Fri.’s Devo - Judge Not

Read Ro. 1:24- 2:11 We ended yesterday talking about the idols man made to worship of the things God had created, which he never meant man to worship. God gave them over to this evil practice of idolatry. It included all kinds of perverted sex and lust-driven rituals that included homosexual and lesbian acts that went against the nature of man and God. This practice led to all other sins listed in verse 29 - 31. They did these things knowing that one day they would be subject to God’s judgment and be found worthy of death. But instead of repenting, they judged one another for what they were doing themselves. Only God can judge because he alone is Truth. No one can stand in their own righteousness, so to judge another person is to call down judgment on themselves. To judge is to desire punishment on someone when it is God’s nature to be long-suffering, forbearing, and good. It is God’s goodness that leads people to repentance. If we could really grasp that, we would love more and judge less. It goes back to God’s greatest commandment which is to love God and the second greatest to love one another. He wasn’t distinguishing between Christian and non-Christian - he just said to love one another. If we have hard, unrepentant hearts, all that is in our hearts will be saved up and used against us on the day of judgment. If we patiently continue to walk in doing God’s will, then we will reap glory, honor, and eternal life. If we choose evil, we will reap God’s wrath and indignation, and the tribulation. On the day of judgment the Jew will be judged first, then the Gentile. God will show no partiality in judgment. Lord, help us to love everyone; especially those who are not easy to love.