Romans 2:12-16

Dear God,

Thank you for this time to spend in your word. I ask that you bless the Andrews family right now Lord, they have some mighty big needs but we know that you are a mighty big God and that you will provide for them because they trust and have faith in you. Thank you for everything you are doing in my life, help me to see clearly the future you have laid out for me, help me to follow your plans. Lord I ask that you be with me as I parent these girls, help me to show them your grace and mercy daily. Help me to be patient with them and to understand them. Amen

12-13  God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight.

The Jews had the written law. So they knew about God’s standards. The Jews had the opportunity to listen to the law in the synagogue. But to hear the law was not enough. They must obey the law. ‘Obey my orders and laws. The man who obeys them will live by them’ (Leviticus 18:5). The Gentiles did not have the written law.But God is still their judge. Nobody can avoid God’s judgment. The Jewish people were very accustomed to hearing God's word and law in their synagogues but what I think is being said is that one my hear, know, understand and study the law but it is the do-ers of the law that will be declared right in God's eyes. I am thinking of many "good" Christians who go to church Sunday and Sunday and hear the word and yet their is no fruit in their lives. They do not grow, give, love or make an impact on the world around them. I am thinking that God will be hard on those who hear and know the truth and yet do nothing.


14-15 Even the Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their heart they know right from wrong.They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.

Even those who are living by conscious alone are expected to follow God's law. I think the conscious is the spirit of God residing in all of us. When we do something bad our conscious is there to make us feel guilty. The feeling of sin or feeling guilty is suppose to draw us to what we need to make us feel better and wash away our sins, Christ. I think though that right now in our time there is so much outside influences that our consciousness is being threatened and clouded. We now can distract ourselves from feeling guilty, cover up our guilt, find others with the same sin and somehow be justified by them. We can watch the news and see others who sins are horrible and feel like our sin isn't as bad as theirs. We fail to see that for our Father God, a sin is a sin. From the biggest sin to the tiny lie all are the same in God's eyes.

16 The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message.

God’s judgment will be fair because he knows every secret in a person’s life. He has a true knowledge about the facts. He also knows the reasons for an action. He can see what is living in our heart. Psalm 139 wrote, ‘Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You see my thoughts . . . you are familiar with all my ways’ (Psalm 139:1-3).

God's judge will be Jesus. Jesus himself said that the Father had given him authority to judge (John 5:27). In the story about the sheep and the goats, Jesus is the judge (Matthew 25:31-33). In Athens, Paul said that the resurrection proved this. Jesus is the judge whom God has appointed (Acts 17:30-31).

It is good news that Jesus is the judge. He knows what it is like to be a man. He will not punish those people who trust him. He has rescued them from sin by means of his death on the cross.

So I have been really conflicted lately, wondering what I am suppose to be doing. Are we staying here, are we waiting for something to happen? Also been wondering about working, I like my job I enjoy working with children but frankly I make no money. I basically help with grocery money, Mark is working two jobs and well we just skim by every month. One sickness, injury or a few weeks off work and we would be homeless. So I prayed and prayed and thought and thought and what I came up with is this. I am going to go to college (full time) to become a teacher. I have to stay at my current job and finish my CDA certificate because that has 6 college credits attached to it and I feel like I am getting a lot out of it. It will be over sometime in February. If I accomplish this I will have a "real" career and potential to really impact my family financially. Mark and I would be able to save for retirement which is something that really frightens me at this point since we have nothing accumulated yet. Still don't know if we are going somewhere else or staying here but I am trying to assist my kids in making it here, trying to get them involved with church, school, and clubs in an effort to get them to make friends. Please keep them in your prayers, they are so lonely and miserable which I know is really hard when you are just a kid. Also please pray that Mark and I make some friends here too because this deserted island thing is wearing thin.  I did have two or three days with no pain but then it came back, I am fighting as hard as I can to keep going. I am considering some anti-depressants (cymbalta) which I have taken in the past and that made a remarkable impact on my pain and fatigue. 

