Chapter 2 of Romans is going to show us just how it is that there should be no shame in our game. It is a matter of authenticity as was begun in the end of chapter 1 that Paul shows as the reason. 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, Now, here's that authenticity thing. In the end of chapter 1, we got to see a list of all types of sinful stuff that the authentic child of Christ should have no part in ever. It's plain to see that, for some reason, there are those that think that trey can do those things and still be a judge over them or stand apart from those things when others do the same. That's hypocrisy! Chapter 2 starts out making it clear that there is no excuse for such behavior. This isn't a word against judging. The Christian is , in fact, to be a wise judge and follow in the ways of Christ. This is a word against hypocrisy. It's amazing how easily we can point out the flaw in others that just happens to also be the same that is in us and twice the size. Now, this is going beyond just not being able to see our own sins. This is also dealing with those that revel in being able to do so. There are some that think being a Christian is a license to sin. Let me say that these are likely all fakers. Still we see come measure of this all the time. The Christian says to the non-christian that they are wrong for using profane language, yet, when the Christian is home, where no one can see or hear, or just around close friends, the tongue is loosed and all manner of filth comes out. Let me say that the measure of a man is not what is done in public but what is done in private. Though there are others here on exosci, this place is relatively private. Who can really track us down and hold us to anything we have said? Who, in the rest of our lives, is going to know if we don't feel like acting like we should in Christ here? What accountability is there really here among others? For the most part, there really isn't any. The fact is that, if we can't present ourselves as we truly are in Christ, we are hypocrites and we can't expect God to bless our efforts in Him. Bad language is just one example. We all know that there are plenty more that can be made. That's just a common one. I'll tell you. This week, my faithfulness to God was tested in a very important way. I don't want to build myself up. I like to use both my own sinful failures and my own successes in Christ for examples so as not to offend anyone. Anyway, an acquaintance asked me to make a copy of some CD's for her. I turned her down and was looked down upon by her and others around because I would not. The fact is that we all know that to make a dub ot that material, weather it is for personal use or not, is illegal. The excuses that, "We've all done it before.", or, "No one's going to know.", or , "It really isn't a big thing.", are all lies straight from the devil!!! If we are not faithful in the small things, how do we expect to be trusted as faithful with the larger matters of Christ? Even pennies add up. Be faithful even when no one sees. Be faithful even if you are scorned by others. Be faithful even if you must go the longer way or do it the harder way. Be faithful even when it will cost you everything. God is abel to re-pay. How dare we slight God and assert ourselves in matters just to have things our own way! Does God not care about every last facet of out existance?!?!?!?! Trust in Him in the small things. Remember that foundation. No matter how long you have been a Christian, God is always expanding His project in you. Be aware that with every new addition to the fine building that is you, God will first lay down more foundation. Be aware of the little things. In faithfulness to those, God will set a foundation and build great things, in you, upon it. Now, we must also respect the fact that, "Papa don't take no mess!!!" His is a system of payment. Jesus paid the price for each and every last sin. Don't think that God is just going to overlook it. Sin cost Him dearly!!! How is it that we live in hypocrisy and somehow forget that the pleasure of sin is fleeting and that the judgement of God will not forget our shameful deeds. Every man will be judged according to his works. For the sinner, this is to his reward in hell. For the Christian, this is to his reward in Heaven. God is a Loving Father and will discipline His children. You just try and step out of line and think you can still stay in the will of God. As long as you are going any old way you feel like and expecting God to just tag along, you are not going God's way. It's no wonder that our families fall apart, our dreams are shattered, we live in confusion, and we have no vision from God. O.K., there's no changing that we didn't follow God's set plans for us from the start. Still, there is no reason that we can't start now. Again, start with the basics. Remember the foundational things. Be obedient in the small things and God will see to it that He gives us greater matters to deal with. He will also handel the matters that we thought were so great that we would not be able to deal with the little even things of God. What we often fail to see is that there is a great deal more power in faith than we know. How many of us have been able to uproot a tree with just a thought? None of us. Why? Well, we haven't even got faith the size of a grain of mustard seed. We, by doing the things that we are set to judge, are parting ways with faith and opening ourselves up to all of the desolation the world has to offer. We have got to remember that God has sent His Holy Spirit to live within us. Whereas, in times past, we were just the images of God, in that we had some of His attributes and none of His power, now, we have, through a direct link with Jesus Christ, all of the power of God within us, in that His Spirit dwells within us and is not limited in power and Glory!!! If we would only allow God to build, through our faith in His Son, Christ, we too would see today the number of souls saved that were saved when Christ walked the Earth some 2000 years ago. We too would speak with the same authority of the apostles because our authority is the same authority of God. Somehow, we overlook this fact. Somehow, we are oblivious to the realization that God, the one and only, is actually residing within us and empowering us! How dare we stifle His power through a lack of communication because of a lack of faith! How dare we trust in lord VISA or lord Benjamin Franklin! How dare we sew to the lusts of the flesh and not wait on the Lord instead! How dare we say that there is no use at all and just discard people just because they have personally hurt us or we have been shamed before them! Get right with God and submit in the foundational things. Seek Him diligently!!! Turn off the t.v. and the radio for a time. Go up on the mountain, so to speak, and, with fasting and prayer, reduce the structures and obstacles of Satan in your life to rubble!!!! With obedience, because of our faith, God will bless us as He has Abraham. 