SOME TRUTHS FROM ROMANS 2

The Bible is rich in instruction and in life lessons. By knowing these lessons we can help not only ourselves but others, also. This is made very clear in a study of Romans chapter 2.
Romans is the Magna Carta of the Christian Church. It is the beginning and the foundation for the rest of the Pauline epistles. Romans is doctrine of how to live life

SOME TRUTHS FROM ROMANS 2
The Bible is rich in instruction and in life lessons. By knowing these lessons we can help not only ourselves but others, also. This is made very clear in a study of Romans chapter 2.
Romans is the Magna Carta of the Christian Church. It is the beginning and the foundation for the rest of the Pauline epistles. Romans is doctrine of how to live life. It is addressed to “all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints” In other words it is addressed to the Christians in Rome. However some of the Christians were converts from Judaism and as such were still trying to live be the Law of Moses not knowing that Jesus Christ was the “end of the Law.” (Rom10:3) You will see Jews, Gentiles and the Church of God being addressed in Romans.
2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
This is addressed to everybody. We are not to judge others. Paul says that he doesn’t judge himself let alone other people. People especially Christians sometimes get the idea that they are better than others and that they can pass judgment on others. Paul was a murderer of Christians and yet God saw something beyond that and called Paul to be an apostle. Paul had to get past what he had done to Christians so that he could fulfill the position that God called him to. I doubt very many people reading this have persecuted Christians or killed Christians but we “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) So we don’t judge.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Whoa! Did I just read that right? It couldn’t be! From the teachings that I hear God is a vengeful God and waiting to strike sinners down or at least beat them over the head if they don’t repent. But that is not what it says! It says that it is the “GOODNESS OF GOD” that leads people to repentance. Why can’t the Christian leadership teach this? God is good. God is a loving God. If only people could hear that message what a change it would make in their lives!
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
After reading my comments about the goodness of God you read 5-9 and you are wondering what planet I just got off . Well read it again. In verse five who treasurest up wrath? The individual. As I have written in other articles everyone has freedom of will. You choose to do good or evil. God is good but God is, also, just and as a just God he renders to all their just desserts. No matter who it is Jew or Gentile.
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Verse eleven should be a teaching unto itself! God is NOT a respecter of persons. As an example: God likes Herman more than He likes Pete because Herman is taller or Herman is white or Herman is black or Herman is smart etc. No, no, no! God looks on the heart not the outward appearance of man.(Sam. 16:7) So no matter who you are God loves you just the same as He loves me or anybody else.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
These five verses answer a very old question: what about the aborigines that haven’t had a chance to hear the gospel of Christ? It doesn’t matter about the Levitical Law (Law of Moses), remember God is talking to the Christians that are still zealous of the Law, it matters what is on the inside. By doing the things in the Levitical Law such as the Ten Commandments even though they have never seen the law they are a law unto themselves when they do those things contained in the law. This brings up a very important subject and one that I can only touch on in this writing and that is the subject of who is going to Heaven. The answer is, only Christians. That is God’s promise to Christians. BUT there is another promise to Israel (the Jews) and to those that are a law “unto themselves” that is PARADISE! What is the difference? Heaven is just that Heaven whereas, Paradise is a place here on Earth where there is no more sickness, nor sorrow, nor death and where the lion shall lay down with the lamb. It is the place of the “new Jerusalem”. So don’t worry about the people in the dark recesses of Africa that don’t hear the Gospel of Christ, unless you want to go and spread the Gospel in the dark recesses of Africa. Worry about you, your walk with God and the people that you can reach.
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
The question mark at the end of verse 23 should be an exclamation point. This is very simple yet the Christians fall into this trap a lot. They want to correct everybody else but they themselves don’t live by the rules contained in the Bible. There are different ways of saying a person says one thing and does another,some of those are hypocrite, two faced, speaks with forked tongue. But it is all the same and shouldn’t be. Christians are no longer under the law (Rom 6:14) but the principle of doing as we say is as true for the Christian today as it was for the Jew and Christian two thousand years ago.
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
In this chapter Paul hasn’t gotten to Christianity, he is still talking about Judaism and, yet, look at all the wonderful truths that are here to live by. The Bible is the only written document that is alive. All other works are dead works. The Bible has the answers that you need to help you in life and it is the only work that has God to back it up. (Psalm 138:2) He has signed it just like a bank would sign a cashier’s check. He is waiting for us to step up to the cashiers window and claim what is ours. (Hebrews 4:16)
John 8: 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.