Here Comes The Judge

DEVOTION

ROMANS

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

Rom 2:1-4
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. 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?
NIV

There is a certain voice of warning in this passage I dare not pass by. What excuse could I possibility offer for thinking poorly of another believer’s behavior. Is it my own wonderful behavior? Is it my complete ability to keep myself in a perfect sinless state? Perhaps I have an excuse because simply I am not quite as bad as they are? The rub, of course, is whenever I pass judgment on another I am in fact sinning in that action. Ah yes, of course we do not judge, we simply assess what another is doing. Here again is the rub, the Greek word used here for judgment means to distinguish, to decide mentally or judicially. To recognized my own sinful state, my own condition of imperfection, knowing that I have absolutely no righteousness of my own, not one shred of ability within my own being to gain access to the kingdom of God should certainly lead me to a life free from distinguishing the actions of another. We all are in the same boat, being tossed by the seas of life, and I need the Savior to stand up and calm the wind and the sea, to save me from drowning in Hell itself. True, nothing I do is anything as horrific as what must have been going on in Rome at the time Paul wrote this letter as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yet can I escape the Word of God that declares if I am guilty of one point of the law I am guilty of all.

James 2:8-11
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
NIV

The point here, is of course, who is perfect enough to stand in judgment? God and God alone! And of course He judges with kindness, tolerance and patience for the purpose of bringing us to repentance not condemnation. So who am I?