Romans 2:1 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.
What does someone who lives to love with Jesus do about judging others? The apostle Paul lured his readers into a trap. If they agree with God’s judgment that those who practice the sins he previously listed in verses 24-31 of chapter 1, if they agree that they rightly deserve God’s punishment, then if they have committed any of those sins themselves (which they have) what excuse do they have before God? They condemn themselves as well in such judgment.
It is true that even though we live to love with Jesus, we are not thinking that doing so is our excuse for our sins. We live to love with Jesus because we believe the good news that our righteousness before God is a gift of grace. We also believe that even our believing the gospel is a gift of grace. That gift of faith informs us that God has placed the punishment upon His Son which rightly should fall upon us.
So when we say these sins are worthy of death, we are not saying we are better than those whom we judge. We condemn ourselves also, then we share our hope of escape—the gospel promises in Jesus Christ. As Christians we are not soft on sin and ourselves. We love others when we call sin what God calls sin, and we tell the only hope there is for sinners like us—the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com
