Romans 1

Romans 2:1 – 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.

Have you ever judged someone…forgetting you may have done the same thing (or still doing it)? In the verse above and the previous chapter, Paul was writing about people that knew God, but did not glorify Him as God or was thankful toward Him (Romans 1:21). As they ‘progressed,’ their hearts were darkened and they engaged deeper into ungodliness. God would eventually give them over to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts (1:24), vile affections (1:26), and a reprobate mind (1:28).

What were some of their actions?

1. Knowing God, but did not glorify Him as God or was thankful (1:21)

2. Became vain in their imaginations (1:21)

3. Their foolish hearts were darkened (1:21)

4. Changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image (1:23)

5. Worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator (1:25)

6. Men and women leaving natural affections and lusting after one another (1:27)

7. Did not retain God in their knowledge (1:28)

8. Filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful (1:29-31)

…remember, this is people that knew God…

In Romans 2:1, Paul states that if we engage in the actions listed above, we have no excuse to judge others. So what should we do?!

1. Repent and pray.

2. Remain silent, verbally and mentally.

3. Show empathy for others because if we think back, we’ll remember how hard it was for us during the same period of our lives.

4. Support and restore them in a spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1).

It seems easy to point the finger at other people and look at the ‘mess’ in their lives, but by doing so, we set ourselves to be judged in the same manner (Matthew 7:1-5). Remember when you may have been in the same situation…

^{Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Billy Alexander}