Reading: Romans 2:1-4
Reflective Thoughts
The agenda of our judgment
“Don’t be judgmental!” This is a favorite warning from the world to the Christian. Is this what Jesus meant in the oft quoted text of Matthew 7:1-“Do not judge or you too will be judged.”?
A look at the life of Jesus reveals that He never failed to describe sin for what it was. He told the woman caught in adultery to “Go and sin no more.” He rebuked the self-righteous Pharisees. Jesus judged. Matthew 7:1-4 shows us that His warning about judgment is a warning about how we use our judgment. Today’s reading in Romans gives us the same warning. It’s one thing to recognize when someone else’s life is not in accord with God’s principles. It’s another not to remember that all of us are guilty of sin. You may have never murdered anyone, but Jesus taught that if you ever felt hatred, that was enough of a sin to cast you into hell.
Romans 2:2 reminds us that God’s judgment is based on God’s truth, not our version of it. God has a long-suffering tolerance, patience and a rich kindness for us. It’s His kindness that leads us to repent of our sins! God’s redemptive agenda for us is humble and self-sacrificing. Is this our agenda for others?