Romans 2:
Well, it has been close to 10 days now since I last wrote about my studies on the Book of Romans, however, I have been studying and today I will try something a little different. Instead me trying to get an overall synopsis of a particular chapter, I will go verse by verse on those that caught my attention. In doing so I believe the Holy Spirit will teach me and lead into ALL truth about these verses.
2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
There are a couple of things I have noticed about the first two chapters of Romans and that is judgment and wrath are totally different from one another. Not only are the two words different they have various degrees of the intensity in which it will be shown when displayed by God. Lets talk about God’s judgment; like any ordinary judge God will weigh the value on a certain matter. Meaning He will look into the matter and based upon the facts that are presented He will render His judgment whether for you or against you. Point in case, according to this verse God will judge all of mankind based on truth. What is truth? Truth is God’s Word (and word). Though God is truth He is also the creator of truth. So when God had truth written out in the bible, He was going to weigh mankind based on truth. Truth can be reflected in His values, character, attributes and will judge all of mankind accordingly. It is because of this fact that all of mankind stands condemn outside of Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Man is rather foolish, arrogant and stupid much of the time while they are on earth. I just don’t get it, how can man knowingly act in a sense “well it is just God, no biggie”? There are so many times in my life I have taken God’s kindness for granted only to invoke His name when I screw up or doing something to bring an offense. It just shocks me how we as humans live as though God really doesn’t exist nor does He truly care for that matter. When the day comes and we all stand before the King and give an account according to our deeds on this earth, I think it will be a little too late to finally wake up and realize it all matters. Everything! Here Paul is showing that man often rejects or shows contempt for their Creator and only time will tell when He will finally execute judgment as both a Father but also as a Judge. I don’t know!
5”But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart…”
I have come to the realization this is God’s greatest argument towards man. It is not that man sins, (Though it matters) it is the fact that when you have the truth looking you right in the face and you still refuse to change or acknowledge it. I am not sure what was going on in the minds of Adam and Eve when they were about to eat from the forbidden tree, but I am sure that their hearts were pounding. Not only were their hearts were pounding, I believe they really thought that God was holding out on them. And you know, it was not that it all of sudden occurred to them that God was holding out on them- they had already sinned by rejecting God in their minds by believing a lie. Ever since that moment, sin's deceitfulness causes mans’ heart to harden towards God and His word. It is when man’s mind has been victimized by the lies of sin that it begins to walk into submission of those lies. Finally, when those lies break down the man it births all types of wicked and foolish things. I will not point any fingers here because every single person on this earth has had a harden heart, however, God called the Jewish people out for being a stiff-neck and hardhearted people. Their unwillingness to turn completely to Him is what provoked God to the name-calling. How appropriate it may be on judgment day when God will once again have to call His creation by those names. The complete rejection of who He is and what He stands for, what blasphemy and I am apart of it. God have mercy!
6God "will give to each person according to what he has done.
It is we will be judged by our deeds, but what matters here is whether or not those deeds were done through the Spirit or done by the flesh (that thing that is at war with God).
9”There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil”
This is a scary statement. Every human being is literal here, not some people, Christians, Atheist, etc-everybody means everybody will experience trouble and distress (not in the form of tribulation that comes because of righteous living) when they do evil. The point being, if you do not want to have a tormented heart before God then avoid evil. Sin is sneaky, so vile, so corrupt, so deceiving that once it begins to run its course there is nothing but death left. Sin kills every once of life, however, when you have the Life of Jesus following through your blood and you walk with Him then there is life and life more abundantly.
10”but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good”
Here is the beautiful thing of being in right relationship with God and living the way He prescribed in His word, there is glory. God’s glory over shadows you! It is as though the brightest of the noontime sun fills your life. Then imagine the God of the universe honoring you! You think being the President of the United States would bring great honor, imagine being honored by the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords because you seek the greater things of life. (You know like doing the will of God) Finally lets top it off with peace. Peace of mind, body and spirit—wow it is as though we are taken back to the Garden of Eden all over again. How, I long to go back to that day even if I was not there but thank God I can taste it, smell it and even see through His Spirit.
15”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.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares”
Secrets of men’s hearts, yet on the very heart of man is God’s fingerprints. That’s right ladies and gentleman, remember when God was creating you in your mother's womb as David stated; it was there that God crafted your heart and breathed life into you. The moment your heart starting beating was the moment the God’s greatest creation came into existence with His signature on your heart. His signature is His word! Man cannot escape it; the fact of the matter is that God has copy write privileges on you and He inscribed them on the heart of man. Remember when Solomon was teaching, “Above all else guard your heart for out it flows the issues of life”? Well what is man if he didn’t have a heart? I am sure God knew what He was doing when He created us, maybe that will be one of the things that will judge us when our court date comes.
24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Though Paul was talking about the Jewish people in this statement, this statement is also true of the Church. God’s name is blasphemed among unbelievers because of how we Christians live. So many times our lifestyle is no different than those outside the faith, yet we try to teach God’s principals and ways towards them without much fruit because we ourselves can even keep us accountable. We preach we need to repent about the way we see God, yet our own vision hasn’t even changed. We teach people not to steal, but do we steal? (Time, Money, Resources) We teach people not commit adultery, but can we even stay faithful to our own spouse both in thought and deed? We teach people how to love God with all their heart, mind and strength but do we? We teach people that Jesus is the only way to God, but do show them they way by following it ourselves?
