I have had the privilege of fellowshipping with believers in various parts of the country, in several different denominations, and in various settings. Sometimes the fellowship would be in group Bible studies, and sometimes with just one or two brothers sharing with one another the things that have been on our hearts.

Inevitably, concerns would be shared about the disturbing amount of sin in our country and throughout the world. There would be special concern about the seemingly rapid increase in the level of sin, the level of evil taking place around us. It seems that, almost on a daily basis, we are confronted with more and more examples of the growing degradation of society.

Eventually, the discussion often turned to Paul’s detailed account in Romans chapter one of God’s judgment on people that had exchanged the truth of God for a lie.  We would be reminded of how God delivered such people over to a worthless or reprobate mind to do what is morally wrong. According to Paul, these people were filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness.

He explains their situation saying, “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

“And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient, to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.” (Romans 1:18-20, 28-32, HCSB).

This passage seemed to describe so clearly what we saw playing out right in front of our eyes. It seemed to give us an assurance of the righteousness of God. He had given them every opportunity to know God and acknowledge Him as God. Yet knowing God, they refused to glorify Him as God. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. As a result, people are without excuse.

Therefore, God delivered them over to the cravings of their evil hearts. He gave them over to a worthless reprobate mind to do what is morally wrong.

Although they know full well God’s just sentence, that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but even rejoice when others practice them. However, “God is righteous and will repay each one according to his works” (Romans 2:6).

These considerations are often followed by a discussion of how we are eagerly awaiting the Lord’s return. We look forward to Jesus coming to rule on the earth with a rod of iron. We rejoice that He will have Satan bound for 1,000 years as we rule and reign with Him after He has finally restored righteousness to the earth.

However, God has recently been opening the eyes of my understanding, little by little, revealing things in the Bible that I had read many times before yet did not understand. One such incident occurred this morning as I was reading this passage in Romans chapter one.

As I continued reading on into chapter two, I was shocked to realize who Paul, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, was writing to. He writes, “Therefore, any one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things” (Romans 2:1, HCSB).

When Paul says, “Any one of you,” who is he referring to? Any one of who? The answer to this question can be found in chapter one, verse seven, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ” (KJV).

Paul is addressing this passage in Romans 2 to the believers, the church in Rome. He writes, “Therefore, any one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 

“But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. There is no favoritism with God” (Romans 2:1-11, HCSB).

Here Paul is addressing the problem in the church of how believers see the sinners in the world living in the wretchedness of their sins and they judge them, even though they themselves, the believers, do the same things that they judge. In the church, we are often quick to judge the sinfulness of those in the world while we wink at the sin in the church, the sins being committed by the professing Christians.

Paul’s point in this passage is that there is no favoritism with God. He is not a respecter of people. Whether you are a believer or a nonbeliever, He will judge each one righteously. Remember, “God is righteous and will repay each one according to his works.” God will judge the world, but first God will judge the church. God’s judgment begins with the house of God.

 Peter explains, “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17, HCSB). God is a righteous God. He will judge His people. He is even more concerned about judging us than He is about judging the world.

How is God going to judge the church? What will He use to judge His people?

Peter addresses these questions saying, “If anyone suffers as a ‘Christian,’ he should not be ashamed but should glorify God in having that name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

“And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? So those who suffer according to God’s will should, while doing what is good, entrust themselves to a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:16-19).

Those of you who are parents, how is it with you? Are you more concerned with disciplining your own child or your neighbor’s child. In the same way, God is more concerned with disciplining His own children, those that own Him as their Father. This discipline is a clear demonstration of the Father’s love.

In His righteousness, God judges His people. He disciplines His people. He disciplines us because He loves us. He wants us, His people, to be holy because He is holy. He uses discipline to teach us, to purge and purify us, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We must accept His discipline, submit to His authority, repenting and turning back to Him, that we might be trained by it.

The writer of Hebrews illustrates this saying, “My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or faint when you are reproved by Him, for the Lord disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He receives.

“Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them.

“Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:5-11, HCSB).

We have a choice. We, as believers, can choose to submit to the discipline of the Lord now and later reap the fruit of peace and righteousness, or we can reject His discipline, storing up for ourselves wrath in the day of wrath, and be judged by Him at the judgment seat of God.

Paul reminds the Christians in the church at Rome, “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, ‘As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10-12, HCSB).

 God will judge Christians for how they live. Remember Paul’s words, “Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:3-4, HCSB).

Again, to illustrate God’s desire to lead us to repentance, Paul writes, “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.

“At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged” (2 Corinthians 7:8-13, NIV).

Writing to the believers in the church in Corinth, Paul reminds them, “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people” (2 Corinthians 5:9-11, NASB).

Our God is a righteous God. He will judge sin, whether it is among the unbelieving people of this world, or among the believers in the church, the house of God. He is no respecter of persons. He does not show favoritism! He is righteous and He is just.

Writings By Jon von Ernst

The Lord of All Things Series - A Trilogy of Truth 
Books in this series:
Book 1 - The Gospel of the Kingdom
Book 2- The Victorious Christian
Book 3 - Walking in the Light  -  Following in His Steps

*- Audio of these books are available free of charge at thepureword.net.