  

 

Romans 2:12-16--Angela

Papa God, I praise you with my sister, who has had breakthrough in her pain cycle. I agree with her for complete healing for Echo's body. Father, reveal to Echo Your undying love for her and Your great affection for her, not because of what she does but because she is Your precious daughter. Father, I thank you for daily teaching me to rest in Your grace and Your peace. Give me courage and complete faith for Your provision for the coming weeks. ~Amen.

Tina, I just found out today that my client wants me to hold off on working for him until he can make some changes to his manuscript. This could take some time, as he has a full-time job. As of today, this was the only source of income besides the $500/month I make from my brother for this month. Rent will be due on November 4th, and I don't yet see how it's going to get paid. Though I am confident that He has led us here and that He won't drop us, I confess that I am not completely resting securely in His arms about this. We have never taken it this far, and I'm nervous that there won't be enough when we need it. Please lift us both up in your prayers. Eric has had great peace and confidence and has received much encouragement and vision for our future, but it won't pay the bills right now. In fact, it will require resources to pull it off. He also said that he feels good about shifting gears starting Monday and looking for a part-time job. I feel good about it, and it seems like the right timing. I am confident that God will bless him and open just the right doors. In fact, I received a prophetic word at church that doors would be opening for him this week. I'm trusting that those doors have actually opened, and he will just be stepping into them on Monday. But again, I am not at perfect peace about all of this, and I desperately long to be. Thank you for your prayers. ~Angela

2:12 "All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law."

I wrote a note in the margin next to this verse in 1994. It says, "Safety for unbelievers and those in other countries?" I think I was onto something. "Perish apart from the law..." I don't really know what it means, and it sounds good to my soul. But the next verse adds to my confusion...

2:13 "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."

Father God, what is the message? Ahhh!! It's coming...sin. I think it's just a continuation of the same message in a different way, and it hearkens back to chapter one, where he's talking about how no one has an excuse. It makes me think of the verse in John (16:8-10), where it says "When [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment; in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

Yes, I think this is the key right here for me...Especially since the work has been finished by Jesus' death on the cross, men really are without excuse. The Holy Spirit has truly fallen on all flesh, and all men have His law written upon their hearts (testified to by their consciences). I don't know how it was before, but I know how it is now...God has finished all the work He set out to do...Jesus is the door by which we all access the Love of the Father in all its fullness. His Spirit convicts every person of sin, and Jesus has made it possible for every one of us to experience the righteousness of the Father. There is no excuse left, yet it is still through His kindness that men are led to repentance, not by judgment. According to Jesus' own words, judgment pertains to the enemy. It is the enemy our judgments are supposed to be focused on as believers. When we fix our judgments on men, we fall under the law. But when we fix our judgments on the works of the devil, we come into agreement with heaven and the power of darkness is broken over those we intercede for.

2:14-15 "(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law unto themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)"

I did read this before I wrote the previous paragraphs, but just at a cursory glance. I think this just sums up more succinctly what I just said about the last verse. Haha!

2:16 "This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."

God will judge men's secrets. I have actually been thinking about this concept of secrets for several days, really ever since Echo e-mailed me and asked me about women in 1 Corinthians 11. I have been praying and meditating on the passages she asked about, and God keeps leading me back to the woman at the well. I was thinking about how the woman at the well must have perceived Jesus, both at the beginning of their encounter and at the end. The only thing the passage relates that Jesus actually said to her about her was that she was not married and was living with a man who was not her husband. Later, she goes on to tell everyone that she was actually transformed when Jesus told her everything she had ever done. He was telling her secrets, to her. I realized that even though it was always implied by teachings, or even overtly taught that he told her all the bad things she had done, I no longer believe that's what He revealed to her. I believe He revealed all the secrets...the good and the bad, and the reasons behind the good and the bad. Sin is really just a wrong perspective on Father God's feelings toward us, after all. I bet He revealed all the secret motivations (the lies she believed and how the enemy had bound her all these years from receiving and understanding God's full unconditional love for her). Isn't this the real sin? Isn't this the real tragedy of every person who is unable to receive the full measure of God's love for them? And doesn't this really truly end only in judgment against the enemy? Not that I truly understand it all, not that I'm ready to say that evil and wicked people will not be judged if they do not partner with Jesus against the enemy in their lives, but I am not sure any of us really understand the full heart of God on this matter, and I'm not sure we really can. What I am convinced of now is that my job is not to judge, but rather to show and promote the kindness of God. And by so doing, I will be treading on serpents and destroying the works of the devil, just as Jesus did. (1 John 3:8)

