Romans 2:1-16

"We are not a people who believe that God loves us because we are good, but that God makes us good because He loves us." C.S Lewis - Mere Christianity

C.S. Lewis says that apart from every other religion which seeks a path toward God, Christianity is the only religion where humans are accepted before God not out of their good behaviour but because God himself makes them good.

The character of such a God is clear in the verse which is the focus of this week's passage:

"Don't you realize how kind, tolerant and patient God is with you? Or Don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?" verse 4

The focus of the good news that Paul is sharing with the Roman believers does not focus on behaviour and how good some think they are over against others. Rather the focus is on the mercy and grace of God on humanity when we are precisely distant and sinful. One of the most amazing things about this passage is that Paul sets this character of God within the judging/rules atmosphere that was prompting Jewish and Gentile believers to be judgmental toward each other.

Paul declares for certain that there will be a judgment in the end of time. ["For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done." verse 5b] As Paul so well knew, this judgment accompanied by the law of God that requires it is part of God's plan. God will judge evil in order to redeem and recovery humanity and the earth. The focus of God's judgment is on recovery - purging the world of evil so that the creation [humanity and the earth] can be free to live the lives God has given. When men and women operate in judgment the result is not recovery but rather condemnation toward others.

It all goes back to the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The reason God warned Adam and Eve to not eat of it is because they did not have the capacity to judge between what is good and what is evil. The proof is when they believe the lie of the serpent and do eat of the tree. Rather than look on themselves in a healthy way, Adam and Eve saw their nakedness and judged it to be a negative thing; case in point - we can't handle judgement properly. Judgment is reserved only for God. When we walk in judgement towards others, we take on a role that only God can properly fulfill. When God judges, evil is dealt with. When men and women attempt to judge, they throw fuel on the fire of evil.

[for those of you who want to read more on this check out Gegory Boyd's book Repenting of Religion]

Paul also declares quickly that God is in no rush to condemn and judge. Rather, he is patient waiting and giving humanity time to come to him. In fact, he helps humanity along through what Jesus has done for men and women. He has restored them back to God. There is no need to fix ourselves up so we can be acceptable before God. Without Jesus, we were all destined to condemnation [Paul will spell this out clearly in chapter 3:21ff]. With Jesus, something has happened to us. We now are given the opportunity to trust in God for the change in heart that we so desperately seek through our own attempts at curing ourselves. We do not need to pretend with God. We do not need to fake perfection with God. He loves us the way we are. The more authentic we are the more we are open to the reality of what Jesus has done for us.

Question to consider this week:

1. When we are judgmental toward others, what are we saying about the God we serve?

2. When we are accepting and embracing toward others, what are we saying about the God we serve?

3. What kind of community has God called the church to be?

4. Have we done a good job at being that community?

5. Is God in a hurry to judge the world? [cf. Romans 11:32]