Skip to main content

Romans 2:2: We Know That The Judgment Of God Rightly Falls


Romans 2:2
[2] We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. (ESV)

Have you ever said to someone, "Don't judge me!"? I am sure that I have. We do not like to be judged. Some look at God in anger because they do not like to feel his judgment. The question we need to ask is whether or not God is right in bringing judgment. We might not like it, but is it justified?

The Apostle Paul says, "the judgment of God rightly falls." That word "rightly" speaks to God's perfect righteousness. While we may not like his judgment because it counters our desire to live in willful sin, God is perfect in offering judgment. What makes him right? He is God! Everything that proceeds from him is perfect. There is no higher standard.

Where we need to be very careful is when we somehow assume that we are to be the ones administering judgment on our brother or sister. When we do so we make judgments according to our standards. Our standards are not God's standards. Whereas the judgment of God rightly falls, the judgment of you and I does not rightly fall. We are not righteous. Only God is.

So when it comes to judgment we need to always remember that God is the one who judges. Our job is to be in agreement with his standard. I had a woman complain to me about my close minded view of homosexuality. She accused me of judging people. I said, to her, "Ma'am, you are correct in pointing out that I am not qualified to judge. Only God is. And he has judged. And I will not stand against his judgment."

God judges rightly. We do not. His standard is perfect. Ours is not. Submit yourself to God. In Christ he will give you his righteousness so that when you are judged by his standard the punishment for your sin will fall on Jesus.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co