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Sin is something we all have to overcome during our lives.
Some people think they never ever sinned, but when we come to Christ that we all
have fallen short of the Glory of God because we all are sinners. The Holy
Spirit helps us to be free from sin and live a life holy before God. The problem
is once we become Christians and follow His Word we become blind to the old
nature. I say it’s a problem because, though it is a good thing really, it can
only see the beam in our neighbor’s eye. We do not see our own plank. Do you
follow me? We see others and think we are better than them because we would ‘never
do that’. Oh yes, we probably all have a moment when we realize we are just
this close to being a food and falling into sin again. We are nothing without Christ.
We get that, but sometimes when we see people doing what we think is wrong, whether
it is being lazy or hoarding, whether it is robbing or being dishonest we look
down on them.
It has been said ‘there but for the grace of God go we’.
This first group of verses nails the meaning of this on the cross!
Still, everyone
died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey
an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a
representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s
sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death
to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness
to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious
gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin
led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with
God, even though we are guilty of many sins. Romans 5:14-16
When we see people who are not living the life we think they
should it is sometimes easy to think of how great it is that we are not living
in that life style but at the same time we need to remember that we could have
not paid attention and not realized God wanted more for us, in the same way
these people don’t realize.
You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just
as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be
punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very
same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does
such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think
you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? Don’t you see how
wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing
to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing
up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s
righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what
they have done. He will give eternal
life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and
immortality that God offers. Romans 2:1-7
We will all be judged at some point, and if we judge others
or condemn them without offering a bit of direction in how to find freedom in
Christ, well we may as well be judging ourselves.
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat
others.[a] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be
judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log
in your own?” Matthew 7:1-3
So instead take the time and make the time to live your life
in a way that helps others to get out of the sin in which they live instead of
judging the for being there. Offer them a hand to pull them out of the
quicksand! Just don’t stand in the quicksand to do it, cause sin would try to
pull you right in there too! I just had a thought, the best way to stay out of
the quicksand in movies is to tie yourself onto a tree to keep you from falling
in while pulling a friend out. So, tie yourselves to the Tree of Life! He will
keep you from falling into sin while pulling another one out!
Check your Spirit- In His Word 8-18-2024
Did I do that?
But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Romans 2:6-14
We can know that it is true, if we just walk away and allow
them to slip in knowing they do not know the truth that we need to tell them. Once
they have been told that they can have new life in Christ it is up to them to
grab the rope or not. We cannot force someone to live right, or to believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. They must make the choice. If they choose
not to follow Him, and some really will do this, then they will not have God’s grace,
but instead they will be judged as unsaved.
Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that
they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard
it. They demonstrate that God’s law is
written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse
them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the
day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret
life. Romans 1:14-17
Yes those who know the truth, even though they have not yet
accepted Christ as that truth, they may be living a life pleasing to God just
the same. The Holy Spirit will draw it out and bring them to the truth of salvation.
There is so much more to this chapter, so please study for yourself the rest of
the Chapter! The sum of this blog is
that we need to know that we are saved and then share it with as many as we can
that they may get out of the sin they live in and know God, then know peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Teresa Wilson