~Angela

Romans 2:5-11

Dear God, thank you for this time to spend together today. I thank you so much for answering prayers and listening to our needs. Thank you for a bright new perspective on things, help me to continue to see things your way. Lord I thank you so much for ending my pain cycle, please continue to heal my body. I pray especially for Echo right now, Lord I ask that you heal her pain so that she may enjoy her life. Help the medications begin to work on her inflammation. Lord I pray for Angela, Eric, Orion and Zara; Lord you know their needs and desires and I ask that you would bless them with riches from your heavenly vaults. Amen

But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

This verse has always stung me also. The day is coming when God will reveal his righteous judgment. I have heard so many teachings on this I really don't know what is in store for the stubborn believer. I have heard that God will seriously punish you, I find this hard to understand because God is love and he loves us and I don't think it is in God's nature to punish those he loves. I have heard that we have a store house of riches in heaven, or gifts from God and then we are receiving judgment that some of those riches will be taken away. This too sounds a bit far fetched, why would God take away things he has already given and why would we care. We are in heaven with God does it matter if our crown has jewels in it or not?! lol We will be worshiping and praising God for his wonderfulness! I love what you said about seeking the kingdom of God, I think when we keep that perspective everything else falls into line. If we are seeking the kingdom (love) then we will not be surrounded by sin, we will not be judging others but rather loving them.

He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 

^{He will judge us according to what we have done. I think again he is looking for the good we have done, how much of the kingdom has been expanded by your actions and love of others. What you have judge others by you will be judged also. If you judge by righteousness then that is what God will judge you by. If you judge based on the law then that is the standard you will be judged.}

 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.  

The ray of hope like you said tucked in. I loved what you said about seeking the kingdom, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality. We are suppose to keep on seeking, it isn't stag net or stationary there is an action involved here.

But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.

Again action is required, we don't live lives for ourselves we pour out our lives for others LIKE JESUS did! I think God really does not like selfishness, he is stating that right here. I liked your translation better here. 2:8 "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." Like verse 7 said we are to seek after the glory, honor, and immortality that God offers and not be Self seeking; seeking glory and honor for ourselves.

There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism. 

I like this verse because it is the simple truth, no hidden meanings here. Obviously if you continue to do  wrong and evil you will have trouble, here on earth and later on after judgment. God has no favorites, no gentile or Jew is his favorite. He doesn't want us to judge or to be prideful or to see glory for ourselves. For those who do good, who seek after the kingdom who pursue him and his ways and love other there will be peace from God and glory from God. He is not asking for perfection here he is asking for us to look for him everywhere, to be the kingdom here on earth and show love where ever we go, to love others and not judge them and to give God all the glory and honor and credit for ALL things. Simple yes, hard well sometimes......

Romans 2:5-11--Angela

Amen to everything you said, especially those last couple of sentences. That's my goal...focus on being a light by focusing on His light!!! It's the only way to truly live in love. Focus on His love, not on the problem, and His love grows in our life. I hear a line a lot here at Bethel: Whatever you focus on grows!

Father, You know our time to spend together is short each day, and I thank you for every precious moment of it. May the few minutes we spend in Your Presence and Your Word each day grow beyond the borders of our little Bible study and extend into light into our homes. May Your light follow us into each project, the ones we love doing and the ones that seem to take all our time and energy away from the things we love. Give us Your perspective on all that we are doing, and show us how to do everything with peace, hope, joy, and love. Amen.

2:5 "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."

