In that which you judge another, you condemn yourself.

Romans 2:1-24 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who will render to each person according to his deeds: ⁷ to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; ⁸ but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. ⁹ There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

¹² For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; ¹³ for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, ¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, ²¹ you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? ²² You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? ²⁴ For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.

 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;  for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.       The problem is with or without the law, God’s commandments and regulations concerning righteousness: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)    Before the law was given, man was unable to live in a holy and righteous manner, having fellowship with God. The law was unable to change the hearts of men, rather it is an indicator of the gulf that separates man’s unrighteousness from God’s righteousness. It reveals the condition of man, it cannot restore man. What man could not do with or without the law, live righteously, in fellowship with God, Jesus Christ did for all people.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)   

Because of what Jesus did, because of the finished work of the cross, His sacrifice once for all, we now can:   come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)   Ephesians 2:8-9 says:     For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.       Jesus, through the finished work of the cross, by grace, restored the broken fellowship between people and God. We though, if we are to have that fellowship, if we are to be in the presence of the holy and righteous God must always present ourselves at the throne of grace, there we can go boldly in Christ.  In today’s text, Paul writes:   everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.  And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.  But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?   When we, through our words or our prayers, judge or condemn others we are not positioning ourselves at the throne of grace. Rather when we judge, we ourselves stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There we are judged not by grace, but rather in the same way we judge others, by works. There we are guilty as they are. No one can boast that their own works saved them.

Yet Paul does not say that there will be no judgment. Rather he says: because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,  who will render to each person according to his deeds:  to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;  but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.  There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil… for there is no partiality with God.       Jesus Himself, the only one who restores man to God, says:   “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)   Jesus did not do away with the law, the law, the smallest letter or stroke, is still there to help us to recognize how far we are from God without Christ, who fulfilled the law for us. Jesus did not redeem sin. He did not make sin acceptable in the sight of God. Those who annul, or as other translations say: sets aside-relaxes-breaks-ignores, the commandments of God, or teaches others to, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

We are not to judge others, to judge their hearts, because as we judge we will be judged. We can and should though be judges of works and fruit, first in our own lives and also in the lives of others. Galatians 5:19-25 says:    Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

If we would see works in others that would keep them from inheriting the kingdom of God, may we not present them before the judgment seat of Christ, where both they and we would be judged by our works, but rather may we present them, where we, in Christ may come boldly into God’s holy presence, may we come and bring them to the throne of grace.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You for Your grace, Your love and the finished work of the cross, by which I am saved. May I, in my own life walk in the fruit of the Spirit, may I remember always, Your righteousness and teach others also of Your righteous ways. When I see unfruitful works in my life or theirs, may I come and bring them only to the throne of grace, where:  we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Amen