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October 2 - Romans 2 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it's Sean here. It's a Thursday.
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  It's the 2nd of October. Great to have your company on
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  this special day because today is or was actually Martin
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  Gandhi's birthday. And so to celebrate his
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  birthday, today is actually also the International Day of Non
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  Violence. And we can certainly do with a
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  dose of that in our world at the moment, can't we?
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  Where if someone has an opinion that is different from ours, we
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  can tolerate them, speak to them, and maybe even still get
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  along even though we don't agree.
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  What an amazing thought. So today we think of ways that
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  we can go about the world peacefully with kindness and
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  inclusion. Happy birthday Gandhi, but cakes
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  and candles aside, today is a good day.
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  We are going to read the second chapter of the book of Romans
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  where Paul is going to start unwrapping all that he has to
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  say about, oh, the conundrum of Jews and Gentiles.
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  What do you need to do under Jewish law as a Christian?
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  Do the Gentiles need to follow it?
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  Should they be forced to? Oh, it's such a hard issue for
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  these early Jewish Christians to wrap their heads around because
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  their whole lives have been really bound by this law, which
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  was the way that they were set apart for God.
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  So you don't just give that up and walk away.
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  That's that's kind of your identity.
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  So Paul has got his work cut out for him as he introduces people
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  and invites people into a new covenant where it's Jesus love
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  and his sacrifice. It's done the work for us.
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  So let us dive into this chapter together.
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  Reading together Romans chapter 2.
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  You may think you can condemn such people, but you were just
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  as bad, and you have no excuse when you say they are wicked and
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  should be punished. You are condemning yourself.
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  For you who judge others do these very same things, and we
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  who know God in His justice will punish anyone who can do such
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  things. Since you judge others for doing
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  these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgement
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  when you do the same things? Don't you see how wonderfully
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  kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?
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  Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that His kindness
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  is intended to turn you from your sin?
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  But because you are stubborn and refused to turn from your sin,
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  you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself.
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  For a day of anger is coming when God's righteous judgement
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  will be revealed. He will judge everyone according
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  to what they have done. He will give eternal life to
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  those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and
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  honour and immortality that God offers.
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  But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for
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  themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives
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  of wickedness. There will be trouble and
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  calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil for the
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  Jew 1st and also for the Gentile.
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  But there will be glory and honour and peace from God for
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  all who do good, for the Jew 1st and also for the Gentile.
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  For God does not show favouritism.
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  When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed even though they
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  never had God's written law. And the Jews who do have God's
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  law will be judged by the law when they fail to obey it.
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  For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God.
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  It is obeying the law that makes us right in His sight.
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  Even Gentiles who do not have God's written law show that they
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  know His law when they instinctively obey it, even
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  without having heard it. They demonstrate that God's law
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  is written in their hearts for their own conscience and
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  thoughts. Either accuse them or tell them
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  they're doing right. And this is the message I
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  proclaim, that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus,
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  will judge everyone's secret life.
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  You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God's law, and you
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  boast about your special relationship with Him.
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  You know what He wants. You know what is righteous
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  because you have been taught His law.
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  You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light
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  for people who are lost in darkness.
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  You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the
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  ways of God, For you are certain that God's law gives you
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  complete knowledge and truth. Well then, if you teach others,
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  why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal,
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  but do you steal? You say it's wrong to commit
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  adultery, but do you commit adultery?
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  You can dare my idolatry, but do you use items stolen from Pagan
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  temples? You are so proud of knowing the
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  law, but you dishonour God by breaking it.
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  No wonder the Scriptures say the Gentiles blasphemy the name of
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  God because of you. The Jewish ceremony of
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  circumcision has value only if you obey God's law.
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  But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better off than an
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  uncircumcised Gentile. And if the Gentiles obey God's
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  law, won't God declare them to be his own people?
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  In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn
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  you. Jews who are circumcised and
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  possess God's law but don't obey it.
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  For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish
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  parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of
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  circumcision. No, a true Jew is 1 whose heart
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  is right with God. And true circumcision is not
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  merely obeying the letter of the law.
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  Rather it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit.
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  And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not
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  from people. Oh Jesus, you want to see
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  transformation on the inside? You want to see us transformed
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  in the way that we love you, and when that changes and our whole
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  hearts are bound before you, oh, well, then we'll just want to do
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  what you would have us do. And Lord, may your kindness,
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  your kindness shown to us, may that be the way that we show
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  this love to others. Ah Lord, grow in us your
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  kindness, and let that be the way that we convince others of
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  your truth. You are a wonderful, wonderful
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  Saviour, and the beginning of this chapter just speaks it so
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  beautifully. You are wonderfully kind,
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  tolerant and patient. Thank you.
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  Thank you that this is who you are and this is how you come to
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  us with your loving, kind heart. We just pray that that would
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  change us from the inside out. Homeless bolus 100% so we can be
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  more like you. We love you and we praise you
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  and we pray all of this in your kind and loving name, Jesus,
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  Amen.