September 17, 2023
Evening Service

God's Righteous Judgment

Romans 2:1  Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 

Romans 2:2  But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 

Romans 2:3  And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 

Romans 2:4  Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 

Romans 2:5  But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 

Romans 2:6  who "WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS": 

Romans 2:7  eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 

Romans 2:8  but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 

Romans 2:9  tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 

Romans 2:10  but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

Romans 2:11  For there is no partiality with God. 

God's Judgment and the Law

Romans 2:12  For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 

Romans 2:13  (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 

Romans 2:14  for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 

Romans 2:15  who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 

Romans 2:16  in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. 

The Jewish people in the days of Jesus on the earth, thought of themselves as a holy people, they felt entitled to their privileges by right of being God’s chosen people, they had all these feelings while being rebellious, unrighteous, and unthankful. We must remember that no matter what nation we are from, what right we think we have, or what age or description others may accredit us with; the judgment of God will be made according to the true character of each person. Our true selves and characteristics are not hidden from God and he knows of all the things we think are done in secret. Every time people sin willingly, this is a blatant disregard for the goodness of God and the plan He has for our life. It shows without God in our life, we are inwardly wicked and are inferior to God and His goodness. Therefore, when we repent it changes us deeply and we experience a conversion from our old self and every human being on the earth needs this. There are many forms of sinning and being disobedient to the Spirit, but they all come from the same origin. To be truthful in our repentance, we must hate the way of sinfulness from the change that the Spirit living in us guides us to do, we willingly choose to do good and to detest what is evil!

James 4:7  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

The thing that causes sinners to continue in their willful sinning is an unrepentant heart and they have become callous in their ways. They cling to their sinful acts with expression of strong words and it binds them to their destruction. When describing a righteous man, it infers that the commands of the Lord are kept with pure motivation and rejection of the worldly ambitions and demands. When describing the unrighteous man, it follows suit with being against everything that is holy and this becomes the basis of all wickedness. The will of mankind in its natural state is opposed to God. The Gentiles did not have the written law, but they did have a conscience, which directed them to do what was right by the light of what is considered right. Our conscience will serve as a witness of our motives and true nature. As the Gentiles either kept or broke these natural laws and principles, their consciences acquitted or condemned them bearing witness to their actions. It terrifies a willful sinner that Jesus will judge them in the end and it brings joy to the saint that Jesus knows their heart and is comforting. Sinful services will be brought out into the light and be punished and secret services to the Lord will be rewarded.

Romans 2:17  Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 

Romans 2:18  and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 

Romans 2:19  and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 

Romans 2:20  an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 

Romans 2:21  You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 

Romans 2:22  You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 

Romans 2:23  You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 

Romans 2:24  For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," as it is written. 

The apostle Paul directed his verbal exchange to the Jews, and pointed out what sins they were guilty of committing, regardless of their position and high opinions they held of themselves. A righteous walk in the Lord is to believe wholeheartedly, being humble in our nature, and being thankful to God for everything giving Him the glory. My brother Eddie used to have a bookmark for his bible that said, “Humility is doing something for someone and if they find out, it doesn’t count!” In opposition to a righteous walk in the Lord it to have self-pride, boasting of how they bring glory to God, and in professing His name with these characteristics, is the origin and entirety of all hypocrisy. Spiritual pride is a very dangerous type of pride, if you profess to be spiritual and not live the life that reflects the goodness of the Lord’s Grace; it dishonors God and our faith. There are people who look down on their neighbors who are complacent in a dead form of godliness, although they pride themselves in a form of knowledge that is equally void of life and power, yet there are others who glory in the gospel while their unholy lives dishonor God and cause His name to be blasphemed.

Romans 2:25  For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 

Romans 2:26  Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 

Romans 2:27  And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 

Romans 2:28  For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 

Romans 2:29  but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

There are no ordinances, or beliefs, or any forms of the flesh that can profit, without the reawakened grace, which leads us to directly seeking the righteousness of God by faith. The one who professes to be a Christian is no more a Christian now, than he was really a Jew of old, who is only one outwardly. Neither is that of a person baptized, which is outward in the flesh only: but the true Christian, is one who inwardly is a true believer, with an obedient faith. The true baptism is one of the heart, by the washing of our soul and the renewal of the Holy Spirit. This brings us a true spiritual frame of mind and a willingness to follow the Truth in His holy ways. We must be true Christians, not outwardly in appearance or verbalized, but inwardly in the heart and spirit. When we are baptized, it is not with water only, but with The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit; then we will seek the praise of God and not that of men. Jesus will not judge us on our outward appearance or pretenses, but He will judge our hearts and our true selves.