Abiding Together Through the Book of Romans. Week 3 & 4: God’s Righteous Judgement & the Law. Romans 2:1-29

I’m so thankful to God that He knows EXACTLY what we need when we need it! His Word is always good, timely & true! I praise Jesus for bringing us the TRUTH in His Word today!

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Matthew 7:3

ASK: Begin seeking God by praying that He would open your eyes, heart & mind to understand Him & desire His Word. 

Dear Lord, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law. Please give me Your understanding, so that I may keep your law & obey it with all my heart. (A prayer from Psalm 118 & 34.)

BIBLE: Open your Bible & read today’s passage (Romans chapter 2). Select a verse that sticks out to you and write it down. **Reminder we want to hide God’s Word in our heart! Psalm 119:11 tells us: I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. This is a wonderful tool that will help us memorize God’s Word and hide it within our heart.

This week, we are combining our September reading from week 3 (Romans 2:1-16) & 4 (Romans 2:17-29) as we finish chapter 2. Two chapters down and 14 more to go, we got this!! 💪🏻❤️📖 **And, if you are just starting now, no stress, JUST JUMP RIGHT IN because there will be time for you to catch up later!!

Our “B” Verses for week 3 & 4 are: 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. …“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?… But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭2‬:1, 4, 6‬

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. Romans 2:29

“Lord, we thank you again for your timely Word. The world sees and judges the outside, but YOU LORD always see and care about the inside. Thank You Jesus that You always care about our heart!” Amen

INVESTIGATE: This is where God’s Word gets fun. We get to read it, and then allow the Holy Spirit to teach us! Last week we got to look at a long list of sins that live in the heart of every person apart from the righteousness we receive by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

THIS IS SIN:

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Romans 1:29-31

So now, when we look at today’s passage let’s keep in mind this list of sins above from Romans 1.

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. Romans 2:1

UGHH– WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SIN, & IT’S NOT JUST THEM, IT’S US TOO!

It’s really easy to read those verses about sin, and immediately start thinking about someone else. But, I really want to encourage us to first read these verses as if the Lord is speaking directly to us. Just like our title verse said: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Matthew 7:3. We can quickly point the finger at someone else’s sin, without realizing we are completely missing the mark often in other areas of our life too!

We might not have gone as far as murder, but we are definitely ALL GUILTY of something. From lying (even white lies are lies), to gossip, arrogance, boasting, jealousy, the list can go on. And, Jesus calls us to a higher standard.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’’ ‘But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” Matthew 5:21-22

As believers in Christ Jesus, God is saying that even anger towards another brother, or name-calling puts us in jeopardy of God’s judgement.

And, now look how this thought amazingly connects with the rest of our “B” verses:

…God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?… But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭2‬: 4b, 6‬

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. Romans 2:29

GOD’S KINDNESS IS MEANT TO LEAD US TO REPENTANCE!

When we recognize God’s CRAZY kindness in our own life, that even though we have SO MUCH ugliness in our hearts, Jesus died for us so that we could be made new! We are ALL deserving of punishment for our sins, but Jesus paid the price for us, so that we can have an ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD on earth now, and in heaven FOREVER!

THIS IS WHY THE BELIEVER WEEPS. We aren’t worthy, but God!

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12

As believers in Jesus, we have to fight against ourself, our flesh, and pray against stubbornness in our heart. We have to pray against arrogance, and pride. We need to say: You know what, I AM SORRY! Please forgive me. We need to pray to God & ask Him to help us have a DESIRE to repent, because we know we are guilty too, and we are SO THANKFUL for God’s grace. And, we want others to experience His love and grace in their lives as well!

This reminder of humility has truly been a timely reminder for me this week, as I’ve caught myself in shock of the wave of unkind and depraved comments people have been posting on social media, in messages, and on the news. And, somehow it seems like it stings more when it comes from people we know & often from those who profess they love God too.

It’s like I want to say: “HEY, you Christian! Haven’t you read Romans 1? Your WORDS are FULL of wickedness!!! And yes, maybe my statement is true, their words are full of wickedness, but if I’m saying that without looking at the plank in my own eye first, I will only be fueling the fire, & putting judgement back on myself.

Their nasty comments do nothing good for the Kingdom of God, but if I am responding in anger, hurt, or bitterness my comments will do nothing good for the Kingdom of God either.

So what can I do? What can we all do?