The first thing I think of is the verse in Matthew about storing up for yourself treasure in heaven. That verse says the way we do that is by seeking His kingdom. I have really been giving a lot of thought to what it means to seek the kingdom. They teach it very differently here than I've heard it other places, and as I read the Scriptures through this new lens, I see that the kingdom is LOVE. His love for me, and His love for others. Obviously, this verse here is inseparable from all we've already been talking about. That what we focus on will grow, and we want His kingdom to grow: His kingdom of light, love, peace, life, joy. Joy. Joy. That's what I'm focused on. Living in laughter, laughing at my problems instead of thinking they are insurmountable. I have found so much healing just in laughter. One night, I laughed super hard at church. Like really hard, and a whole lot. I went to bed that night with a smile on my face, and I woke up with a smile on my face. AND Bonus: NO PAIN and no sinus congestion either (the first time my sinuses were clear since we moved here). Seriously, I didn't receive prayer for my body that day. Just laughed in His Presence, hearing the truths of God's goodness in the earth. Testimonies of healing and of His perpetual good mood toward mankind. I focused on the kingdom, and I experienced a breakthrough in my physical body. Though the pain returned, I also noticed that I was not laughing and had gotten a little serious that next day. I know I've discovered a key for myself, and I must remember that I don't want to store up wrath for myself by continually focusing on the problems of the world around me and the sins of myself or my husband. I want to focus on His grace...His unmerited favor...His smile pointed directly at me. His delight in me, in my hubby, in my kids. When I get my eyes fixed on that, the laughter and joy bubbles out more quickly!

2:6 "God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.'"

This verse has long inspired a fear in me of sorts. A fear that if I'm not producing, then I'm not accepted. God has been slowly helping me see that "doing" is not always necessarily productive. Sometimes, doing is resting. God has called me to be. I believe I am going to be rewarded for the times I've truly been myself, times when I've allowed myself to shine forth in the way that only I can shine forth. In the context of the previous verse, I think Paul is talking not so much about what is done, but why and how it's done...whether we are doing things out of a religious mindset of judgment, or whether we are doing things out a faith-based mindset of God's favor toward us and others.

2:7 "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."

What??? Seriously!!! This is an astounding nugget tucked into a very dark place. In verse after verse, Paul has been talking about the ill effects of living in darkness. And here, tucked in passages about judgment, He's talking about a seriously amazing reward for those who SEEK glory, honor, and immortality. SEEK...Seek ye first the kingdom...the kingdom of glory, honor, and immortality. We are going to be known forever for something, no matter how small or large our contribution has been AND no matter whether our contribution has had a positive or negative impact on the earth and on mankind. He contrasts in the next verse, so I'll finish my thoughts there...


2:8 "But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."

So, it's all right to seek glory. It's all right to seek honor. It's all right to seek immortality, and maybe even fame on some levels. But it's not all right to be self-seeking, to reject the truth. What truth? That Jesus is alive? Sure, that's gotta be part of it, but that's not the only truth we're not supposed to reject. Paul is talking here about people who are living in judgment of others...people who have forgotten not that Jesus was raised from the dead, but the reason He died in the first place. He died to restore all of mankind and the earth to God...to reconcile God to man and make the kingdoms of earth the kingdoms of our God and King. (Revelation 11:15). So we can seek glory and fame (immortality) for selfish reasons, and we will be judged harshly for that. Or we can seek glory and immortality as well as honor, so that we will see Jesus get his full reward...the nations are His inheritance (Psalm 82:8). So the truth that Paul is saying some have rejected is the truth of the Gospel...the Good News. That God's wrath is turned against us. We are no longer under the law. We are free to shine and be all that we were made to be, and when we shine Jesus receives His reward...because we will reproduce. We will reproduce His government in all spheres of our lives...our families, our workplaces, our nation, and possibly even into the governments of other nations. But for those who believe His wrath is still towards us, that is what they will receive...wrath. Because they remain under the law and not under grace. Judging our brothers and sisters according to the Law subjects us to the same law. You see, we are going to judge. (1 Corinthians 6:2). The question is how are we judging? Are we judging according to the righteousness of faith, or are we judging according to the righteousness established by the law? Whatever measure we use to judge others, that is the measure (standard) that God will use to judge us (Mark 4:24). It's our choice, but the choice Jesus died to give us is to judge according to the standard of Grace, where every person is endowed with the unmerited favor of God towards them to embolden them, strengthen them, and encourage them to shine in ever way!

2:9-11 "There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism."

