Judgment is coming

Rom 2:5-11

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 [1] 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.

Footnotes
[1] 2:8 Or contentious

• What is the outcome of those who obey the truth?
  
• What is the outcome of those who do not obey the truth?
  
• What attitudes result in punishment?
  
• What do stubbornness, unrepentant heart, and selfish ambition have in common?
  
• What will be the basis of God's judgment?
  
• Why is repentance so important in facing God's judgment?
  

And you did it too!

Rom 1:32-2:4

32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. 2:1 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?

• What is the difference between "giving approval" and "passing judgment"?
  
• What is meant by passing judgment?
  
• What is the problem with mankind passing judgment on mankind?
  
• How should you respond to the fact that God judges people who practice sin?
  
• What is the "range of sins" listed in v. 28-32?
  
• How would you rank the sins in the list from worst to less worse?
  
• How does God rank the sins in the list?
  
• What is the reason for God's kindness?
  
• In what way has God's kindness led you to repent in the past?
  
• What sins do you need to repent of now?

Faith and forgiveness

Luke 17:3-6

3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

• What are you supposed to do when someone sins?
• What are you to do if someone wrongs you?
• How many times are you to do this?
• How sincere would you consider the repentance of this repeat offender?
• How does that change your response?
• What does the power of faith have to do with forgiveness?

Harold's Musings:
It is bad enough that I have to forgive to be forgiven. Now I have to forgive obviously insincere people who just say that they have changed but really haven't. That is just not right. Oh, wait a minute. How many times have I told God I was going to stop a particular sin and turned around and did it again. Uh-oh. The same rule is in play: God is to imitate our forgiving. This is just inhuman! The Bible printers like to break up this passage with headings that seem to disconnect v. 5-6 from the forgiveness. As I read this Jesus states that you need miracle level faith to live this way. It take deep, profound trust in God's word and wisdom to live this differently from the world. And if we do the power is there to do it. Play by the rule today.

Teach, not quarrel

2 Tim 2:22-26

22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

• According to this passage, how is a Christian supposed to respond when challenged about their belief in Christ?
  
• How is correcting with gentleness different from winning an argument?
• Who has the power to change the heart of your "opponent"?
• Who are you actually struggling against when you are being opposed?
  
• What sort of foolish controversies have you seen cause discord in the church?
• How can a person pursue peace and controversy at the same time?
• How do you feel when you win an argument? When you lose?
• Are the challenges you think you face more about Christ or matters of opinion?

Harold's Musings:
Yet another passage that I don't remember being taught when I was growing up. I grew up in a time and place where debates were prized and defending the faith meant winning the argument even if the loser was hurt in the process. How many churches have been split over foolish controversies? God only knows. As I study God's Word I find new (to me) insights and possible ways to change. When I tell someone what I found and they disagree with my view, deep within me is an ego that wants to prove I am right. Those feelings have little to do with peace, kindness, gentleness, and love. They are about self. Why do I keep bringing up these difficult passages? Maybe so I will do better.

Condemning Self While Judging

Rom. 1:28-2:5

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
2:1 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.

• How God feel about someone who condemns others while they continue sinning?
• What "acceptable" sins are mixed in with the "heinous" sins?
• Which of the sins listed in v. 29-30 could include judging others?
• What can we be sure of in regard to God's judgment?
• What is God thinking when He lets us live after we sin?
• How might judging others and having a hard, unrepentant heart go together?

Harold's Musings:
I know that I have judged people. I am trying to learn to observe the sin as sin and not condemn the sinner. I find this very tough sometimes. Growing up in a "works-oriented" church environment, I have seen gossips judging someone who drinks alcohol. I have seen heartless people condemn another person's choice of style (not immodest, just different). I have seen people seeking Christ driven away by refusing to extend God's kindness to them. I thankful I am getting less and less judgmental. I pray that I continue to grow in extending the kindness and mercy of God. I have such a long way to go.

Confession of Name

1 Kings 8:33-36

33 “When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 34 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.35 “When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. (ESV)

33 When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers. 35 When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk And send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance. (NASB)

• What does confess mean to you?
• What comes to mind when you think of having to confess to something?
• Compare your understanding of confess and acknowledge.
• What does confessing God's name mean to you?
• How are repentance and acknowledging God as God connected?
• How does confessing God's name relate to repentance, prayer, and supplication?
• How can confessing God's name with your mouth be different from confession of God from the heart?