As we study the “Life of Christ” we can make some
observations that are just as true in this day-and-age as they
were during the time of Christ.
1. We see the religious leaders looking
at everyone else and judging them for a
violation of some law that the leaders had
dreamed up.
a. They thought themselves so good and
so much above everyone else.
1.) In truth, Christ called them
“Whit-washed sepulchers”
Matt. 23:27-29 - 27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which
indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of
dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28“Even so you also
outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full
of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29“Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the
prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous.
B. As I did my daily Bible study one day, I began
to make some connections from the book of
Romans, chapter two....with modern observations
1. I Couldn’t help but see a connection between
the examples in the life of Christ and this
chapter.
a. I could see, again, the connection
between the ones who thought they were
spiritually (religiously?) right and what
Paul was addressing to the Roman
Church.
b. But, beyond that...I could also see a
connection with Romans, chapter two...
and us today.
1.) Not to say that this has already
happened, but this whole scenario
could play itself out in today’s
Church...among today’s
“righteous”.
Please bear with me, for I have taken the liberty to
substitute some words in Romans, chapter two.
A. I don’t intend for us to keep these substitutions
in any accurate translation of the Bible.
1. Furthermore, I do not represent them as
words of the Bible.
a. It is only my intention to bring the
mirror of God’s word a little closer
to us than 2,000 years.
I do this so that the sanctimonious and self-righteous
people of today’s Church may see themselves as God sees
them.
A. I do this so that we all may look deeply within
ourselves and purge out any tendencies that would
lead us into this condemning pride.
My second apology is for part of the reference materials
used in demonstrating this link.
A. I am going to be reading out of The Living Bible
which we all know to be a paraphrase.
1. This is not a translation and therefor does not
do justice to the original text.
a. I only use it because of the flow of the
language.
1.) It speaks to us in a conversational
tone and some of the meaning
might be made more clear in this
work.
a.) If you have any problems with
this work, please...follow
along in whatever translation
you have.
2. I will also be expanding on The Living Bible
with the New King James translation.
Let us begin and I think that you will readily see the
connection which I am trying to make.
I. “Well,” You may be saying, “what terrible people you
have been talking about!” But wait a minute! You are just
as bad. When you say they are wicked and should be
punished, you are talking about yourselves, for you do
these very same things. And we know that God, in justice,
will punish anyone who does such things as these. Do you
think that God will judge and condemn others for doing
them and overlook you when you do them, too? Don’t you
realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you
care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time
without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your
sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.
A. Let us analyze this a bit:
1. Who are the terrible people that Paul has been
talking about?
a. You see them in chapter one.
1.) Homosexuals
2.) Greedy
3.) Hateful
4.) Envious
5.) Murderers
6.) Quarrelsome
7.) Liars
8.) Bitter
9.) Gossips
10.) Backbiters
l 1.) God haters
12.) Insolent (sassy)
13.) Proud
14.) Braggarts
15.) Always thinking up wickedness.
16.) Disobedient to parents
17.) Promise breakers
18.) Confused fools
19.) Heartless
20.) Without pity
** These Roman Christians must have been looking down
on people like these...especially upon the Gentiles.
1. Paul says that they have no cause to look down
on anyone in pride.
a. He says that they are really looking in the
mirror.
1.) The wicked things that they detest in
others they do also.
B. Perhaps they didn’t do everything on the list, but
even one of these things was worthy of spiritual
death.
1. We might not do everything on the list.
a. In fact...we pride ourselves that we
aren’t terrible sinners...like murderers.
1. Oh...is that so?
1.) So...the scriptures don’t
identify us in these following
passages?
Matt. 5:21-22 - 21“You have heard that it was said to
those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders
will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22“But I say to you that
whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be
in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his
brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But
whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
I John 3:15 - 15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in
him.
2. Even so, perhaps we still live a good life of
love and are not guilty of murder.
a. What about other things on the list?
1.) Greedy, hateful, envious,
quarrelsome, liars, bitter, gossips,
backbiters, insolent (sassy), proud,
disobedient to parents...
** Aren’t those sinful, worldly people just disgusting?
John 8:6-11 - 6This they said, testing Him, that they might
have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped
down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though
He did not hear. 7So when they continued asking Him, He
raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin
among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8And again
He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9Then those
who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out
one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And
Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but
the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those
accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11She
said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I
condemn you; go and sin no more.”
1. I always wondered what powerful things Christ
wrote on the ground.
a. Could it have been the ten commandments.
b. Could it have been...Greedy, hateful, envious,
quarrelsome, liars, bitter, gossips, backbiters,
insolent (sassy), proud, disobedient to
parents?
C. Paul goes on to say...”Don’t mistake the fact that
you haven’t been struck dead, with fire from
heaven as an indicator that you are righteous.
1. Only consider this as an indicator of God’s
long-suffering and mercy towards each one of
us.
a. God hasn’t laid out his directives only
for someone else.
1.) God will not and does not show
partiality to anyone.
** These have to be sobering thoughts.
1. What we are being told here is this:
a. All...Everyone...Everybody in the world...
Christians included...are worthy of death and
fiery judgment.
1.) It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ
that we can have any hope at all.
a.) This does not leave us on some
self-righteous or sanctimonious
high ground.
