You have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment,
WEEK 38
BEING MADE CAPABLE OF
PLEASING GOD
ROMANS 2:1-16
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. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
OUR FATHER, how can we who are born sinners,
who can do nothing to please You, seek—let alone find—glory, honor, and immortality? How can we be delivered from selfish ambition
and disobedience to the truth? How can we escape Your just wrath, indignation, and judgment? We affirm the pure righteousness of Your law,
which expresses Your holy nature
as written in Scripture and in the human conscience. We know what is right and wrong,
yet more often than not we find ourselves
in the wrong and unable to do right.1
How thankful we are for Christ's work
and Your Spirit enabling us to put our trust in Jesus as Lord! In the moment we first believed, You granted us
a new life, a new heart, and new, holy affections. Thus regenerated, we now have by Your gracious hand a new capacity
to do what is good, honorable, and righteous. We praise You that in Christ
we have been made capable of pleasing You. In what better way can we thank You,
and for what greater end have we been made? With humility we seek always to remember
that the will and the power to do right
come only from You. Immortal, invisible, all-wise and most glorious God,
You have sovereignly enabled us to
know the truth, love the truth, live the truth, proclaim the truth, and worship You in spirit and in truth. Yet as we face the reality of our daily lives,
we know that sin still exists within us
and will seek to subdue us
until we reach heavenly glory. We mourn over our sin; we hunger and thirst after righteousness;2
we joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man.3
Help us to put off the old things and put on the new—
and be renewed in the spirit of our minds.4
May we faithfully follow the humble example of our Lord. May we love Him sincerely,
glory in His cross, pursue what is holy, and shun all that is shameful and wicked.
Give us courage and boldness, combined with graciousness,
to confess the Redeemer before lost men and women— our neighbors, co-workers, and even our earthly adversaries. May we willingly bear Christ's reproach;
may we clearly communicate His love; may we thoroughly be controlled by His Spirit; and may we faithfully walk in His steps.
Fill us with divine wisdom from Your Word.
Help us, Lord, to live in a way
that presents Jesus Christ as all-glorious
and draws sinners to the Holy One. These things we pray in His name. Amen.
1. Romans 2:1-16 2. Matthew 5:3-6 3. Romans 7:22 4. Ephesians 4:22-24