March 4th, Wednesday: Romans 2 & 3

Rom 2

If you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your sins have already been judged on the Cross.

But are you ready for the judgment seat of Christ where your works will be judged?

Ask yourself some questions -

'Do I judge myself, or others?'

How easy it is to cover up my own failures by criticizing others.

'Am I grateful for God's goodness?'

It's not the badness of men, but the goodness of God that brings us to repentance.

'Do I take God's many blessings for granted?'

'Is my faith proved by works?'

Paul was not teaching salvation by works, but works that proves salvation.

Big difference!

'Do I obey God's truth and persists in holy living?'

'Do I have a hard heart, or a tender heart?'

One more...

'Am I hiding behind religion?'

You know, the Jews boasted of their law, but it could not save them.

External rituals do not guarantee internal changes, do they?

God searches the heart.

I wonder what He sees in my heart.

How rarely we weigh our neighbour in the same balance in which we weigh ourselves.

Rom 3

God judges honestly and without partiality.

And no secret is hidden from Him.

Are you prepared?

Paul the attorney summarizes his case in chap.3 – 'All are condemned.'

Both Jews and Gentiles alike, religious and irreligious are guilty before God.

And one is no better than the other.

Paul quotes from Psalms and Isaiah to show that from head to foot, we are all lost sinners.

Do you really want to argue about this?

Then your mouth has not been stopped.

God cannot save you until you say, 'Guilty!'

Until you agree with Him and close your mouth!

We cannot save ourselves.

The Law is a mirror that reveals our sin.

Only the blood of Christ can wash away our sin.

It's good to do good works, yes.

But good works are not good enough to save us.

God's salvation is lawful.

How can a holy God forgive guilty people?

Is that lawful?

If our judges did that, society would fall apart.

But God the Lawgiver and Judge obeyed His own law – died for us and paid the penalty for our sins.

The Judge is now the Saviour.

Have you closed your mouth, trusted Jesus Christ and heard God say, 'Not guilty'?