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: Again, take note that Paul shows that God takes care of His own first. That is true no matter the type of reward. It is true of the rewards of sin. It is true of the rewards of faith. Ever wonder why you sinner buddy always gets away with speeding down the same road you've been caught on three times? This is why. God is faithful to not let sin fester long in His children. He is just as faithful to give rewards. 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 Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. There is no excuse. There is no exception. We understand that the sinner might say many things when God passes judgement, however, nothing will stand as an excuse. We need to also understand that we too will be judged. We will receive the rewards of God based upon out faithful obedience to Him. Remember, it starts with the small stuff. This is not a license to run out and do as much as we can and stamp it as being in the name of the Lord. To do so is false! God does not want our ability. He wants our availability. Just look as Moses. God did not care that He had a lack of and ability for speach? He sent him anyway. God did not care that Peter was hot headed? He told him to feed His sheep. BTW, being a servant is the best medicine for the hot headed. If we do not want to loose out on the rewards of God, we need to be available and willing. We need to make ourselves ready to serve Him. Again, it starts with the small stuff. There is nothing hidden from God. Ask yourself. How will you be judged on that day? Do you think you would fair well if God were to judge you today? Study the things that Jesus did. Take note of His faithfulness to fasting and prayer. Do we all recall how the apostles found some demons too hard to cast out? What did Jesus tell them? In short, His answer was for them to get back to the basics,... fasting and prayer. Make yourself available in so doing. 17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. How very true this is. We have seen here that a good part of the active non-christians here have posted bad experiences with Christians because of our own hypocrisy. If you don't know it, I'll tell you now. Bad news travels 10 times faster that good news ever will. It has a greater impact and it doesn't have to be nearly as big or as important as any good thing in contrast. If we give cause to the world to shun Christ because of our own foolishness, don't think that we won't hear about it again in the future. I'm not talking about from people either. I'm talking about from God. Yes, it is good that we should continually pray for forgiveness of our transgressions. Yes, we are eternally forgiven of our sins and it does only take once when we accept Jesus christ as our Lord and Savior. Still, when we are judged, there will be rewards that we will miss out on because we were unfaithful to God. There might even be those that are in Hell because we were having a bum day and didn't keep up with a usual duty and missed a divine appointment or just royally screwed one up. Yes!!! It is that serious!!! Are we to think that God saved us just for our own selves?!?!?! We are saved unto Grace by Faith in Christ Jesus. Grace is a out flowing. It cannot be contained. It flows out of unconditional love. The Bible tells us that Love covers all sins. Don't you ever dare to think, "Well, I've got mine. Now, you've got to worry about yours by yourself." Yes, it's true that we can't force the acceptance of Christ. However, we sure can force someone not accepting Christ because of complacency and neglect. This is spiritual war and living souls are in danger. We need to recognize our place and our mission. There are far too many that don't want to be told what to do by God or anyone. There are far too many that say that they are always listening for the will of God and when He sends His direction by a human angel, a messenger, His will is shunned. Christian,... either do your business or get up off of the pot!!! God will send someone else to take your place if the task is too much for you trust Him in. Oh, and don't make Him have to get you up. Trust me. It's not the direction you want your life to go in. 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Well now, for some, this is going to be brand new. We are, if we be the faithful in Christ, Jews in the eyes of God. We are counted among His Hebrew children. If you do not know this, go and read Romans Chapter 11. Moreover, Abram was just your average heathen roaming around. What was it that made him different. It was faithfulness. He trusted God when He spoke to him and he was given the name Abraham as he was now one of God's own and to reflect the covenant God made with him. Christ is the completion of all that God founded in Abraham. As we trust in Christ, we are made one as the Body of Christ. So, we now find ourselves grafted into the line of the Jews. We are under the covenant of God through the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the cross. As I get started in placing these online as MP3's or what not, I'll go back over the ones I missed. I'll let you know now that the amount that I will be able to share will be much more in depth than what is here. I'm trying to save space for the sake that some will not read something so long. Never the less. I will make the transition to audio soon. I know I'll like it all even more then. I hope everyone else will too. We are one In the Body of Christ, ISDAMan
