Romans Chapter 2 Primarily for new or non Christians but all are welcome

Romans 1   http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977445120&nav=MyGather

In the first chapter of Romans we see that God holds mankind responsible for knowing about Him and acknowledging Him.  When they refuse to do so, when they reject Him, God releases them to the influence of their own wicked hearts and sin escalates.

The 2nd chapter of Romans explains the dynamic of God's judgment in more detail.

Now we see, that those who say they love and accept God are also in trouble.  The Jew felt he was a child of God just because of his religion.  Paul begins to lay down truths that will make them re examine that belief.  Here is Paul's reasoning .       

Wait a minute you Jews.  You're judging the heathen because they don't obey God.  Well it's true they are breaking God's law, but so are you. You think you're blessed by God and a recipient of his patience, but the truth is, though you are His chosen people, you are also law breakers.

Instead of being humbled because they received extra grace and yet still sin, they arrogantly accepted their own shortcomings but judged those that didn't know God's word. 

Just because you ‛know' the truth, doesn't make you righteous.  You must ‛do' the truth.  If any man is ‛good'  (without sin) he shall have honor and peace. So how many are good?  Next lesson, Romans 3 will tell us. 

Also consider, James 2:10, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."    What does this mean!!%^@&* :)  That doesn't seem fair.   It means if we only broke the law one time in our life . . . we are a law breaker. It makes no difference which of the laws we break ... we are all equally barred from eternity with God. Godlessness is godlessness. We have no room for judging each other.

 Then Paul turns to the gentiles that didn't know God's word. All non Jews are gentiles.   He says that they are also guilty.  For every man has an inborn sense of ‛right and wrong'. And every one of them have come short of their own standard. In other words, (verse 8) " . . . we are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth."

Because God made us in His own image, we have an innate sense of goodness and evil. We have, everyone, chosen to cross that barrier many times.

As long as we are focused on ourselves, (the creature instead of the creator) we are selfishly ambitious.  I see everything through what pleases me.  I am ‛self' centered instead of God centered.  In a later lesson we will discover why we make that choice.  For now, let's honestly admit to ourselves that what Chapter 2 says is certainly true.

The Jewish law required circumcision.  They took great pride in being circumcised.  But  Paul said, if you obeyed all the laws then being circumcised was a good.   Circumcision is like wearing a wedding ring.  It tells the world you are married.  But if you are not married, wearing a wedding ring is useless.  Well circumcision says you have cut yourself off from the world and are keeping covenant with God.  But if that's not true, being circumcised is a farce.  They thought circumcision made them acceptable to God and He is showing them  that it does not.  Only righteousness, with or without circumcision is acceptable with God.

Baptism is the same with Christians today. Baptism is a sign that you were in Christ when He died and have resurrected with Him to a new life. If you haven't done that, then your baptism is a lie. Again, like wearing a wedding ring without being married.

Rom 2:16 "on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. NASU

That day is coming.  What if God allowed us one area of our life that we could keep secret from Him. How terrible that would be. Every time I went to Him I would feel like a hypocrite. I would have to struggle to tell Him just how bad I was in that area. Oh no ... it is such a blessing that He knows us inside and out. Yet knowing all that, He says to you, "Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest ... I will carry your burden, your sin, though your sins be a scarlet, I will wash them whiter than snow."   Why would anyone not come to such a God?

Yes! Come in and look around God. Know me completely. Make me what you want me to be.  

What makes the difference between being a member of God's family and being on the outside looking in.  God says that man, as he is now, is lost. He was born dead. All of us died in Adam.  That's why we are self centered. The following chapters are life changing.  All of us have trampled upon God's laws. The lay broken at our feet. Chapter 3 will complete the description of the lost state of men ... of you and me.

All that I've said may sound depressing ... kind of like over kill. But it is truth. It is like a doctor impressing upon you the danger of the cancer that is raging in your body. He wants you to know you have some decisions to make.  Then comes the good news ... there are answers.  There is a cure.  Your friends may tell you that you look fine.  That the doctor is using scare tactics.  Who should you listen to?  Only God knows the Truth. He said to hide the words of the Bible in your heart because  " ... in them is life."

Call out to God now, in the privacy of your home. Ask Him to open your eyes and make it clear to you whether or not the Bible is the Word of God as Jesus claims it to be. Ask God to speak truth to you as you study His Word. He will answer that prayer. 

 Until chapter 3