Well, it has been close to 10 days now since I last wrote about my studies on the Book of Romans, however, I have been studying and today I will try something a little different. Instead me trying to get an overall synopsis of a particular chapter, I will go verse by verse on those that caught my attention. In doing so I believe the Holy Spirit will teach me and lead into ALL truth about these verses.
2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
There are a couple of things I have noticed about the first two chapters of Romans and that is judgment and wrath are totally different from one another. Not only are the two words different they have various degrees of the intensity in which it will be shown when displayed by God. Lets talk about God’s judgment; like any ordinary judge God will weigh the value on a certain matter. Meaning He will look into the matter and based upon the facts that are presented He will render His judgment whether for you or against you. Point in case, according to this verse God will judge all of mankind based on truth. What is truth? Truth is God’s Word (and word). Though God is truth He is also the creator of truth. So when God had truth written out in the bible, He was going to weigh mankind based on truth. Truth can be reflected in His values, character, attributes and will judge all of mankind accordingly. It is because of this fact that all of mankind stands condemn outside of Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Man is rather foolish, arrogant and stupid much of the time while they are on earth. I just don’t get it, how can man knowingly act in a sense “well it is just God, no biggie”? There are so many times in my life I have taken God’s kindness for granted only to invoke His name when I screw up or doing something to bring an offense. It just shocks me how we as humans live as though God really doesn’t exist nor does He truly care for that matter. When the day comes and we all stand before the King and give an account according to our deeds on this earth, I think it will be a little too late to finally wake up and realize it all matters. Everything! Here Paul is showing that man often rejects or shows contempt for their Creator and only time will tell when He will finally execute judgment as both a Father but also as a Judge. I don’t know!
5”But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart…”
I have come to the realization this is God’s greatest argument towards man. It is not that man sins, (Though it matters) it is the fact that when you have the truth looking you right in the face and you still refuse to change or acknowledge it. I am not sure what was going on in the minds of Adam and Eve when they were about to eat from the forbidden tree, but I am sure that their hearts were pounding. Not only were their hearts were pounding, I believe they really thought that God was holding out on them. And you know, it was not that it all of sudden occurred to them that God was holding out on them- they had already sinned by rejecting God in their minds by believing a lie. Ever since that moment, sin's deceitfulness causes mans’ heart to harden towards God and His word. It is when man’s mind has been victimized by the lies of sin that it begins to walk into submission of those lies. Finally, when those lies break down the man it births all types of wicked and foolish things. I will not point any fingers here because every single person on this earth has had a harden heart, however, God called the Jewish people out for being a stiff-neck and hardhearted people. Their unwillingness to turn completely to Him is what provoked God to the name-calling. How appropriate it may be on judgment day when God will once again have to call His creation by those names. The complete rejection of who He is and what He stands for, what blasphemy and I am apart of it. God have mercy!
6God "will give to each person according to what he has done.
It is we will be judged by our deeds, but what matters here is whether or not those deeds were done through the Spirit or done by the flesh (that thing that is at war with God).
9”There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil”
This is a scary statement. Every human being is literal here, not some people, Christians, Atheist, etc-everybody means everybody will experience trouble and distress (not in the form of tribulation that comes because of righteous living) when they do evil. The point being, if you do not want to have a tormented heart before God then avoid evil. Sin is sneaky, so vile, so corrupt, so deceiving that once it begins to run its course there is nothing but death left. Sin kills every once of life, however, when you have the Life of Jesus following through your blood and you walk with Him then there is life and life more abundantly.
10”but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good”
Here is the beautiful thing of being in right relationship with God and living the way He prescribed in His word, there is glory. God’s glory over shadows you! It is as though the brightest of the noontime sun fills your life. Then imagine the God of the universe honoring you! You think being the President of the United States would bring great honor, imagine being honored by the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords because you seek the greater things of life. (You know like doing the will of God) Finally lets top it off with peace. Peace of mind, body and spirit—wow it is as though we are taken back to the Garden of Eden all over again. How, I long to go back to that day even if I was not there but thank God I can taste it, smell it and even see through His Spirit.
15”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.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares”
Secrets of men’s hearts, yet on the very heart of man is God’s fingerprints. That’s right ladies and gentleman, remember when God was creating you in your mother's womb as David stated; it was there that God crafted your heart and breathed life into you. The moment your heart starting beating was the moment the God’s greatest creation came into existence with His signature on your heart. His signature is His word! Man cannot escape it; the fact of the matter is that God has copy write privileges on you and He inscribed them on the heart of man. Remember when Solomon was teaching, “Above all else guard your heart for out it flows the issues of life”? Well what is man if he didn’t have a heart? I am sure God knew what He was doing when He created us, maybe that will be one of the things that will judge us when our court date comes.
24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Though Paul was talking about the Jewish people in this statement, this statement is also true of the Church. God’s name is blasphemed among unbelievers because of how we Christians live. So many times our lifestyle is no different than those outside the faith, yet we try to teach God’s principals and ways towards them without much fruit because we ourselves can even keep us accountable. We preach we need to repent about the way we see God, yet our own vision hasn’t even changed. We teach people not to steal, but do we steal? (Time, Money, Resources) We teach people not commit adultery, but can we even stay faithful to our own spouse both in thought and deed? We teach people how to love God with all their heart, mind and strength but do we? We teach people that Jesus is the only way to God, but do show them they way by following it ourselves?
