Unashamed Reading Plan – W3D1
Check out all the previous Unashamed readings here.
Unashamed Reading Plan | Week 3 | Day 1
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Ask Him to teach you more about Himself today.
Bible Reading: Romans 2:1-16
Read these verses three times slowly.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
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. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
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. 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. (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. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Reflection & Questions
Last week we read what is wrong with the world – people have made a terrible exchange. Instead of worshiping (and following) God, they have chosen to put other things on the throne of their lives. This has led to all the tragic brokenness we see everywhere.
As Paul wrote those words, he could hear some of the Roman Christians, especially those of Jewish background, thinking… “Yeah, those people are really bad – they need help! But I’m not like THEM.”
In our readings this week, Paul addresses this faulty, arrogant thinking head-on. He clearly makes the argument that it doesn’t matter your background, whether Jewish or Gentile; there is no one righteous and no one who is not under God’s wrath.
In today’s verses, he bluntly calls them to some self-reflection. He tells them, “Whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself because you…do the same things” and “When you do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” He says, don’t misunderstand God’s patience with you as thinking you are somehow better and that your misdeeds are okay; he says, “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” Ultimately, he cuts off their self-righteous thoughts by saying “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.”
Is he arguing for a works-based salvation? We have to prove ourselves to be saved? Not at all. Romans 1:16 stands: The gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes. However, belief is demonstrated in change. If there’s no change, there’s no true belief.
Paul’s desire in throwing down these firm words is to bring all the Romans together in the common knowledge and understanding that it is only by the gospel that salvation is possible. Everyone is in the same boat. We all need Jesus! There are no “better thans.”
- Have you compared yourself to others and thought you are better than (or more worthy) than they are? What would Paul say to those thoughts?
- What difference would it make in the Roman church, and in Crossroads if everyone got what Paul is trying to say?
Prayer
Pray in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading: Bible Reading: Romans 2:1-16
Read these verses three times slowly.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
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. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
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. 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. (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. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Reflection & Questions
Wow! That was a lot of verses to read. But there was one really big message that Paul was trying to get across to the Roman Christians. You see, some of them thought they were better than the “other” people who were doing all the bad things. They weren’t like THEM – those other people were the ones who needed help.
But that is not true for those Roman Jewish Christians or for us, either! It doesn’t matter what our background is, there is NO ONE righteous and NO ONE who can escape God’s wrath for wrong-doing.
Paul tells these self-righteous people to look at themselves and realize that when they judge those other people, they are just as bad as they are because they are doing the same things! And if they are doing the same things, they are going to get judged by God too. Our God is patient and kind and He has given us the law (the 10 commandments) to help us make good decisions. We can’t just hear those laws and think we’re good. We’ve got to actually follow those laws.
But here’s where it gets interesting. By doing what the law says, we think maybe we have earned our way into salvation, into heaven, right? But that’s not how it works. We can’t “earn” salvation. It is when we truly believe in God and that He gave us this incredible gift of salvation where Jesus pays for all of our sins, then we will WANT to live according to the laws that God gave us. We will be so grateful that He made a way for us to get to heaven through Jesus, that we will change the way we live according to the helpful laws that God gave as a guide. If we don’t change, then we don’t really believe in this gift of salvation.
So the point of all those verses is this: everyone is sinful and we ALL need Jesus. There are no “better thans.”
- Have you ever thought you were better than someone else? What would Paul say to you about that?
Pray
Think about how awesome it is that God provided a way for you to get to heaven by sending Jesus to take on all of your sin. Thank him for that gift and ask Him how you can live differently out of your gratitude.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
