No Excuses - Part 2 Series

No Excuses – Part 2

Romans 2:1-29

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Several weeks ago we began this series called “Summer in Rome” and we learned in the first message that the Gospel is the Power of God for salvation and for righteous living.

It is only through trusting in Christ that we can be saved and only through trusting in Christ that we can live a righteous life in God’s eyes.

Then we saw that there were no excuses for those who did not believe in God because he made knowledge of himself evident through creation as well as through our conscience and that when we reject God, we will fall further and further into depravity.

Now we begin in Chapter 2 of Romans, if you could turn their in your Bibles

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Now as you turn there, realize that the Jewish hearers of this letter would have been in total agreement with Paul in Chapter 1 giving verbal amens as they heard what he wrote. Those heathens who are rejecting God will have no excuse when they face judgment and they were already facing some judgment as God gave them over to their depravity.

But now Paul turns his focus from those who reject God outright, to the Jews, those who considered themselves religious, to show them that they were no better in the way they lived and if they were relying on their possession of the law or an adherence to the outward act of circumcision, rather than on Christ and Him alone, they too would be standing before God without excuse.

So let’s read and see what Paul has to say about some of the principles of Divine Judgment of those who are relying on something other than a sole belief in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Romans 2:1-16

2 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Let’s pause here and pray.

Pray

Paul in these verses tells the Jews who were relying on their heritage and their circumcision to show God’s favor upon them that they were without excuse and if they were going to rely on something other than Christ, they were going to be judged by the Lord and Paul lays out in these verses some

Principles of Divine Judgment

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First, he begins by telling them that

Divine Judgment will be based upon your standards for others

Romans 2:1 - You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Jesus said basically the same thing in

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Matthew 7:1-2 - 7 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.