[Linux4christians] Tuesday - Romans 2

Mon Nov 14 18:55:24 EST 2011

    Tuesday

      Romans 2

The Condemnation of the Moralist

2:1 Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge 
someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn 
yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. 2:2 Now we 
know that God's judgment is in accordance with truth against those who 
practice such things. 2:3 And do you think, whoever you are, when you 
judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you 
will escape God's judgment? 2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth 
of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that 
God's kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your 
stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for 
yourselves in the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment is 
revealed! 2:6 He /*will*//**//*reward*/ 
/*each*//**//*one*//**//*according*//**//*to*//**//*his*//**//*works*/: 
2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory 
and honor and immortality, 2:8 but wrath and anger to those who live in 
selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness. 
2:9 There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on 
the Jew first and also the Greek, 2:10 but glory and honor and peace for 
everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 2:11 For 
there is no partiality with God. 2:12 For all who have sinned apart from 
the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned 
under the law will be judged by the law. 2:13 For it is not those who 
hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will 
be declared righteous. 2:14 For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have 
the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not 
have the law are a law to themselves. 2:15 They show that the work of 
the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness 
and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, 2:16 on the 
day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my 
gospel through Christ Jesus.

The Condemnation of the Jew

2:17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of 
your relationship to God 2:18 and know his will and approve the superior 
things because you receive instruction from the law, 2:19 and if you are 
convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those 
who are in darkness, 2:20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of 
little children, because you have in the law the essential features of 
knowledge and of the truth -- 2:21 therefore you who teach someone else, 
do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you 
steal? 2:22 You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit 
adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 2:23 You who boast in 
the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! 2:24 For just as it is 
written, 
"/*the*//**//*name*//**//*of*//**//*God*//**//*is*//**//*being*//**//*blasphemed*//**//*among*//**//*the*//**//*Gentiles*//**//*because*//**//*of*//**//*you*/."

2:25 For circumcision has its value if you practice the law, but if you 
break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 2:26 
Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of 
the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 2:27 
And will not the physically uncircumcised man who keeps the law judge 
you who, despite the written code and circumcision, transgress the law? 
2:28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision 
something that is outward in the flesh, 2:29 but someone is a Jew who is 
one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by 
the written code. This person's praise is not from people but from God.

      Prayer

Lord, You have blessed us with Your divine kindness, forbearance, and 
patience. May I share Your gifts with others, being kind, refrain from 
reacting to difficult people, and patient.

      Summary & Commentary

Paul described God's condemnation of the moralist, observing that all 
have fallen short of God's righteousness so that all who judge and 
condemn others are judged and condemned by the same standard of 
righteousness. Only God is a sinless judge.

Paul provided a partial list of the unrighteous practices which condemn 
the moralist:

* contempt for the wealth of God's kindness

* contempt for the wealth of God's forbearance

* contempt for the wealth of God's patience

He observed that God's kindness leads one to repentance [turning away 
from sin] and stubbornness and an unrepentant heart "stores up wrath" 
... "in the day of wrath".

In the day of wrath "God will reveal and reward each one according to 
his works":

* eternal life to the one who perseveres in good works

* wrath and anger for those who live in selfish ambition and unrighteousness

* affliction and distress will come to those who do evil

* a legal standard of judgment will be applied to those who know the law 
(Jews)

* a "conscience" standard will be applied to those unaware of the law 
(Gentiles)

Paul reminded the Jews that nothing they do for righteousness under the 
law will compensate for hypocritical violations of the law.

Paul used the term "circumcision of the heart" to describe Jew and 
Gentile alike who have surrendered to the Holy Spirit and who have been 
permanently changed, marked for Christ.

      Interaction

        Consider

The consequences of contempt for the wealth of God's kindness, the 
wealth of God's forbearance, or the wealth of God's patience.

Discuss

What is the difference between "judging", pretending to be God and to 
know the spirit - and imagining that one does so without sin of their 
own, and "discernment", which is the recognition of sin in others 
without holding oneself as better than others?

        Reflect

Consider the imagery and practical application implied by Paul's phrase 
"circumcision of the heart".

Share

When have you found someone unusually difficult to bear, wanted to react 
badly, but were restrained by the Holy Spirit within?

      Faith in Action

Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the difference between "judging" and 
"discerning" in my attitude toward others and one specific case where I 
practice more of a "judging" than a "discerning" attitude.

        Action:

Today I will I will repent [turn away from] my non-Biblical "judging", I 
will request and receive the Lord God's forgiveness, and then I will 
replace it as-is-appropriate with discernment.

Be Specific ______________________________________________________

    Wednesday's text will be:

      Romans 3

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Savannah-Statesboro needs a Bible College/Seminary!
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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