Good morning,
The Judge is coming
When little Saul, who later became known as the Apostle Paul, was growing up, he was born as a Jew living in a city with pagan Roman values. As an adult, Saul was a highly trained Pharisee who judged everyone around him by Old Testament rules and laws. When the Christians came along, he hated them and became known for his cruelty to anyone who lived that way. When Jesus met him and changed his heart and life, he became a godly man who gave the rest of his life to sharing the love and joy and peace that Jesus gives those who trusted him as Savior and Lord. By the time he wrote his letter to the Christians in Rome the growing church had been around for 20 plus years and already was beginning to become less like Jesus and more like the world around them. Satan was doing his best to get God’s family to see Jesus as the gift giver and forget that he was also their Lord and Judge. The Christians were beginning to see themselves as the good guys and everyone else as the bad guys while they were going back to their old sinful ways of living. That’s why Paul rocked their boat when he wrote, But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. (Rom.2:5) Jesus had told them, "If you love me, obey my commandments.(Joh.14:15) Then he added, He will judge everyone according to what they have done.(Rom.2:6)
What Paul saw coming in his day seems to have become a reality in our day. That doesn’t mean that all the faithful followers of Jesus have all disappeared, for there are a vast number of faithful followers all around the world today. What we are facing today is that the rich countries and the rich and successful people inside the churches of our day have been trained to live for success instead of obedience to our Lord and Savior. As Paul pointed out, He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. (v.7) However for those who are living a religion based life, they may attend and pray and pay, but they are only living for themselves. As Paul said, But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.(v.8) Our generation of church attenders are looking for pastors and teachers who will tell them the Good News of salvation, and then fill their messages with information without any serious attempt at helping them to know Jesus personally and learn to rely more and more on the work of the Holy Spirit as they live by faith and not by sight. These leaders and church groups are businesses, not places of genuine worship. For these leaders and people Paul says, There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil.(v.9) Then the good news is, But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good.(v.10) Finally he reminds us of one more very important thing. Our Savior and Lord and Judge is fair in his judgment of each of us. Therefore, And this is the message I proclaim–that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.(v.16) Dear Lord, please help us to remember in our love for you that we need to be relying on you and not on our cultures and religious leaders.
Romans 2:16 And this is the message I proclaim–that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life.
Roy Wisner
