Condemned By Judgment
Notes
Transcript
People love to use Matthew 7:1 as a retort when someone calls out a sin. That is NOT all all how Jesus intended that verse to use. If so, then he contradicted Himself later in the same chapter when he said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). In that context, to know someone as a true preacher of the Word of God, or a false prophet, requires you to judge them. So, what then did he mean? I believe the Apostle Paul gives us a great commentary 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. 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? 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; 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. 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 shew 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.
I. No Defense
In this letter to the Romans that began so beautiful and desiring to be with the Church at Rome, Paul has now taken a dark turn. He described at the end of Chapter 1, man’s rejection of God and the depth of depravity that it results in. Now, in chapter 2, he begins by saying we have no defense in judgment. Why do we have no defense? Paul says that we must plead “guilty” before our judge because we “judge” others.