He's just summing it up again and also highlighting that God sees no difference between the saved and unsaved. He calls them Jew and Gentile, because in other places He has called any Gentile believer a grafted in Jew. I believe when he says Gentile here, he really means the unsaved one!! If they act according to the Law of Grace in their lives, they will be rewarded according to the measure they use, whether they have full knowledge of Jesus' payment for their sin. I know this sounds heretical, but think about it. What I think he's saying here is that God does not see a difference between someone in ignorance acting in accordance with the Spirit of Jesus with someone who is acting in acknowledgement of Jesus' sacrifice. We in our Christian circles show favoritism to brothers and sisters who have checked off all the steps in their lives, but Paul says God does not show favoritism. He's not looking for a list of steps checked off. He's looking for the motivation behind a person's actions. I happen to know a man right now who is after the heart of God, but He doesn't yet have a personal relationship with Jesus. I intend to help him find one, but in the meantime I do not judge him according to his sinfulness. I judge him (call out in him) the things he does in accordance with the Spirit of God...he looks after widows and orphans and has a genuine desire to help the poor and will do so at any cost. He loves God, and God loves him. He just doesn't have the language yet to express it, and He has not yet had a full encounter with the Love of Jesus for him. He has yet to be transformed by the truth of how much Jesus loves him, but when he does he's going to be a powerhouse for Jesus! God does not show favoritism. He looks at us as equal...all of us are sons and daughters. That we are all covered by the blood of Jesus, and He needs His people operating under that revelation so that we will call those out who do not yet know what they have received from God. It makes it so much easier to share my faith when I see it this way. It's not something I have that they don't have. It's something I have recognized that I have, and I see that they have it to, so I'm just trying to help them see it! Truly revolutionary!!!

Thank you, God, for your word. Thank you for the truth of Your kindness toward me and toward others. Show us more about how good You are. Increase our capacity to see Your goodness everywhere and to celebrate it with laughter and joy. Right now, I laugh over our physical bodies. Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! You have made all things new, including our bodies. The schemes of the enemy shall not prevail against us. He will no longer rob of us full life by weighing our bodies down with oppression. Hahahahahaha! You have made us clean in Your site. Everything our hands touch is increased by Your Presence and love for us. You are so good to us. Thank you, Papa God.

Romans 2: 1-4

Angela, Sorry it has taken me awhile to get to this. I am feeling a little overburdened with my job, school, and my family. I am getting my CDA right now and this requires 3 chapters of reading a week, 6 online discussion forums, 1 lesson plan complete with 5 handmade props all done in a powerpoint presentation. For work I am required to do one lesson planning sheet a week plus a lesson plan and these need to be done on specific days in order for the administration to micro manage my lesson plans. Whew it is tough and I find myself working at home for free way to much which makes me feel resentful with my employer. I am trying to simplify this as much as possible but it tends to overwhelm me because I come home and there is the home drama and I want so much to be "present" here but feel like I can't because I have deadlines at school and work or a pile of things I need cut for next week. I realize though that I NEED to do this everyday, without time with God everything feel like an uphill battle. Thank you for keeping me accountable and for constantly lifting me up in prayer. 

Dear God, Please open up my heart and mind to hear your word today. Thank you for allowing me time to sit and spend with you. Let your words be a lamp unto my feet today. Amen

2:1 "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other ,you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."

I agree with you that this is a tough verse. We want so much to be perfect like Jesus and in that quest to perfection we see others and their sin and somehow think we are better than them. In our quest for perfection we lack humility! The quest should be for love, for relationship, leave the perfection to Jesus! I loved what you said, "That no one is better than anyone else." God the Father looks down on us and sees his children, he doesn't see one and say, "This is the one I love the most, she is better than all the others." I can't imagine a Father saying that about a child of his own. Doug Glein said something a long time ago and it really stuck with me, when God looks at us he sees Jesus. We are clothed in Jesus, wiped clean from Jesus, covered in Jesus. I love the mental image of that, God the Father looking down at me and seeing Jesus his perfect, holy, sinless, Son. It really frees us to live for God, to pursue God for the sake of his relationship. That we do not have to strive for perfection, or seek out guilt in others because we are all little Jesus trying our best to be like our big brother Jesus.

2:2 "Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth."

