Title: The Sin of Judging Others
(Explanation to Romans 11)
the sin of judging others
(Text: Romans 2:1 - 5)
Introduction: The overall outline of the book of Romans is ‘this petition’ through which we are justified by faith. Here, Paul published the Christian truth of ‘Lee Shin’s request’ from 1:16 to 8:39. What Paul points out in the text is to be the alarm of God's judgment on those who judge. This warning mainly pertains to the Jews who had the law, who despised the Gentiles because of their superiority that they had the law, and because they were committing the sin of judging, Paul said that even Jews who had the law could not escape God's condemnation. It is raising the alarm and urging them to repent.
1. The sin of one who judges others
The Bible condemns judging others in several places. The word ‘judgment’ being used here is ‘Crima’ and ‘Is it good? It means the final choice to decide whether or not it is evil.
(1) Those who belong to the law judge others. The purpose of the law is to condemn sin. Therefore, those who belong to the law are condemned, not forgiven, for their sins. Because that is the purpose for which the law was given. Humans under the law are permitted not only to condemn, but also to take revenge. “But if there be any harm, repay him for life, for life, eye for eye, tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, heat for warmth, bruise for bruise, slap for slap.” (Exodus 21:23-25). It is easy to think that such a thing is a method of revenge that God has allowed, but God's permission is because the human heart is evil (Matthew 19:7, 8).
(2) But those who belong to grace are different from this. Grace is love and forgiveness, not judgment or condemnation. Jesus never told us to condemn or judge our attitude toward sinners. “At that time Peter came and said, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? The Christian life with grace is infinite love and forgiveness.
Next, the person who has received grace should be able to look directly at his weaknesses and faults. “Judge not, lest you be judged, for with the judgment with which you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure that you measure, it will be measured to you. Why can you see the speck in your brother’s eye and see the log that is in your own eye? Behold, there is a plank in your eye, so why do you say to your brother, ‘I will take the speck out of your eye?’” He revealed the reason why we cannot but forgive the sins of others (Matthew 7:1- 4).
(3) He said that those who judge others will be judged by God. He said that to judge others is to condemn oneself. Why is judging others the result of judging oneself? Paul gives the answer to this question clearly. It is because you are judging others because you do the same thing. If you want to condemn and judge others, you must never commit the same sin as yourself, and you must not be the object of judgment by others. Because he himself will be judged the same by others as he has been judged. Therefore, only God can judge and condemn others. We are compelled to commit the same sin as the person whom I judged because there is not a righteous person among us who cannot but sin.
He said there would never be an excuse for doing something like this. A person who judges others is one more sin than another. It is the sin of judging and of committing the same sin as the person who judged. It is warned that such a sin is a sin that is judged by God. He said, “We know that the judgment of God is according to the truth to those who practice these things.”
2. The three ignorance of people who judge others
Those who judge others reveal that they are terrible criminals who despise God. Those who pursue legal righteousness by the law judge and condemn the sins of others, because as a result, they do not know the kindness of God and despise the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience. is.
(1) The Jews who had judged others by the law did not know the riches of God's mercy. They did not think that God was rich in mercy, but that He was a judge and condemner. Son of man refers to God's love. God's mercy is the same for non-Jews and Gentiles. God is kind even to fools (Psalm 116:5). God is also kind to the poor (Psalm 35:10, Psalm 9:12). Not only that, but God is also kind to sinners. God calls all sinners to come (Isaiah 1:18,19).
(2) Then the Jews did not know the riches of God's forgiveness. Forgiveness means forgiveness. God's forgiveness comes from His infinite love. God has promised to forgive any of our sins. Even to the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said, “Neither will I condemn you.” We need to know that God is not the one who condemns and judges us by means of the law, but the one who accepts us with infinite love in his Son, is merciful, and gives life (Isaiah 55:6,7).
(3) Then the Jews did not know the riches of the patience of God's way of patience. The original meaning of the word 'the way is patience' means to be patient with people's sins and transgressions for a long time, do not become angry, and ignore them. God is long-suffering until His final judgment comes. Even in the days of Noah, God could immediately judge the three sinners, but God was patient with them for a long time to repent (1 Peter 3:20). Not only that, but God's long-suffering is the patience of God, that no one should perish but come to repentance (2 Peter 3:8).
Conclusion: However, God's wrath must come upon such a crowd. They are said to be stubborn. The word stubbornness is 'skrerotes', which means stubbornness or stubbornness. It's like a spiritual sclerosis that hardens the mind. The state in which the heart is filled with unbelief is a stubborn heart. Then God's wrath will come upon those who do not repent. The word “repentance” is “metanoeo,” which means to change, change, or repent. A fundamental change in the purpose of life. Repentance is the turning of the human heart to God. Therefore, repentance must bear the fruit of life before God. Such unrepentant people will face the day of God's wrath of judgment as their sins are forgiven.