We’re working through the book of Romans on Sundays this month here at Cornerstone. There were no chapter breaks in Pauls original letter to the church in Rome, so the following verses are directly linked to the laundry list of sins that close out Chapter 1.
You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things – Romans 2:1 NLT
What is clear here is that Paul wants us to be aware of our own sin instead of being busy condemning others for theirs. The reality is that we’ve all taken part sinful practices and lifestyles in one way or another. God will punish unrepentant sin. He is a just judge and doesn’t need our help to judge the sin of the world. As the church we need to be self-reflecting and then dealing with the state of our own hearts by coming before God in humble repentance. Deflecting by condemning others just won’t do!
It’s important to keep this passage in mind when reading Pauls list-like exposés on sin. We should be treating them as tick lists or using them to justify our condemning attitudes towards others. Take that log out of your eye so that you can see straight. Run from sin into the arms of Jesus, the lover of your soul.