Matt. 18:21-35 - Then Peter came to Him and said,
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I
do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy
times seven. 23“Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a
certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his
servants. 24“And when he had begun to settle accounts,
one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand
talents. 25“But as he was not able to pay, his master
commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and
all that he had, and that payment be made. 26“The servant
therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have
patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27“Then the
master of that servant was moved with compassion,
released him, and forgave him the debt. 28“But that servant
went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed
him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took
him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29“So
his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him,
saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
30“And he would not, but went and threw him into prison
till he should pay the debt. 31“So when his fellow servants
saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came
and told their master all that had been done. 32“Then his
master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked
servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33‘Should you not also have had compassion on your
fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34“And his
master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until
he should pay all that was due to him. 35“So My heavenly
Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart,
does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
II. Paul goes on to say in Rom. 2:5-11 - But no, you
won’t listen; and so you are saving up terrible punishment
for yourselves because of your stubbornness in refusing to
turn from your sin; for there is going to come a day of
wrath when God will be the just Judge of all the world. He
will give eternal life to those who patiently do the will of
God, seeking for the unseen glory and honor and eternal
life that he offers. But he will terribly punish those who
fight against the truth of God and walk in evil ways...God’s
anger will be poured out upon them. There will be sorrow
and suffering for Christians and non-Christians alike
who keep on sinning. But there will be glory and honor
and peace from God for all who obey him, whether they are
despised or not. For God treats everyone the same.
A. I guess what Paul was saying was that there will
be some surprises on judgment day.
1. Those who stubbornly refuse to change will
be condemned.
a. It doesn’t matter if a person calls
himself a Christian or not...all need to
change when God speaks to their hearts
through his word.
B. This, and some other passages quickly put to
rest the theory that we will not be judged by
our deeds...there is nothing that we need do.
Romans 2:6 - 6who “will render to each one according to
his deeds”.
Rev. 20:12 - 12And I saw the dead, small and great,
standing before God, and books were opened. And another
book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead
were judged according to their works, by the things which
were written in the books.
C. God’s fury will be terrible...and it will be directed
at all who haven’t had their sins placed under the
blood of Jesus Christ.
1. If we are proud and look at our fellow man
with ready judgment...is it possible that we
won’t recognize our own sinful selves?
Matt. 7:1-5 - 1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2“For
with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and
with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
3“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye,
but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4“Or how
can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from
your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
5“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye,
and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your
brother’s eye.
III. Let us conclude with me inserting the word Christian
wherever we see the word Jew. (Verse 12-29)
He will punish sin wherever it is found. He will punish the
heathen when they sin, even though they never had God’s
scriptures to guide them. Down in their hearts they know
right from wrong. The scriptures are written within them;
their own conscience accuses them, or sometimes excuses
them. And God will punish the Christian who continues in
sin because they have the guidance of the scriptures, but
won’t obey them. They know what is right but don’t do it.
After all, salvation is not given to those who know what to
do, unless they do it. The day will surely come when at
God’s command Jesus Christ will judge the secret lives of
everyone, their inmost thoughts and motives; this is all
part of God’s great plan which I proclaim. You Christians
think that all is well between yourselves and God because
you have been baptized. You consider yourselves his
special friends. Yes, you know what he wants; you know
right from wrong and favor the right because you have been
taught his word from earliest youth. You are so sure of the
way to God that you could point it out to a blind man. You
think of yourselves as beacon lights, directing men who are
lost in darkness to God. You think that you can guide the
simple and teach even children the affairs of God, for you
really know his word, which is full of all knowledge and
truth. Yes, you teach others...then why don’t you teach
yourselves? You tell others not to steal...do you steal?
Mal. 3:8-9 - 8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
You say it is wrong to commit adultery...do you do it?
Matt. 5:28 - 28“But I say to you that whoever looks at a
woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with
her in his heart.
You say, “Don’t pray to idols,” and then make money your
god, instead.
You are so proud of knowing God’s writings, but you
dishonor him by refusing to follow all of them. No wonder
the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God
because of you. Being a Christian is worth everything if
you will continue to follow God; but if you don’t, then you
are no better off than the heathen. And if the heathen obey
the things of God, won’t God give them all the rights and
honor he plans to give to the Christian? In fact, those
heathen will be much better off for their obedience than
you Christians who know so much about God and have his
promises, but don’t continue to obey him in all things. For
you are not a Christian just because you were born into a
Christian family, or because you have gone through the
ritual of baptism, even. No, a real Christian is anyone
whose heart is right with God. For God is not looking for
those who have done visible works of righteousness, but he
is looking for those with changed hearts and minds.
Whoever has that kind of change in his life will get his
praise from God, even if not from you.
CONCLUSION:
Can we see the connection...do we make the connection?
A. No longer can we even look down our condemning
noses at even the Jews.
1. We should have been sobered by this message
a. If there is anyone present who thinks that
he is a judge of men...good or bad...
remember this...we cannot look upon the
heart...only God can.
1.) Before we waste our time and
jeopardize our salvation by looking
down on others, let us take a long
and very pointed and serious look
at ourselves.
a.) Compare yourselves with the
list found in Romans, chapter
one.
I believe that all of us will find ourselves falling short of
the righteousness that God demands.
A. Let us make sure, then, that we trust only in the
blood of Jesus Christ and not in our goodness,
purity, or righteousness.
