The Responsibility Of Privilege

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."

   The Jew believed that everyone was destined for judgment except himself. It would not be any special goodness which kept him immune from the wrath of God, but simply the fact that he was a Jew. He thought that he occupied a privileged position. God might be the judge of the heathen, but he was the special protector of the Jews. Here Paul is pointing out to the Jew that he is just as much a sinner as the Gentile is and that when he is condemning the Gentile, he is condemning himself. He will be judged, not on his racial heritage, but by the kind of life that he lives.
   The attitudes among believers and non-believers today are not different than from the Jews and Gentiles. For example, Some believers think, that everyone is destined for judgment except themselves. It would not be any special goodness which kept them immune from the wrath of God,but simply the fact that they are believers. The non-believer is constantly against religious rights and just flat out denies that there is a God. 
   We must remind ourselves, the same as Paul reminded the Jews. He told them bluntly that they were trading on the mercy of God. He asks them: "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 
(Rom. 2:4). 
   My Friends, Let us think of it in human terms. Suppose a young person does something which is a shame, a sorrow and a heartbreak to his parents, and because they love him, he is freely forgiven, and the thing is never held against him. He can do one of two things. He can either go and do the same thing again, trading on the fact that he will be forgiven once more; or he can be so moved to wondering gratitude by the free forgiveness that he has received, that he spends his whole life in trying to be worthy of it. It is one of the most shameful things in the world to use love's forgiveness as an excuse to go on sinning. That is what the Jews were doing. That is what so many people still do. The "Mercy and Love of God" are not meant to make us feel that we can sin and get away with it; they are meant so to break our hearts that we will seek never to sin again. 
Amen!

Reading: Rom. 2:1-11
Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry