Starting with Romans 1:18 and continuing through 3:9, Paul aims for his readers to reach a specific conclusion, which he clearly states in verse 9.
What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin (Romans 3:9).
Jewish followers of the Lord may have believed they held a privileged position because they did not commit the gross sins of the Gentiles. In Chapter 2, Paul uses a dialogue between himself and an individual to demonstrate that this belief is incorrect.
Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.
You say, “We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.”
Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?
Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:1-4).
One term that should jump off the page for us in Chapter 2 is the phrase “you who judge.” It appears eight times and is used in the context of passing judgment or condemnation on another person’s behavior.
I frequently refer to Jesus’s parable about the speck in a friend’s eye and the log in our own (Matthew 7.3-5) when I think about myself. I humorlessly call myself a “speck inspector,” but the truth is, it’s not an innocent issue.
Just because we can find the speck of sin in someone’s eye doesn’t relieve us of the responsibility for our own bad behavior.
If we look again at the list of sins in 1.29-31, there are many that we can commit without being fully aware of them. In other words, they can be the “log” in our eye without us really noticing it.
The sins of pride, which are prominent in that list, are particularly applicable to people who believe they have the ability to judge others without reckoning the “log” that is in their own eyes.
God is kind, gracious, and willing to delay His wrath in order to give humans an opportunity to repent. Repentance means changing our minds about God and following Him with our whole hearts.
The Bible uses the word “despise” to describe thinking lightly of something.
The issue with people who judge others while committing similar wrong behavior is that they underestimate God’s kindness and grace. Instead of repenting, they continue to sin, believing that God doesn’t really care about their actions.
The Day of Wrath
One of the things I’ve noticed about people during my time in the ministry is that we like to pick on the sins that we don’t commit. Apparently, this was the case in Rome.
It is very dangerous to be a “speck inspector” and fail to notice the “log” in our own eyes. Paul makes this very clear.
But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
While for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.
There will be anguish and distress for everyone 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 (Romans 2:5-11).
A hard heart reflects the belief that a person is always right and cannot be convinced otherwise, even when confronted with God’s word. Unrepentant individuals are those who refuse to change their minds. Both types of people are in danger of experiencing God’s wrath in judgment.
A hard and unrepentant heart is characterized by self-seeking and disobedience. The wicked use people to serve themselves, rather than giving what is theirs to the service of God and others.
God is perfectly just, which means He shows no favoritism. When people act righteously by giving what they have in service to God and others, they are blessed.
Conversely, when people act wickedly by using others and even God for their own gain, they fall under His judgment.
Not the End of the Story
Paul’s extensive discussion about sin is not meant to be the end of the story. Sin must be acknowledged before we can recognize our need for a Savior.
Praise God! The letter to the Romans contains great news about what God has done for us through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 