Our judgment of others is sometimes based on our own feelings and human-ness. We see others doing things we think are not OK and we want to change their ways because we love them, because we fear judgment.  God judges based on truth, after all "he is the way, the truth, and the life." I tell my own children, Let God do God stuff! You worry about yourself, your heart, your actions. I surround myself with grace and love believing that God is a good God, that yes I make mistakes and sin and own up to them and that what ever judgment that might come way is a righteous and based on love not on fear.

2:3 "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?"

We are all capable of sin, we all do and are guilty of lusting, coveting, pride, insincerity and more. Who are we to cast the first stone? I think God wants us to call our brothers and sister out when we see them in a sin but for the purpose of loving them and showing them grace. Jesus gave us those examples over and over in bible, the woman and the well, the women who touched the robe, the tax collector, Mary Magdalene, he welcomes them into his family with love and grace and forgives them. He does not judge them and condemn them, he shows them love that comes straight from the father. I think God with judge the judging person accordingly, you are either living by the law or you are living by grace.

2:4 "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"

God who showed you grace, love, kindness, mercy and patience did so to led you to repent of your sin and live in love. If you toss it away and judge others, toss away the mercy and patience, he will judge you accordingly because through your actions you have said that you do not need those gifts. Sad to think of and yet these verses are some of the toughest in the bible. We all strive for righteousness, holiness and somehow through our human-ness it comes off as pride, judgmental and it puts others off. I see this a lot in the way the church is portrayed in the media, we come off as judgmental jerks who just want everyone to listen to us. That is so far from what our main purpose here on earth is and yet that is what is being heard throughout the world and I think it is because the "Christians" on television are feeding into this by casting judgment on others. We are called to be a light, a beacon to others not to point out sin in others, that is a God job done through relationship and growth. The world should see us loving others, taking care of those who need care; the widows, orphans, the home less, the refuge, the hungry. If we want to end abortion then we should make it such a non choice for young women, provide health care, provide waiting families, provide education to all involved. Maybe if as a whole we focused on being the light and less about politics, sexual identity and sin we would be the beacon that God wants us to be.
  

Romans 2:1-4--Angela

Father, thank you for this time with You in Your word and this time with my good friend, Tina. I echo her questions from her previous post about how to be lights in such a very dark place. I know you have the solution, and I know you want to share it with us. Thank you that we are on this quest together and that you are revealing Your heart toward the nations and toward our own families right here in Paul's words. Increase our sensitivity to Your Spirit, increase our ability to hear Your message clearly and loudly in the midst of so many other messages out there, increase our ability to believe the words You speak to us and the message You have for us. Increase our faith, that one person can make a difference in a fallen world. Amen.

2:1 "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other ,you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."

Here it is: The paradigm shift. It is in passing judgment that we condemn ourselves. In many other places, Paul tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Yet many of us who are in Christ continue to condemn others, both those inside and outside the church. Ouch! This is the biggest wake-up call I've ever had. That I am no better than anyone else. That God's grace, His unmerited favor, is turned toward the righteous and the wicked, for the wicked are really only those who are still in the dark about His infinite love toward them. The only difference between us and them is that we have seen the light of His love upon us. I was struck by the commentary you posted on the last verses by the relational nature of it. That is a side of things that I didn't hit upon fully...that all these "wicked actions" Paul is describing break down healthy relationships. When relationships aren't healthy, then interactions between people are filled with manipulation, jealousy, codependency, enmeshment, and so much other bondage. In this verse, Paul hits the ball out of the park...when we judge others, we condemn not only them but ourselves, for we are all guilty of loving on a purely human level...of selfishly using other people for our own gain. We have all done it, and we don't stop doing it just because we've given our lives to the Lord. It is only in recognizing this error, confessing it, and asking the Lord to help us recognize when we are loving wickedly that we have any hope of trading human love for Divine Love.

2:2 "Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth."