1. We can repent for our own sin! Like our passage tells us, judging does nothing, since WE ARE SINNERS TOO! But, repentance gives us the humility to realize, we aren’t perfect, but we can point them to the one who is. Jesus! It’s only by God’s grace that He has and IS revealing sin to us. The Holy Spirit is helping us to walk & look more like Jesus as we die to ourself. THIS thought BTW, IS 100% the #1 point from our discipleship question this month. (Go back to the beginning of our study to read more.) 1. Do you want Jesus to conform to you, or Do you want to be like Jesus? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40 ) The answer should be obvious, we want to look like Jesus, not like our sinful self.
2. In that SIN list from Romans 1, God calls arrogance and boasting a sin too. So, the second we think we are BETTER than someone else, this is the reminder that THOSE thoughts are sinful, and that should rightfully bring us right back down to where we belong. We are guilty too! (Although in Christ Jesus we are a new creation! We are made Holy by His grace.)
3. We need to show love & PRAY! Jesus says to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44. Jesus said: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 Yes, we need to continue to pray for the other person/people to come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and for the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin; but also, we need to continue to pray for ourselves! Pray that Jesus would soften our own heart, heal it, & reveal our own sin too!
4. WHAT I AM NOT SAYING. So I’m not saying that we should never call out sin. And, I’m definitely not saying that we should ever condone it. Sin is clear. It’s listed in the Bible. Not just in Romans, but in the RED letters of Jesus. From Genesis all the way to Revelation, the entire Bible is one Truth, it’s ALL Jesus, and it is His living and breathing Word (Hebrews 4:12 ). However, I am saying that we need to be rooted in humility, and recognize that WE HAVE SIN TOO. WE ARE ONLY SAVED BY GOD’S GRACE, AND HE WANTS THE LOST TO BE SAVED TOO! Our battles are not against flesh and blood, they are against spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) So, we need to seek Jesus in how stand up for His Truth, and how in kindness and courage we are to be a light to those who are lost.
5. SEEK GOD’S WORD, SEEK GODLY COUNSEL, USE DISCERNMENT. There is a difference between judging and discernment. God has shown us what is evil through His Word and written it on our hearts. We are to flee from sin, & continue to pursue Jesus, and surround ourselves with others who will help us live more like Him. “Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall”. Hosea 14:6
   • Other verses that come to mind:
     • Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:10b-11
     •  “If your brother sins against you,  go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.  Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed  in heaven. Matthew 18:15-18

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15

DWELL: This is where we apply what we have investigated in scripture to our life! We can’t even apply His Truth without His help! So, let’s pray!

Oh Jesus, please reveal Yourself to the lost, and those who are hurting apart from You. Open their eyes to their evil behavior, and hurtful words. Please give them a heart of compassion, and convict them by Your Word & Holy Spirit. I pray they would know You as Lord and Savior. And, Lord please forgive me for my heart of judgement towards them. Yet, please continue to give me Your discernment & wisdom. I pray my words would be Your words, gentle but true! Help me bring glory to You in all my words & actions in every situation. And Lord, forgive me for all the ways that I have missed the mark too. Thank you for Your kindness in my life that leads me to repentance. Amen

God is SO KIND and His kindness and patience towards us is meant to lead us & others to repentance. We need to pray against a stubborn and unrepentant heart for ourselves and for others!

There will be a day of God’s wrath.

But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil…This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. Romans 2: 8b, 9, 16.

Judgment day. So, this is where it gets REAL. I love TALKING ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL POSITIVE things about JESUS. Having cute Christian “drip” 😅, cute stickers, cute clothes, fun songs, think Forrest Frank! And yes, absolutely as Christians we should be joyful and positive, because the reality of NO MATTER what is happening in the WORLD or in our life, as a born-again believers in Christ Jesus, IT IS WELL WITH OUR SOUL, and we should tell ourselves this truth over and over again (John 3:3, Romans 8:28) However, on the flip side of this reality, there is a WHY it is well with our soul, and that is because Jesus has us, and we know where we are going, Heaven! Yet, for those who are self-seeking, who reject God’s truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will in fact be a judgment day for all of us, and knowing all of our sins and secret sins will be judged, how much more thankful are we to Jesus Christ for what He did for us on the cross? Every sin that we have ever committed is being stored up against us. And, one day when every knee will bow (Phil. 2:10, Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11) on that great judgment day (Matthew 12:36) when God’s book will be opened (Daniel 7:10, Revelation 20:12-13), and Jesus Christ’s righteousness will be revealed. Our sins will either be covered in Jesus’s blood, so when He sees our sin He will pass over us like the Lord passed over the homes in the Exodus; or, our every sin will be stacked up against us, and against a Holy God. On judgment day, we will either receive God’s grace and see our name written in His Book, or we will experience God’s wrath against us and our sins!

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

BUT, Jesus Christ is our HOPE!!!

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”  Revelation 21:1-7

‘But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

When all hope seems lost, we are reminded that our hope is in Jesus Christ. He took our sins away, so through faith in Him we can have hope for ourselves, and for those that are lost!

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil…. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:10,21

Let’s praise God for what He has done through Christ. And pray for all that are lost that they too would know and love Jesus our Savior too!

ENGAGE IN PRAYER:

Lord, Jesus we thank you for the glorious TRUTHS You have declare in Your Word. We praise You that You have created everything, and You are sovereign over ALL THINGS! Thank you for loving us so much that even though we mess up, through Jesus, we can repent of our sin and come to You. Help us to be more like You, & continue to share Your Good News with the World. Amen

Next up, let’s dive into Romans chapter 3! Week 1 of October is: Romans 3:1-20, God’s faithfulness.

We pray that God’s Word will bless you richly this week, as we continue to abide together in His Word. ❤️