Scripture:

Romans 2:

⁵ 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. ⁶ God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”^[a]7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸ But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Observation:

Commenting on God’s righteous judgement the writer points out that because of sin and a stubbornness against dealing with it we are in effect piling on God’s wrath…a reality that will come to pass on His judgement day.  There is both appropriate judgement for the righteous and unrighteous.

Application:

No one likes judgement.  No one likes being judged.  However, everyone at some point or another has passed judgement on someone else.  It’s unfortunately part of being human.

Instead…we need to see the unrepentant sin in our own lives and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.  Lest we experience his judgement on the unrighteous.  It begins with a relationship with Jesus Christ…the sinless Son of God.  The one who took our sin and gave us his righteousness.

It’s lived out as we love the righteous Father and his Son who saves. 

It comes full circle as we withhold judgement on others…leaving it to the only one who can judge justly.

No one likes judgement.  But God’s judgement doesn’t have to be harsh…it can actually be life giving!  Eternal life giving…because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Prayer:

God as your children we look forward to the day of judgement.  Good, bad, and ugly you will expose us for who we are!  Thank you for the blood of the lamb.  The death of your Son that covers our sin and presents us before you as righteous.  You alone are a good and righteous judge.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen.