DAY 212

SO WHAT WAS YOUR ANSWER

Psalm 51, 52 & 53 and Romans 2

Is it steep enough for you? You might be wondering what is going on in Romans 2 (as if Romans 1 wasn’t enough). I ended yesterday’s blog with a question for you to ponder, “Has most of the world given itself over to human passions and forsaken God?”

What Paul is doing in Romans 2 is again pushing on this point.

He picks up from yesterday, yesterday when he made it clear that God actually “gave up the unrighteous to their own lusts” (cf. 1:24). He then goes on to describe those lusts. The point is that there are some people who try and hide the truth (cf. 1:18) even though this truth is plain to all, and those people will bear the judgment of God.

He continues with another interesting point with regards to people who judge those who do the debased things he has just described. He basically says, “If you judge those people, do you not think you will be judged?” His point is simple, “None of us should think that we are somehow better than those people who are denying God. We all have sin in our lives and therefore should not be judging.” He says “There will be tribulation for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and then the Greek.” (cf. 2:10)

His introduction here of “the Jew…and the Greek” has to do with those who are trying to follow Yahweh and those who are not. He unpacks both groups of people and goes into a rather dizzying description of those who have the Law and those who don’t…and those who don’t have it, but follow it…and those who have it, but don’t follow it…ALL TO SAY…we all fall short.

If I might just pause and answer a question about “why Paul is doing this?” He is taking a very specific “angle into this debate of sorts” to establish a very foundational fact…we need God to save us from our nature…both Jews and Greeks.

Do you believe that? Most people today want God to “help them a little.” They feel like that can do much of life on their own, but every now and then some help from God would take the edge off. After all, aren’t we all supposed to “do our part?” Paul in Romans is saying, no. You have one of two choices, either keep the Law perfectly…that’s right perfectly, or be judged for not keeping it…whether you know the law or not. And, make sure you don’t judge anyone else along the way. It seems like an all or nothing proposition, but his point is less about the following rules and more about human behavior…we are not perfect…not a one of us…therefore we all miss the mark with God…and missing the mark…that is called sin.

Do you see how far he is pushing the point? I said yesterday that this is somewhat of an “argument” for all God has ever done, and this is one of the foundational points…and he is going out of his way to not let you or me, “shade it a little” one way of the other.

Just as I ended yesterday with the question of whether you think the world has largely forsaken God, today I invite you to ponder this proposition that if we are “right with God” by keeping the Law which includes not judging others, then we must not fall short.

Remember we have lots of chapters to go and so we are in the early stages; there is more, much more, in the Person and Work of Jesus, but for now Paul is getting some things into place and we need to “keep with the flow.” I will try to ask a question, or point of the principle or proposition Paul is using each day to help you keep with the flow.

The Psalms are lovely today: Psalm 51 is one of my favorites and goes along the lines of what I have been writing about with regards to Romans. The Psalmist (King David) cries out, “Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within in.” There it is, that need.