God's judgment falls on those who have not come under the umbrella of His grace, because they are still under the Law, which is based on truth! The Law is based on truth...the true standard, the true measure of all other thoughts, motives, ideas. And the Law at its very core is completely relational...governing man-to-man relationships and man-to-God relationships. The Law falls short in actually transforming the heart, though. Only the Spirit of Jesus Christ can transform our hearts so that we are internally governed by the heart of God. I can see so clearly that this is a pivotal and very important passage, but it is hard for me to put it into words. At some point, Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it...in fact, He did fulfill it in total surrender and dependence on Father God, by becoming the Law incarnate...by teaching us how to relate perfectly with God and how to relate perfectly with men. And we have the same opportunity to fulfill the Law by turning our hearts away from judging others and towards God and His infinite love for us. By recognizing that we are by very nature truly beloved and true royalty. When we know who we are, we will automatically act differently. That's why it was so important when Jesus said that He loved us first.

2:3 "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?"

This sums it up right here...why do Christians still struggle to have the fulfilled life? Why do Christians remain oppressed and downtrodden? I think it's because we've been taught by the church that our job is to point out sin...to talk about it when we get up, to talk about it when we eat together, to talk about it when we go to bed at night...to talk about how we're going to change ourselves, how we're going to change our children, how we're going to change our husbands. To talk about how we need to change ourselves, how we need to change our children, how we need to change ourselves. Isn't this what you've been taught? That believers are going to heaven because we have waged war against our own sin? That unbelievers are going to hell because they've sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?

Do you see the error in this? Do you see the subtle scheme of the enemy to distract us from the main point? Jesus wasn't focused on sin. He was focused on the Father heart of God. He wasn't focused on God's judgment or His wrath. He was focused on His love and on expressing His love in every way possible. Oh, yes, He talked about sin and righteous living. But actually most of His messages on this topic were couched in relational terms...He was always and forever inviting us into relationship with Father God...to fix our attention and gaze upon the Father and find that within Him is housed every answer to every problem, and the Spirit of God who brings forth the change we all know we so desperately need. It is His Spirit that transforms, not my effort, not my prayers for me or my family, not my complaining or nagging or exercising or dieting. Nothing I do can transform me, EXCEPT if I fix my gaze upon the One who loves me with an undending Love. The moment of true transformation in my life, the moment when all my healing and repentance truly began was when I started meditating on His affection for me. When I started reading my Bible through the lens that I am His beloved daughter, that I am His intended bride, that I am the Love of His Life. His love is the only thing that can transform our fallen hearts, that can transform human love into divine love.

2:4 "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"

Again, the knife goes deeper into my heart. I know this verse. In fact, I've been meditating on it for weeks now. It is not my judgment that will change my husband. It is not my nagging that will make him change. It is God's revelation of kindness toward him. It is tolerance for mistakes, for bumbling, for hangups and weaknesses. It is God's kindness toward me that has changed me. I am no longer afraid to make blunders. I am no longer afraid to take risks, like allowing my husband to quit his job and really depend on God to provide for us. I am not afraid, because I know my Daddy loves me. I know He is infinitely patient and kind. That if I am on the wrong path, He will gently correct me and guide me. And He will do the same for my husband. And because I am so engulfed in the revelation of God's kindness for me, I'm actually being kind to my husband. I can offer nothing less to those around me than what He has offered to me. There was a time when I thought He was offering me judgment, so that's what I offered. There was a time when I believed that it was by fear that people stopped doing bad things. I think many Christians believe this and teach this...that we should be evangelizing based on the fear of hell.

That is pure silliness to me now, but it was something I believed with all my heart even a year ago! Now, I realize that avoiding hell is not at all compelling. The only thing more compelling that satisfying earthly pleasures and living for the now is the LOVE of God. When I evangelize now, I just introduce people to the Lover of my soul. I speak of Him as an intimate friend, as a deeply understanding and loving Father, as a blazing fire of passionate love for my soul. I speak of Him as if I know Him, because I do. I speak of Him as if He is the best person on earth I could introduce someone to, because He is. That is effective in breaking strongholds, in leading people into relationship with the Lord, in saving people from the hell that is separation from that Love.

