It is amazing how one can take a break from God's Word, and long for it so bad that it is absolutely refreshing to read it again! That is what happened to me, sad to say. It got so crazy while trying to move, that I dropped it, and never picked it up again until yesterday. I had started a couple of weeks ago in Romans, so I decided to read the second chapter...and I couldn't even finish the whole thing.
It. Was. That. Good.
I don't have a whole lot of time to blog right now, but I wanted to share with you what stood out to me yesterday in The Word. Because to me, it was awesome.
Romans chapter 2 starts out with this:
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone
else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning
yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." (vs. 1)
Woa, hold it there. I had to take a 5 minute break just to soak that all in.
How often, and how easy is it for each one of us to judge someone else without even knowing! I'm afraid it comes all too naturally for us, me included. And yet we are pretty much condemning ourselves by doing so...because we have a tendency to judge people when they do the bad things we are prone to do. It is something the Lord has to work in our hearts, to recognize when we are quick to judge.
In verses 2-4:
"Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things
is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them
and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and
patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"
I have never thought about that. God's kindness leads us to repentance. I guess that would mean when we realize that God still loves us and is kind to us despite our sin, it is humbling and makes us feel sorry for what we've done, and ever grateful for His love and mercy. To me, that is quite a deep thought that He put in the Bible!
Verse 7-8:
"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor
and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are
self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will
be wrath and anger."
To those who by persistence in doing good. So it is saying that when we try our hardest to do good and please the Lord, He will give us eternal life. Because obviously none of us are perfect, so therefore we have to be persistent in doing the right thing. To work hard in being pure and right before the Lord. However, if we do the opposite which is doing things for our own pleasure (not God's), self-seeking, and rejecting the truth, there will be wrath and anger. Consequences for not doing the right thing for the right reason.
"For God does not show favoritism." (vs 11)
This verse really hit me hard.
And it's really short : )
But this is something I am shamefully guilty of. If someone looks a certain way, acts a certain way, or dresses a certain way, I tend to look at them with disgust. To not show love. To think they're weird, ugly, odd, immodest, or uncaring. I look at others, my friends, and think they're pretty, handsome, nice, loving, caring, modest, or beautiful. Look at the difference. One is a bad way of seeing people. And the other is a more healthy way of seeing people. The only problem? They are not the same. But God does not show favoritism. So if I want to be like my Father, I need to not show favoritism either. I need to look at both groups with the same love. The Agape love.
Last but not least, verse 13:
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's
sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared
righteous."
So just knowing the Bible, and hearing it at church or even in your personal devotional time, is nothing if you don't obey it. It is those who obey, and do what it says to do and not do in the Bible, that are declared righteous. Wouldn't that be such an honor to be declared righteous by the Lord? Then we need to not only know Him, but obey Him. We need to read His Word, and do it. And He will help you, if you only ask! Praise the Lord.
He is worthy and greatly to be praised
Olivia Grace
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