You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Have you ever heard a really good sermon and thought about someone in particular that the sermon would have been perfect for? Perhaps you had a friend or family member you wished were sitting and listening to this sermon because it would have been exactly what they needed to hear. We can even feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that the words being spoken were not convicting to you, who has everything together but is meant for someone else... some other sinner. While there is nothing wrong with desiring someone to hear a particular message, there is something very wrong with falling into a pattern where every word of conviction, rebuke, or correction is always for someone else and not for you. Many of Jesus' most harsh words were reserved for those who continually thought like this: that they were above and better than the 'sinners and tax collectors' Jesus spent time with. In the same way, we can unknowingly act like these Pharisees and, over time, become numb to conviction, which leads to repentance. That is not a good place to be in, and we all need to be continually reminded and humbled by the fact that we, too, are sinners in desperate, daily need of God's grace.

In the previous chapter, Paul ended his thought by speaking about the judgment coming for those who lived very immoral lives. Now, in chapter two, Paul continues with this theme of coming judgment. However, he moves on to the category of those who are generally moral in their conduct and see themselves as good and righteous people. Paul assumes at this point in his letter that they are congratulating themselves that they are not like the immoral pagan people described in Chapter 1. This chapter is aimed at those who would see themselves as judges waiting to pass judgment, yet that role is reserved for Jesus Christ himself on the day of the Lord. This day of the Lord is the day when Christ takes his bride to heaven, the day Christ establishes his throne on Earth, and the day when Jesus transitions from being Savior to Judge. This will be a day when God judges the secret places in the hearts of men through Jesus Christ. This is a day when all that was hidden will be exposed and when all that was done in the dark will be brought to light. This is also a day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. It will be a day of great consequence, regret, and sorrow for those who are not forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus. On this day, Jesus will become the judge of the immoral, The unrighteous, the self-righteous, and those who are in Christ. Just as the angel of death passed over the homes of those whose door frames were covered in the blood of the lamb, he will again spare those who are covered in the blood of the Lamb, but also just as the angel of death brought the consequences of rejection and rebellion, he will again bring even greater judgment over the whole Earth to those who are not covered, no matter how righteous they view themselves. At the first coming of Jesus, the loving, merciful character of God was revealed with the greatest emphasis. At the second coming of Jesus, the righteous judgment of God will be revealed most clearly.

This concept of Jesus as Judge is distinctively Christian. Jews taught that God the Father alone would judge the world and that God would show partiality towards Jews. Many Rabbis taught that God would judge the Gentiles with one measure and the Jews with another. In the same vein, many pagan Greek teachers of Paul’s day referred to the “unwritten law" within man. They thought of it as something of an inner conscious or unwritten code that pointed man in the right direction, which would lead to justification. In theory, a man might be justified or excused by obeying his conscience, but unfortunately, every man has also violated his internal conscience, just as every man has violated God’s written revelation. Paul goes on to address this flawed idea of a two-tiered righteousness and the possibility of the leniency of judgment based on performance. Paul confronts this view and says something like this: "The immoral are sinners, but you are not? No, you are also sinners, but you just sin in a different way. It is no less serious or in need of righting. You who call yourself righteous still need to repent, to be humbled, and to call out for a savior. You stand in pride because you feel you are better or holier than another, but this pride is a sin in and of itself. You still need to be led to repent of your pride, or you will fall like Satan. You are not safe in your good works or your supposed keeping of the law. You are just as fallen as the rest of us." The same is true of us today. No matter how good or righteous we think we are, no matter how many accolades we have or what good causes we have supported, we are all still in dire need of the grace and mercy of Jesus. We are no better in God's eyes or more loved than the addict, Buddhist, or prostitute. Who are we to pass judgment on or elevate ourselves above another? Each of us must humble ourselves and come to a place of repentance for the pride that lives in our hearts. The message of the gospel is as much for you as it is for the very worst of sinners.