Father, Thank you for revealing Your kindness to me. I pray that You will reveal Your kindness in a profound way to Tina this week. And to Mark and the girls. Lord, renew their minds. Renew their hearts. Renew their lives. Set them on a course to walk all the days of their lives in Your infinite grace, in your unmerited favor, in the peace that passes all understanding (the shalom of heaven that says that all good things are coming your way). I pray right now that You would break off the power of a foreboding spirit, that you would break off the power of a judging spirit, and that You would give them a revelation of the freedom they have in Christ...the freedom to make mistakes, to think wrongly about you and about others, to fall in the mud and to get back up again, knowing that nothing they do, nothing they think, nothing they say, nothing they try is going to change anything about the Love you have for them and the security they have in being children of God. Father, break through the glass ceiling in their lives...give them the keys to their freedom here and now. Father, no more lies, no more fear, no more depression, no more anxiety about provision, no more sickness, no more lack, no more poverty. Instead, replace all these things with the MORE of Heaven...more abundance, more peace, more faith, more joy, more life, more influence, more ministries, more money, more food, more resources. Father, make the great exchange in Tina's life that You've made in mind and blow her mind with Your kindness and Your goodness. ~Amen.

Romans 1:28-32

Dear Father, Thank you for this time to spend in your word together today. Let your words soak into our hearts and into our spirits. Lord I think you so much for allowing me to have such a special friend in Angela, she is truly a blessing in my life. Amen

1:28-32
When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do thinks that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip/ They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And worse yet, they encourage other to them, too.

I am adding a commentary that I found online, cheating a little but I found that you had really hit the nail on the head with your post and I wanted to be able to bring a different interpretation to you and I didn't have any great spiritual revelations while reading today.

http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-commentary/romans-lbw.htm

Verse 28 God ‘allowed’ them to do these *sinful deeds. This does not mean that such behaviour is acceptable. It means that God gave to people the opportunity to make decisions. So people should realise that they will suffer the results of their actions.

Verses 29-32 There were lists of wrong social behavior in other *Jewish and Christian books. Paul himself has lists in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21. Verse 29 speaks about wrong actions in a general way. Then Paul gives several examples of how people destroy relations with each other. This happens:

·    when people are jealous;

·    when people murder other people;

·    when people fight;

·    when people cheat other people;

·    when people hate other people.

Verses 29-30 It is wrong to gossip or to lie. People use these methods to attack the character of other people. To hate God or to *boast shows that a person is very proud. And anyone who does not respect other people is also very proud. Some people try to get excitement by new ways to *sin. In both *Jewish and *Roman society, it was important to obey parents. The 5th *commandment said that children should give honor to their father and mother. When people do not obey their parents, all kinds of problems develop in society.

Verse 31 ‘Foolish’ means that people do not learn from experience. They do not remain loyal to any agreement. They do not show any natural love, even for their own children. ‘Without pity’ is an accurate description of the way in which many masters dealt with their slaves. Masters thought that slaves were mere possessions rather than people. *Roman law allowed masters to punish and even to kill slaves because of a very small mistake or accident. This was a very wicked law.

Verse 32 People had *sinned themselves. And they encouraged other people to *sin too. They knew that this behavior was wrong. But *sin was controlling their lives.

Our societies today may be as wicked as society was in Paul’s time. Or, they may be less wicked. Or, they may even be more wicked. But Paul’s words are still true. People still refuse to obey God. They prefer to follow their own desires. And then their own evil thoughts begin to control their behavior. And that is the reason why people behave in such a wicked manner.

I am struck reading this because Paul could be speaking to us right now about our society! So sad that the world is full of sin and darkness and strife. Just last night on the news, one boy and three of his friends broke into the boy's house and beat his parents to death in order to steal 35,000. A ten month old girl has been missing for 8 days authorities are beginning to suspect the parents because there is no other evidence to suggest otherwise. An American man is arrested involved in a plot with Iran to kill the Saudi Arabia US diplomat thus starting a war! This was on CNN world news, if I had watched the local news it would have been way worse with husbands killing wives and children, robberies, scams, and even more. I can see that Paul is telling us what we need, that we need God that we need to obey his words and commandments and that without them we are simply pawns for the enemy to use as he sees fit. I am unsure how we are suppose to infuse the world with this knowledge. How do we do it?? 

Dear Father, I see what we need to accomplish but I am unsure how to go about it. I also see that my own children are filled with love and hearts that you have given them, fleshy hearts that break for the pain they see around them. How can we have hearts that are tender yet have the hearts of warriors? I know you have the answers to those questions and more but I ask that you would reveal it to me. Amen