Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.
After reading Romans 1, and seeing God's wrath on those who choose not to follow him, this section has me stepping cautiously.
To not judge those who chose to not follow God, to not heed the truth that they know, who choose to follow a lie. DO NOT JUDGE THEM. That's God's job right? The judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. NOTE: GOD's judgement. Not mine or yours. Because you know what? If we judge others, we need to be mindful of our own hard and impenitent hearts. Think on that?
It's a hard one I find.
I have found myself getting angry with the LGBTQ folks, for how they twist things, and push people around to achieve their own ends. Some of the things some of the folks do.. it's hurtful. And that deliberate hurtfulness makes me angry.
But God warns against that here. I need to be bigger than that hurt. It reminds me of that passage in the parenting book... about how the more secure we are in God's love, in his embrace, the less likely we are to be hurt by what others do.
Also if I remember that God is the one who renders judgement, that it is HIS gig, not mine, then this truth gives rest. He will render to each one according to his works. God's judgement based on our choices. Those who follow after him, patient in well-doing, seeking God's glory and honor, who seek for immortality...those God will gift with eternal life. The self-seeking, followers after lies well.. God's wrath and fury await them. Evil-doers will find tribulation and distress, the righteous will find glory, honour and peace awaits.
Just as the gospel came first to the Jews and then to the Greeks, so too judgement comes first to the Jews then to the Greeks. God will show no partiality. Judgement comes to all. One way or the other... choices have consequences.
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There is a difficult line here because we also called to speak the truth. So the anger at someone is likely over that line but to speak up that what they are doing is wrong, hurtful, or immoral? That is not judgmental. Many people want to call it judgment to say something is wrong. But judgment is deciding a fate for that person, which we obviously cannot do. But to state that they are doing something that God speaks against? That we are called to do.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a difficult passage to handle.
Its not judgement to point out where someone errs from Truth. Its just fact. People often twust it though
Delete...and if you do not speak up, at least to your children, how will they learn?
ReplyDeleteBut I agree it is very difficult because it is not for us to judge, even if others judge us. To speak the truth as well see it, however, is very different and much harder. I think it is kind of like the difference between walking up to someone you don't know to tell them that their choice of clothing makes them unattractive versus telling your husband when he asks that that particular shirt, while his favorite, is best left in the drawer on work days.
it's a hard line right? knowing that even if you talk in a non-judgemental way it can be seen as judging. shouldn't be like that eh?
Delete